For all intents and purposes, Lil Wayne’s Lil WeezyAnaFest went on without a hitch on Friday night with the exception of one incident.
In the latest move in what some are referring to as a streaming war, Apple Music allegedly prohibited fans watching the show via an exclusive stream on Tidal from accessing Drake’s performance. Weezy had a number of guests grace the stage including Master P, Mannie Fresh, Juvenile, and Turk, but when it came time for his Young Money artist Drake to take the stage, the live stream was interrupted with the following message:
Earlier in the evening, a rumor began to circulate that Apple would sue Tidal for $20 million if Drake’s performance was shown on the streaming service as the Toronto emcee reportedly signed a $19 million exclusive deal with Apple. This incident comes on the heels of Jay Z accusing Apple of coordinating a smear campaign against his Tidal platform earlier this year.
The situation is quite the proverbial mess, as Drake is signed to Wayne’s label, but Wayne is also a co-owner of Tidal along with the likes of Beyoncé, Kanye West, Madonna, and Rihanna.
A source close to the situation expressed dismay to the New York Post’s “Page Six,” telling the paper, “This event is for charity. Drake is doing two songs. Why does Apple think it can dictate to artists where and when they can perform?”
Proceeds from the Lil WeezyAnaFest were donated to children affected by Hurricane Katrina.
