You’ve probably heard that Kanye West will be headlining his first show in five years soon but even more noteworthy is the fact that former rival Drake will be appearing as a special guest.
The intrigue surrounding the concert is understandably high so you’re probably quite keen to know where and when you can catch this in moment pop culture, seeing as it takes place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
First up, a little context.
The performance is a benefit, with West dedicating the concert to raising awareness of the need for prison and sentencing reform — a cause that desperately needs attention in the US. The show is also intended to show support for legal reform and community advocates including Ex-Cons for Community and Social Change, Hustle 2.0 and Uptown People’s Law Center.
In order to ensure that as many people around the globe get to experience this event and learn more about what issues are at stake, Amazon Music and Prime Video will exclusively live stream the show, for free, in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide on Thursday, December 9 at 8 p.m. PT (Friday, December 10 at 3 p.m. AEST), as well as on the Amazon Music app, and the Amazon Music Twitch channel.
The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert will also be available on-demand on Prime Video following the live stream event.
“We’re extremely proud to be working with Kanye and Drake on this historic concert in support of a cause they are both so passionate about, and to collaborate across Amazon for this epic entertainment event,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.
Added Tim Hinshaw, head of hip-hop and R&B, Amazon Music, “Kanye and Drake have spent their careers pushing boundaries and defining culture, and we’re excited to give fans around the world a front row seat to this concert.”
Both of the iconic performers released acclaimed records in 2021, Drake with Certified Lover Boy and Kanye with Donda.
Certified Lover Boy, Drake’s sixth studio album, sold 595,300 album-equivalent units upon its release, compared to the 313,000 album units Donda, West’s tenth record, sold at the time of its entry.
Both albums were nominated in the Best Rap Album at the 2022 Grammys before Drake made the decision to withdraw himself and his work from contention. The Canadian rapper had also been nominated in the Best Rap Performance category for his song ‘Way 2 Sexy’ featuring Future and Young Thug.
Meanwhile, West’s inclusion of artist Marilyn Manson on the production of ‘Jail’ from Donda raised eyebrows at the time of its release and again when Manson, who has been accused by multiple women of sexual abuse, was included in the nominations for the record.
Manson has since been removed from the list of nominees in the Best Rap Song category but is still nominated in the Album of the Year category for his contribution to West’s album.
West is nominated for five Grammys in total, including the prestigious Album Of The Year gong.
The Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert featuring Kanye West and Drake will live stream exclusively on Friday, December 10 at 3 p.m. AEST.
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