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In a rare show of humility and vision, Drake closed out Wireless Festival 2025 not with a self-focused spectacle, but by elevating global stars—chief among them, dancehall icon Vybz Kartel, who returned to a London stage for the first time in two decades. The performance wasn’t just historic—it was personal. “Today, I really wanted to pay my respect to the performers,” Drake told the crowd. “Bringing the Worl’ Boss home to London after 20 years, making sure that he got time to headline his set… was the top priority.”
Kartel, freshly reintroduced to live stages after serving 13 years behind bars, showed no sign of rust. Taking over the night with a 90-minute performance, he delivered a relentless stream of hits—“Picture This”, “Romping Shop” with Spice, and more—energizing a crowd that came armed with Jamaican flags and unwavering nostalgia. Kartel beamed as he addressed the audience: “Twenty years I haven’t been here. It’s a pleasure.” From the energy onstage to the roar in the crowd, the moment felt like a coronation—a reclamation of legacy long delayed but never denied.
Drake’s set, though shorter than expected due to curfew constraints, was rich in cultural symbolism. Flanked by Vybz Kartel, Popcaan, and Central Cee during his performance of “Hotline Bling”, the Toronto native stood not as the star, but as the conduit—bridging sounds from Kingston to Lagos to London. It was a defining image of his ongoing mission to unify global genres through hip-hop.
Afrobeats powerhouse Burna Boy added his own stamp to the night, stunning fans with surprise appearances from Lauryn Hill and YG Marley, while Ghanaian breakout star Moliy joined Kartel to perform her Billboard Hot 100 hit “Shake It to the Max.” The night was a genre-defying celebration of Black music and international influence.
If the first two nights of Wireless were about hype and headlines, Sunday was about history—made sweeter by Drake’s decision to step back and let icons shine. With a new track alongside Central Cee slated to drop on July 18, he’s not done yet—but for one night in London, Drake made good on his promise: to honour those who paved and are still paving the global road of music.
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