Fans looking to watch the Free Larry Hoover benefit concert on Amazon Prime will not see the same show that was streamed live last week. According to Variety, the streaming platform’s current edit of the Dec. 9 show is missing the majority of Drake’s 12-song set.
During the live broadcast, the 6 God followed Kanye West’s nostalgic set with performances of his own few of his records, including “Life Is Good,” God’s Plan,” a cover of Ye’s “24” and Certified Lover Boy tracks“Wants and Needs,” “IMY2,” “Girls Want Girls,” and “Way 2 Sexy.” The Amazon Prime edit, however, only captures his entrance to the L.A. Coliseum stage alongside Ye and their joint performance of “Forever,” which marked the end of the show. Drake’s images are still featured in promotional graphics.
As Variety reports, Drake’s absence in the edit may possibly be a result of possible restrictions put in place by the Toronto star. The rapper may have signed off on only streaming his performance live. It is also likely that his team didn’t approve or simply wants to limit his exposure on some streaming platforms. Social media users, however, have taken to Twitter to react, with some individuals coming up with their own set of theories.
“Bro they didn’t even put Drake part in the Free Larry Hoover concert on Amazon Prime,” wrote @Team_Meghan.
“Uh so Amazon completely removed Drake’s section from the Larry Hoover replay… awkward,” added @vic_tori_a.
@IAMKLASSIK questioned whether the removal of Drake’s set was some “PR shit.”
User @CAMwells_ , on the other hand, shared his belief that the set was cut out after Drake‘s team caught wind of the social media comments.
“Knowing Drake he prolly saw all the flack he caught for his set and made Amazon remove it lol even tho his rendition of 24 was one of the most beautiful things I’ve witnessed,” he wrote.
Amid the live stream, fans assumed that Drake’s selection of songs like “No Friends in the Industry” was a petty move after his reunion with Ye. The CLB star, however, used his time on stage to express his appreciation for the opportunity to join his “idol” on stage.
“I appreciate Kanye for having me up here tonight,” Drake said. “It’s important that we make this happen. When we were walking through the arches right there, it felt like a dream. It felt surreal. It was something I always wanted to do, being on stage with my idol as he’s running through one of the best catalogs in music, period.”
According to viewers of the benefit concert, Drake’s entire performance was originally available in the hours after the live show ended. It was later removed and replaced with the current edit.