NEW YORK (Billboard) – A second free Drake concert in New York has been canceled after security concerns were raised by the city’s police department.
The Toronto rapper, whose debut album recently opened at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart, was in talks to perform in Central Park on July 16 as part of ABC’s “Good Morning America” summer concert series. According to the Daily News, the plans were scrapped after the NYPD told the city’s Parks Department to bolster its security efforts.
A spokesperson for ABC told the newspaper, “We were interested in having Drake perform, but he was never officially booked,” while a rep said that there was a “booking in place.” The cast of Green Day’s Broadway musical “American Idiot” will play “Good Morning America” on July 16 instead.
Drake’s first free New York show was scheduled to take place at South Street Seaport on June 15, the same day his album “Thank Me Later” was released. The event was shut down at the last minute, however, after an estimated crowd of 10,000 swelled to 25,000.