After weeks of speculation about his attendance, Drake made a last-minute appearance at the 2019 Grammys to accept his award for Best Rap Song. The 32-year-old Canadian rapper delivered a passionate acceptance speech but was abruptly cut off midway when he told aspiring musicians, “You don’t need this.”

Drake’s speech touched on the value of having fans who know your songs by heart and view you as a hero in your hometown, rather than relying on awards for validation. “We play in an opinion-based sport, not a factual-based sport,” he said. He implied that if people are coming out in adverse conditions to see your shows, you’ve already achieved success.

As Drake continued, his microphone was muted, cutting off his speech both in the Staples Center and on the broadcast. The Grammys later explained that the cutoff occurred because producers mistakenly thought he had finished. They offered him a chance to return to the stage to complete his thoughts, but Drake declined, saying he was satisfied with what he had said.

Drake’s presence was seen as a significant moment for the Grammys, even though he did not perform. Notably, other major artists, including Kendrick Lamar, Ariana Grande, and Childish Gambino, chose to skip the ceremony.