The Iceman cometh…slowly.
At least, that’s what Drake promised as he unveiled a massive installation of ice blocks in the heart of downtown and then sent his fans racing to see what might be hidden within.
“Release date inside,” he wrote on social media on Monday afternoon, fuelling speculation that the melting ice would reveal the release date for his long-teased “Iceman” album, the first since his heated rap feud with Kendrick Lamar.
Within hours, hundreds of people descended on a fenced-in parking lot at 81 Bond St., across from the Bond Place Hotel. Security guards checked their IDs to confirm they were over 18 before being allowed a closer peek at what seemed from a distance like an epic Nuit Blanche exhibit.
Once inside the gate, many snapped selfies and posed with their friends. Others licked the ice blocks or rubbed their hand vigorously, hoping it would melt faster. A few livestreamed the experience on their TikTok and Twitch accounts, crying for the summer weather to heat things up.
But with temperatures hovering just above freezing, the ice wasn’t giving up its secrets just yet.
Ardheis Wicks drove 40 minutes from Thornhill after Drake’s post was shared in his group chat. He was curious to see what the hype was about.
“I thought we were going to be coming out here with flame throwers and picks, you know? I thought we were going to be hammering this thing down,” he said.
“I was going to bring some cologne and a lighter and just light it up, but I guess we’re going to have to wait.”
Ryan McQuoid, a social media influencer known as Ryan Swaze, took matters into his own hands. He briefly chipped away at one of the blocks before a security guard ran over to scold him. McQuoid shrugged it off. He didn’t plan to stick around for the eventual reveal, but suggested that any fans who did should be rewarded by Drake.
“If someone came here from the rip, and waited the whole time, they deserve credit on the album,” he joked.
Drake has been making figurative — and literal — noise over the past year as he anticipation for “Iceman.”
Last week, he came under fire for an explosive fireball that lit up the sky in North York, scaring some residents and drawing scrutiny from City Hall over the apparent music video shoot.
It was the latest in a promotional campaign that began last summer with a series of livestreams promising a new project, and more recently has included courtside seats at the Toronto Raptors’ final game of the regular season which appeared to be frozen.
Mahlet Alemu was having lunch with her friends when Drake’s teaser landed on socials. The group decided to close their bill and hurry a few blocks over to witness a historic moment in music. The group admitted they thought the big reveal might come faster.
“If I had a blow dryer, I’d just be here for a couple of hours,” Alemu said.
Her friend Sydnie Pottinger believed their patience would eventually be rewarded.
“Ya know what? Great things take time,” she said.
“This is a big community builder. Everyone’s going to come out and meet other people who are invested in the album … That’s what it’s about — especially in a city like Toronto. (Drake) showing the world that’s what he’s repping, too, is kind of inspirational.”
