Amazon Removes Drake From Kanye West’s Larry Hoover Benefit Video Stream – Report
Drake's performance alongside Kanye West for the historic Free Larry Hoover Benefit Concert in Los Angeles is mysteriously absent from the Amazon Prime Video stream.
According to a Variety report, published on Tuesday (Dec. 14), Amazon removed Drake's performance from Kanye West's Larry Hoover Benefit Concert video stream. The event took place last Thursday (Dec. 9) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
According to the publication, the edited version still features Drake making his grand entrance with Ye walking down the steps of the Coliseum at the start of the performance. And it still finishes with Yeezy and Drizzy performing their collaborative banger "Forever" and leaving the stage together. However, Drake's entire 12-song set in the middle of the show is absent, yet the 6 God is still prominently featured in the graphics accompanying the video.
Overall, 24 minutes of the concert was edited out of the on-demand stream without any explanation.
XXL has reached out to reps for Drake and Amazon Studios for comment.
Fans have shared their speculation as to why Drake's performance was cut from the stream, including a theory that Drake and Kanye have renewed their long-standing beef. However, Variety reports that a more likely theory is that Drake agreed to have his solo performance streamed live but not in perpetuity for on-demand streaming.
Drake may also have some restrictions when it comes to working with other streaming platforms. Since Drizzy’s OVO Sound Radio is on SiriusXM, the Toronto rap superstar might have an exclusivity deal in place with the radio conglomerate as it relates to video content.
It's important to note that the reason for Drake's absence on the video version of the concert remains unconfirmed.
Nevertheless, the Dec. 9 show was to help raise awareness for Larry Hoover, cofounder of the Gangster Disciplines, who is currently serving six life sentences after being convicted of murder and running a criminal organization in 1997. According to TMZ, the Feds are "surprised" that the two rap superstars are supporting a convicted felon who they described as "the worst of the worst."
Kanye has always been an advocate for the freedom of Larry Hoover. Back in 2018, Ye visited the White House in an attempt to get then-president Donald Trump to pardon Hoover, but was unsuccessful.