Drake becomes the latest artist to get hit with an object thrown onstage mid-performance during his tour kickoff Wednesday night in Chicago.
Drake’s “It’s All a Blur” tour with 21 Savage started Wednesday night in Chicago after delays to the initial performance — where he became the latest artist to get hit with a phone thrown onstage.
An Instagram video captured the incident, showing the phone hitting Drake in his lower arm while performing his rendition of Ginuwine’s “So Anxious.” He watched the phone hit his arm and continued rapping; fortunately, if he sustained any injury, it appeared minor.
The recent “trend” of hitting performers with objects began when singer Bebe Rexha was hit in the face with a cell phone mid-performance. Rexha shared photos after the injury, for which she got a black eye and required stitches. A 27-year-old concertgoer was arrested and charged with assault after the New York City performance.
Pop singer Ava Max was struck in the face by a fan who rushed the stage during her performance in Los Angeles, after which security tackled the individual to the ground.
“He slapped me so hard that he scratched the inside of my eye,” the singer tweeted after the incident. “He’s never coming to a show again.”
Country pop star Kelsea Ballerini was hit with a bracelet thrown at her during a performance. Ballerini left the stage to collect her feelings on the incident, returning to the stage moments later to finish her performance and address what had happened.
“All I care about is keeping everyone safe. If you ever don’t feel safe, please let someone around you know. If anyone’s pushing too much or you just have that gut feeling, just always flag it,” Ballerini said. “Don’t throw things. You know?”
She later addressed the incident in an Instagram story, telling fans she was okay.
“We all have triggers and layers of fears way deeper than what is shown, and that’s why I walked offstage to calm down and make sure myself, band and crew, and the crowd all felt safe to continue,” she writes. “That’s all I ever want, is for shows to feel like a safe place for all of us.”