Drake reveals release date of next album after ice sculpture stunt

Toronto’s very own has confirmed the release date of his next album.

On Instagram on Tuesday evening, Drake uploaded a poster that reads “ICEMAN MAY 15″ in bold red and blue lettering. It is the same poster that a Twitch streamer found buried within a massive ice sculpture in downtown Toronto earlier in the day.

Crowds gathered around the sculpture, located near Dundas and Bond streets, after the rapper confirmed that the release date for his ninth studio album, “Iceman,” was hidden within the huge ice block.

On Tuesday afternoon, one fan approached the structure with a sledge hammer and spray painted the words “melt the ice” onto it.

Security told CTV News Toronto fans are allowed to chip away at the ice but are forbidden from climbing the structure outright.

Toronto police ordered the crowds to step back from the sculpture on Tuesday afternoon, with CTV News Toronto’s Jessica Smith reporting fans would be let back in once paid duty officers arrive at the scene.

One Twitch streamer, who goes by the name Kishka, reportedly obtained a package buried within the ice sculpture.

The streamer went to Drake’s home to open the package and aired a poster on his live stream, appearing to confirm the release date of Drake’s upcoming album.

On Monday night, fans could be seen using various tools, including a blow torch and a pick axe, to try to chip away at the ice block. Some could be spotted standing on top of the ice block, which appears to be about six metres high.

By about 12:30 a.m., police were called to the area to do crowd control at the scene, where as many as 800 people had amassed. Toronto police said officers from three different divisions attended the scene.

Police said firefighters were also called in to assist.

While Tuesday morning saw a small, steady stream of fans trickling in to get a glimpse of the ice sculpture, the afternoon saw larger crowds numbering in the dozens.

• IN PICTURES: An icebreaker for ‘Iceman’? Fans flock to giant ice structure connected to Drake’s upcoming album

One fan told CP24 that given the significant buildup for the album, everyone is eager for its release.

“Everyone has been waiting for so long. This is going to be his first solo album in a long time. It has been probably like 924 days since he had a solo album so this will be one of the biggest albums of the year once it comes out,” they told CP24.

One fan applauded the rapper for the clever tactic to promote the album.

“I think it means a lot (for Toronto). Think about how many people are coming down just to see this. Everyone is rushing to come down,” they said.

“And because it is time limited, it is genius when you think about it. It is just an amazing album rollout. I don’t know of any other artist that has thought of something like this and executed like this. It is a race against time.”

CP24 Meteorologist Bill Coulter said fans won’t have to wait too long for the big reveal inside the sculpture.

“In the next couple days, as we get up to the mid upper teens, if the sun is beaming down, you are going to see some significant melt. You won’t see much today, we have a lot of cloud up there and is still a cool day,” he said.

“But it will be easy to tell. If you go out tomorrow and see how much it goes by down tomorrow, you can almost replicate how much it will go down by on Thursday.”

The rapper’s stunt comes just days after staff at Downsview Park apologized to residents in the area who were caught by surprise by a planned explosion during the filming of a Drake project on Thursday night.

“We understand that the unexpected sounds were alarming and unsettling for many, and we are sorry for the disruption this may have caused,” park management said.

“While there was never any risk to public safety—and Toronto Police Service and Toronto Fire Services were involved —we recognize that this does not lessen the impact the experience had on those affected.”

With files from CP24’s Courtney Heels and Bryann Aguilar