Drake Celebrates 40th Birthday With Backstreet Boys in NYC

Drake celebrated his 40th birthday with a party at Casa Cipriani in New York on Friday, October 23, featuring a performance by the Backstreet Boys and reported luxury giveaways and cash prizes. The rapper’s birthday fell the following day, October 24. More than 400 guests attended, according to accounts citing people at the party. Those accounts said guests received Chanel and Hermès handbags and could compete in a game-show-style event offering cash prizes ranging from tens of thousands of dollars to as much as $1 million. The reports did not establish whether anyone won the top prize. The Backstreet Boys performed for the crowd. Drake joined the group onstage to sing “I Want It That Way,” according to one account of the event. The performance was described as a surprise, including for Drake. Phone-camera footage described in a separate report showed Drake sharing a toast with DJ Akademiks at the party. Other details about the guest list and the specific styles or values of the handbags were not established in the accounts. The New York gathering came after birthday festivities in Toronto. Drake held a private gathering at the CN Tower on October 21, according to one report,...