Drake has reportedly signed on for a multi-year residency in Las Vegas for an enormous pay-out.
One of rap’s biggest stars will be off the road for a while, settling in Sin City for a long series of shows. According to a report by The Blast, Drake will be paid over $10 million for a residency at the XS Nightclub in the Wynn casino and hotel. He will be obligated to play at least 10 shows through the contract, with the possibility of more.
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Drake hinted at the deal last week while performing at XS. His show coincided with the Consumer Electronics Show, drawing a huge crowd from around the country, but he encouraged the locals to come back and see him.
“I”ll be back here at XS all year,” he said. “You’ll have a lot of chances to see me.”
Sources familiar with the deal said that many clubs in Las Vegas have been jockeying for a residency deal with Drake. XS is one of the most popular spots on the Vegas strip at the moment, and Drake is the latest in a string of huge acts to agree to a stationary deal like this.
Drake reportedly got to shop around for his pick of locations in the city. With the help of managers and agents, he settled on XS, reasoning that it had the best combination of large crowds and big exposure. Tickets for his upcoming shows are not yet on sale, but the official announcement from both XS and Drake is expected soon.
The rapper posted a photo of himself onstage at XS just a few days ago, naming it his “New home” in the caption. IT showed Drake in a dramatic silhouette, lit with starkly contrasting blue and yellow spotlights. He was nearly level with an ornate chandelier, and an excited crowd was packed into the audience before him. By all appearances, the club matches Drake’s champagne-swilling aesthetic to a tee.
Many fans mocked the announcement on social media, suggesting that Drake had chosen a residency because ticket sales were not what he wanted on his tour last year. Others joked that he might be looking for a place to hide out from Kanye West due to their ongoing feud, or other mounting controversies. One even jokingly referred to Drake as “The Celine Dion of hip hop.”
GOOD! let him be there problem. We dont want him in Toronto anymore. Its where u belong? with carrot top and the rest of the washed up has been who were only ever mediocre.
— TIPZ (@JDKM2) January 15, 2019
In the last several years, many big performers have traded in tour buses for Las Vegas hotel rooms where they could. Among the biggest were Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. Spears had one of the longest stays, performing a show in Las Vegas titled Britney: Piece of Me from December of 2013 until December of 2017, double the length of her initial contract. She then took the act on an international tour. Spears recently announced a second residency called Britney: Domination.
