Drake celebrated at New York's Casa Cipriani on Friday night (Oct. 23), hours before he officially turned 40 on Oct. 24, Billboard reported. More than 400 guests attended.
The night's biggest musical surprise came from the Backstreet Boys, who performed before Drake joined them onstage for their 1999 hit I Want It That Way.
According to TMZ, guests were treated to luxury giveaways, including Chanel and Hermès handbags, and a game show offered cash prizes from tens of thousands of dollars up to $1 million.
Drake took a moment to reflect on the milestone. "Tonight isn't about a tour, an album release, or a bunch of videos we shot," he told the room. "It's about being alive, staying alive."
The Backstreet Boys and Drake go back. In July 2022, the group brought him onstage during their DNA World Tour stop at Toronto's Budweiser Stage and introduced him as their "sixth member" before performing the track. That night he told the crowd it had soundtracked a formative memory at his bar mitzvah, when a girl he liked asked him to dance. Drake spelled out what that moment had meant to him:
"That was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and the first time I ever felt like I had a shot at being cool," he recalled, before calling the track "one of the greatest songs of all time."
He joined the group for that performance too, weaving parts of his own Hold On, We're Going Home into the classic. The track came back four years on, providing the backing music for yet another milestone.
The RIAA, on Friday (Oct. 23), gave him 30 fresh certifications, which made him the first act to pass 350 million certified units.
Newly certified Diamond were Views, In My Feelings and Marvin's Room, whereas God's Plan earned 2x Diamond status. His latest album, Iceman, also went platinum five months after its May release. Drake's total now stands at 18 Diamond plaques, a figure that lengthens his lead as the artist with the most.
The party capped several days of birthday events that began in Toronto. On Wednesday (Oct. 21), Drake gathered with close friends at the CN Tower, including OVO signee Popcaan, and was surprised with a collage of photos and memories.
Afterward, his mother and some of his entourage joined him on the trip to New York aboard his tailored Boeing 767, Air Drake. On Thursday (Oct. 22), he was spotted dining with friends at Mamo, an Italian restaurant in SoHo.
Drake has also promised a 2027 tour in support of Iceman, Maid of Honour and Habibti, the three albums he released in May. He recently dropped Habibti (FOMO) with four new songs, including "Solar Eclipse," which debuted at No. 5 on the Hot 100.
Drake has been linked to the 2027 Coachella lineup, though nothing is confirmed. Hits Daily Double reported earlier this month that he is "said to be in the Coachella discussion" for next year's Coachella Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. He last headlined the festival in 2015, XXL noted, and has returned only once since, as a surprise guest during Future's set in 2017.
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