Drake 40th birthday Backstreet Boys duet in NYC ended with massive prizes
The private Manhattan club turned into an arena singalong as over 400 guests competed in game-show contests carrying six-figure payouts.
Drake brought in his 40th birthday in lavish fashion on Friday, October 23, hosting over 400 family members and close friends at private members’ club Casa Cipriani in New York City, complete with luxury gift giveaways and a surprise performance from the Backstreet Boys, according to TMZ and Billboard.
Hours before officially turning 40 on Saturday, October 24, the Canadian superstar welcomed guests to the Manhattan bash and jumped on stage with the legendary pop group. Drake joined the Backstreet Boys to sing their 1999 signature track “I Want It That Way”, turning the private club floor into an arena-sized singalong.
Extravagant gifts and cash prizes
The party featured party favors on a massive scale. TMZ sources and Billboard reported that attendees were gifted designer handbags from luxury fashion houses Chanel and Hermès. Specific handbag models were not confirmed by Drake’s representatives.
Drake also set up a game-show-style segment during the event. Sources told TMZ and Billboard that the competition offered attendees cash prizes ranging from tens of thousands of dollars all the way up to $1 million, though the exact total handed out and the names of the top winners remain unconfirmed.
Taking the microphone during the gathering, Drake reflected on reaching the milestone age. According to Billboard, the rapper told the room: “Tonight isn’t about a tour, an album release, or a bunch of videos we shot. It’s about being alive, staying alive.”
A history with the boy band
This is not the first time Drake has shared a stage with the Backstreet Boys. On July 2, 2022, the rapper made an unannounced appearance at the group’s DNA World Tour concert at Budweiser Stage in Toronto.
During that 2022 show, the boy band introduced Drake as their “sixth member” to sing “I Want It That Way”, blending in a snippet of his 2013 hit “Hold On, We’re Going Home”. Drake told the crowd that night that “I Want It That Way” had famously played during his bar mitzvah when he was 13 years old.
The New York gathering capped a week of celebrations. Drake started the festivities earlier in the week in Toronto with a private gathering at the CN Tower on Wednesday, October 21, alongside collaborators including Popcaan. He then flew to New York aboard his Boeing 767, “Air Drake”, where he dined at SoHo restaurant Mamo on Thursday, October 22.
Milestone chart news
The birthday celebration coincided with a historic industry milestone. On October 23, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced 30 new certifications for Drake, according to Billboard.
The updated certifications officially make Drake the first artist in history to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units.
While online fans spent Saturday morning sharing clips of the Casa Cipriani bash and reacting to the Backstreet Boys duet, details on the boy band’s full setlist beyond “I Want It That Way” have not been made public.
