{"id":679146,"date":"2026-05-19T07:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/679146\/"},"modified":"2026-05-19T07:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T07:01:11","slug":"how-drake-lit-up-cn-tower-for-iceman-album-trilogy-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/679146\/","title":{"rendered":"How Drake Lit Up CN Tower for Iceman Album Trilogy Release"},"content":{"rendered":"

Drake<\/a> appeared to \u201cice out\u201d Toronto landmark the CN Tower with a blue glow this past Thursday night, utilizing millions of dollars\u2019 worth of projection equipment to promote his latest album, Iceman<\/a>, and its surprise companion releases Habibti and Maid of Honour.<\/p>\n

CBC reported<\/a> on the spectacle commissioned by the Canadian rapper and created by Anil Mohabir and his company Studio AM, a Toronto digital and visual design firm.<\/p>\n

The azure, ice-like lighting crawled up the tower, giving the impression of it freezing, CBC video showed.<\/p>\n

The lighting of the tower and a fireworks display on Toronto\u2019s waterfront on the night of May 14th coincided with a livestreaming event that culminated in the midnight release of the three albums.<\/p>\n

Related Video<\/p>\n

\u201cWe took into account the 3D geometry of the tower, and we showed it freezing [in] real-time, with computer animation all the way to the top,\u201d Mohabir told CBC. \u201cOnce it reached the top, we [had] a really fun lighting animation that kind of moves around ambient light, like lights were hitting the ice from different angles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Drake\u2019s creative team, DreamCrew, contacted Mohabir and his studio with three weeks\u2019 notice to create the massive lighting display.<\/p>\n

A team of 300 people and 75 projectors sourced from around the world, along with cooperation from the city of Toronto and the Canadian transportation agency, came together for the publicity project.<\/p>\n

The projectors alone were worth $15 million, and their lenses are valued at millions more, according to Mohabir.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone was almost in a bit of shock\u201d when they triggered the projection, Mohabir humorously noted.<\/p>\n

Drake and his team put \u201cCanadian creatives at the forefront\u201d and helped \u201celevate the entire city,\u201d Mohabir told CBC.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just a bunch of kids from Toronto that kind of have crazy ideas and crazy dreams\u2026 Through the conduit of Drake, we\u2019re given the opportunity to execute [them] at a really high level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lighting up the CN Tower was the culmination of a series of stunts and publicity moves designed to build hype for the release of the album trio.<\/p>\n

Drake installed a large ice sculpture in a Toronto parking lot, drove around in a box truck with \u201cIceman\u201d written on it, set off an explosion in a city park, and froze his courtside seats at the Toronto Raptors\u2019 home of Scotiabank Arena.<\/p>\n

The much-anticipated Iceman came out May 15th, but Drake shocked fans and the music world by putting it out with two other albums, the R&B tinged Habibti, and the dance music-inspired Maid of Honour.<\/p>\n

As expected, Drake dissed his rivals<\/a>, especially Kendrick Lamar, on Iceman.<\/p>\n

In a review<\/a>, Consequence declared Drake is \u201cfocused on getting listeners to hark back to his glory days\u201d and added that \u201cthe trio of albums amount to a complete Drake experience, for better and for worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

@cbcnews<\/a> <\/p>\n

Drake\u2019s latest publicity stunt turned the CN Tower to ice. But how did they do it? We talked to the man who organized it all. #Drake<\/a> #Iceman<\/a> #Entertainment<\/a> #Toronto<\/a> #CBCNews<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 CBC News<\/a> <\/p>\n