Drake, The 02

It’s only been five years since Drake released his debut EP So Far Gone, but in late March, he’s taking over one of London’s largest venues, The O2. The Canadian rapper’s rise to success has been a dizzying one. It helps that Drake knows how to get noticed: not only does he have the music thing down—his songs are fixtures on the Billboard charts—but he’s been eagerly embraced by leading doyens of rap, Lil’ Wayne and Kanye West. Even better: Drake is responsible for popularizing the now-ubiquitous acronym “YOLO”. 

Drake, though, is more interesting than his easy ascent to celebrity would suggest. Rappers are a macho lot but Drake has shown they can be sensitive, too. Drake likes his bitches and hoes as much as any of his peers but he can admit to being hurt by his boo, too—check out the maudlin Marvin’s Room. It’s Drake’s unusually vulnerable persona that accounts for his popularity—and boy is he popular. The O2 will be inundated with hysterical Drake fans come March, but don’t let that stop you from going. After all, YOLO.