'I shouldn't have gone at all': Jagmeet Singh regrets attending Kendrick Lamar concert in Drake's hometown
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Barely a month out of the political spotlight, former New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh has entered a potentially more fraught arena — that of the ongoing feud between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar.
On Sunday night, Singh posted a message to his Instagram account after attending one of the two Toronto shows on the Grand National Tour, headlined by Lamar and fellow rapper SZA, at the city's Rogers Centre.
Singh had been widely noticed at the event, with Drake himself posting a screenshot of an Instagram message and referring to the politician as a 'goof' for his patronage of the concert.
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Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Veteran horseman Tim Drake says bringing a new life into the world never gets old
KING CITY – From February through June, after a long day's work, Tim Drake might be found overnighting in a room the size of a closet at the end of the barn at Silver Duck Stable. Inside there's two battered La-Z-Boy chairs, a small TV and an array of video screens showing stalls in the barn. The no-fills nook allows the 62-year-old stable owner to be close — with an alarm set for every 30 minutes overnight to stay on point — while waiting for a mare to foal. And when he sees telltale signs on the screen, he jumps into action. 'You've got to love it. It's not something you ever get rich on. You make a living, but I do love it. I really do,' said Drake. 'People look at me like I'm nuts. Maybe I am.' The moment the mare bonds with the foal makes it all worthwhile, however. The miracle of life and motherhood wins him over every time. 'That's why I do it,' he said. 'I tell you as long as I've foaled mares, you'd think it'd get to be routine. It never ever does. Never ever … If that don't move you a little bit, you've got no heart.' It doesn't come easy. After starting work in the barn at 4:30 or 5 a.m., Drake catches a few hours sleep in the afternoon. Wife Suzanne, a trainer at nearby Woodbine, sometimes spells him for a few hours overnight, allowing Drake to catch a few hours sleep in the La-Z-Boy. 'I go home once a day and have a shower and that's the only time I see home,' said Drake. 'It's a way of life. It's not really a job,' he added. 'That's what you live for.' Jo Maglietta, the assistant farm manager, echoes that view. 'It doesn't matter how many years you've done it or how may you've seem, it always is the most exhilarating experience ever,' said the 42-year-old Maglietta, who has worked at Silver Duck for some 17 years. 'Just to see that new life and the connection the mums and the babies make, it's really cool. It's really special.' It's that kind of devotion that prompts owners to send their mares to Silver Duck Stable. 'I like to have them three weeks to a month ahead (of the due date), at least,' Drake explained. 'The reason is just so you can kind of get used to them, their habits and whatnot.' That homework helps Drake know when a mare starts acting out of character and the foal is coming. Plus the weeks in advance of the birth allow the mare to get used to him. And it helps to be on good terms with an animal weighing 1,300 pounds in a small stall. One of Drake's loyal owners is Charles Fipke, a member of both the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame and Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, who sends horses from Kentucky. But mostly he handles Ontario-bred horses these days. Fipke, whom Drake refers to as Mr. Fipke, entrusted Drake with several mares who were pregnant by Galileo, an Irish-bred star that won the Irish Stakes and England's Epsom Derby and was named European Champion Three-Year-Old Colt of 2001. Galileo's huge stud fee did not go unnoticed at Silver Duck Stable. But Drake's down-to-earth approach soon took over. 'I mean they all foal the same,' he said. 'A cheap horse foals the same as an expensive one. It's just when you've got one that's almost a million-dollar stud fee, it puts a little bit of pressure on you to get everything done right.' In the past, Drake's stable has foaled as many as 35 in a year. This year has been more manageable with Drake and Maglietta waiting on one last mare to deliver. When they arrives, the foals weigh between 90 and 130 pounds. A couple of years ago, they had four mares foal in a 24-hour period. 'It was pretty hectic,' he recalled. After foaling season is over, Drake's stable looks after horses recovering from injury or surgery. The Milton Equine Clinic, University of Guelph and the nearby King Animal Hospital all use Drake. 'Surgery's important but the after-care's just as important,' said Drake. He says there are more good days than bad days. But there are times when the birthing mare needs more help, prompting an emergency call to the vet and perhaps a trip to hospital. On rare occasion, the mare may also reject the foal, necessitating the use of a surrogate mare. The stable is located on part of Kinghaven Farms, once a thriving thoroughbred racing outfit. While the Wilmot family still has some horses, its focus now is on producing honey, eggs and greenhouse lettuce on the property, Drake has had his corner of the farm for some 12 years. Silver Duck was on the former Kinghaven Farms location for some 15 years. The stable is small but functional, guarded outside by a small statue of a jockey — not to mention Brody, Daisy and Delilah — Drake's three dogs. Vets are not usually present at the birth because they can't get there in time. Drake says if all goes well, the vet gets involved the day after. The vet adds to the tests already done by Drake. That includes checking the colostrum, the first milk produced by the mare that is rich in antibodies vital for building the foal's immune system. Drake reckons he has foaled more than 800 mares over the last 40 years or so. But he's smart enough to know there's always something new to learn. 'I still see things that I've never seen before. And I guess that's what keeps your interest in.' 'Any time you think you know it all, they'll just make you a liar,' he added with a chuckle. Drake grew up around horses in Englehart, Ont., some 540 kilometres north of Toronto. After high school, he headed west on a one-way train ticket with $40 in his pocket. The initial job never came through and he ended up working at a gas station/car wash for $1.90 an hour. Then he got a job with the late Lord Roderic Gordon, who had thoroughbred horses. He ended up at Harlequin Ranches in Alberta under the late Richard Bonnycastle. When the stable was moved to Ontario, Drake came too. When that farm was sold, Drake turned down an offer to go to England to work and stayed in Ontario, working for Jim Day, a former equestrian champion and thoroughbred trainer, and the late Gustav Schickedanz. 'I learned a lot from Jimmy. He was a pretty good horseman,' said Drake. He then opened his own stable, which at its height housed 80 or 90 horses. He chose the name Silver Duck, a nod to drake being the male duck. 'We thought it would be a little extravagant wishing for gold so we thought 'Well we'll go with silver. Keep it modest,'' he said with a chuckle. His goal is simple. Make things as easy for the mare, whose pregnancy usually last 11 months and five days, and foal as possible. Once a mare's water breaks, usually the foal shows up with a half-hour. Drake has to ensure the foal comes out the right way with the front legs and head first. If that's not the case, he literally gets hands on — and hands in — to help get the foal in the right position. Drake and helpers may then have to help pull the foal out. There are rare times when the mare rejects the foal, which in a worst-case scenario requires a nurse mare to help tend the newborn. The mare and foal will stay a few weeks at the stable for at least a few weeks before returning home. Most of the foals will end up on a racetrack. 'We sure hope so. If everything goes good,' said Drake. He looks beyond a horse's resume, however. Each one has a personality. 'Winning a cheap race to me is just as good a feeling as winning a stakes race. It's not as lucrative but your horse got there ahead of everyone else's,' he said. 'And you're proud of the work that you did. You're so proud of the horse and the work that he did. 'Because it's not always the fastest horse wins the race. A horse has got to have a little bit of heart. The trainer's got to have done his job. The jockey does his or her job. The groom and the hot-walker. It's a team effort.' And it starts with Drake. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025
The Province
2 hours ago
- The Province
Drake blasts 'goof' Jagmeet Singh for attending Kendrick Lamar concert in Toronto
Former NDP leader apologized publicly to Canadian rapper after pic went viral Rappers Drake, left, and Kendrick Lamar. Getty Images Jagmeet Singh is offering up a mea culpa after Drake branded him 'a goof' for attending a Kendrick Lamar concert in Toronto. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The former federal NDP leader who helped steer his party to historic defeat in April, losing his own seat along the way, went viral after he was snapped by fans inside the sold-out Rogers Centre. After a high-profile feud with Lamar played out on streaming services last year, Drake hasn't been shy about cutting ties with friends who seemingly sided with the Compton rapper. Former Toronto Raptor DeMar DeRozan, who was once one of Drake's closets pals, was dropped after he appeared in the music video for Lamar's scathing Not Like Us . Drake also ended his friendship with basketball great LeBron James after he was spotted at Lamar's 'Pop Out' show in Los Angeles last June. Making a rare public outing after his political life came to a grinding halt, Singh might have thought his night out would go unnoticed by the denizens inside the ballpark. But a photo of the onetime rising star on Parliament Hill quickly spread online, drawing Drake's ire. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Toronto rapper shared a text message conversation with Singh calling him 'a goof' in an apparent jab at the 'Maserati Marxist.' Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As it was reshared on Instagram and X, Drake's assessment divided the Internet, with some Singh apologists saying that the beleaguered politician deserved a night off. ' This is pathetic … He shouldn't have to choose sides in music because Drake can't handle a rap battle loss,' one person added. But others said Singh's appearance at the show was in keeping with his duplicitous time in politics when he was accused of propping up Justin Trudeau and the Liberals so he could hang on to his seat in the House of Commons long enough to collect his lucrative government pension. 'The guy destroyed the NDP and resigned before anyone could call him out for it,' one critic swiped on Instagram. 'Dude did so much damage to Canada. He is 100% a goof and has earned the name Sellout Singh!' they continued, namechecking one of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's many nicknames for the NDPer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Singh, who fruitlessly tried to use content creators and influencers to promote his election campaign this past spring, addressed the drama on his Instagram Story as he publicly apologized to Drake. ' I went for SZA not Kendrick.' he wrote. 'I was born in this city. I love this city. But real talk, I get it. I shouldn't have gone at all.' Singh then credited Drake and his OVO brand with 'lifting up' Toronto and Canada. 'For me, it'll always be Drake over Kendrick,' he concluded. Jagmeet Singh apologized afer being spotted at Kendrick Lamar's Toronto concert. Photo by Jagmeet Singh / Instagram But his apology drew even more mockery with many commenters ridiculing Singh for bowing down to Drake. ' Imagine a man apologizing to another man for going to see a concert,' one person joked, with another adding, '(Singh) folded after being called a goof. That's always why he's in last place every time in the elections.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lamar's two-night stop at Rogers Centre was his first time in Toronto since he and Drake were embroiled in a rap beef that spanned several months last spring. Their musical war of words began after Lamar responded to a line in Drake and J. Cole's 2023 song First Person Shooter , in which Cole referred to the three of them as the industry's greatest hip-hop artists. Lamar dismissed that declaration on Future and Metro Boomin's Like That , spitting back, 'It's just big me.' Drake responded by mocking his rival for a ppearing on songs by Maroon 5 and Taylor Swift and made digs at the freestyler's short stature, calling him a 'pipsqueak.' But on his Grammy-winning Not Like Us , Lamar got the final say when he publicly called Drake a pedophile. 'Say Drake, I hear you like 'em young / You better not ever go to cell block one / To any bitch that talk to him and they in love / Just make sure you hide your little sister from him, ' he rapped. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The lines alluded to a 2010 concert video that resurfaced nearly a decade later in which the Canadian hitmaker was captured inviting a teenage fan onto the stage at a Denver show, where he proceeded to dance and fondle her. After the release of the chart-topping hit, Drake went radio silent and Lamar was crowned the winner in rap's biggest war ever. Drake ended up suing Universal Music Group, the label which represents both artists, accusing the company of promoting Lamar's pedophilia allegations and putting his life in danger. But Universal Music said that Drake was a willing participant in the escalating war of words when he released his own inflammatory diss tracks aimed at Lamar and hinted he was trying to take legal action because he was the loser in their rap feud. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Singh wasn't the only one seemingly taking sides. After he sold out two nights in a stadium Drake has never played, one of the viral moments from Lamar's Toronto shows came after he performed Not Like Us and the Rogers Centre crowd reportedly gave him a two-minute ovation and chanted for an encore. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another cringeworthy video that went viral online saw fans gathering inside New Ho King, the Chinese restaurant on Spadina Ave. that Lamar name-dropped on his Drake diss track Euphoria , for an impromptu singalong for Not Like Us . This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Of course, the revellers didn't seem to understand that the lyrics of the song don't just take aim at Drake — they mock every person living in the city of Toronto. 'This is embarrassing,' one person wrote on Instagram. 'Kendrick was right, 'they not like us.' No loyalty to your own city. This wouldn't fly in L.A. if the tables were turned.' 'This city is so embarrassing,' a second person wrote dismissively. mdaniell@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances! National Vancouver Canucks NHL Sports Vancouver Canucks
Global News
3 hours ago
- Global News
Justin Bieber addresses ‘anger issues' in candid post on feeling ‘broken'
Justin Bieber is sharing his thoughts on people offering their unsolicited advice in a candid Instagram post, while also addressing his 'anger issues.' 'People keep telling me to heal. Don't you think if I could have fixed myself I would have already?' Bieber wrote to his 294 million followers. 'I know I'm broken. I know I have anger issues. I tried to do the work my whole life to be like the people who told me I needed to be fixed like them.' Bieber said that it 'just keeps making me more tired and more angry.' 'The harder I try to grow the more focussed [sic] on myself I am. Jesus is the only person who keeps me wanting to make my life about others,' he added. 'Because honestly I'm exhausted with thinking about myself lately aren't you?' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen A screenshot of Justin Bieber's Instagram post. @JustinBieber/Instagram The post came after Bieber took a private conversation public, sharing screenshots of a text exchange where he decided to end a friendship with an unidentified person. In the screenshots, Bieber told the person that he will 'never suppress my emotions for someone' and that 'conflict is a part of relationship.' 'If you don't like my anger you don't like me. My anger is a response to pain I have been thru [sic],' he added. 'Asking a traumatized person not to be traumatized is simply mean.' In another screenshot, the other person wrote, 'I'm not used to someone lashing out at me. It's not that I don't see and feel your anger.' 'Ouch. This friendship is officially over. I will never accept a man calling my anger lashing out,' Bieber responded. 'I enjoyed our short lived relationship. I wasn't kidding when I told u I didn't need u as a friend. I have good friends who will respect these boundaries.' Story continues below advertisement After Bieber shared the screenshots of his conversation with the unknown person, he took to his Instagram Stories, writing, 'Quit asking me if I'm okay.' 'Quit asking me how I'm doing. I don't do that to you because I know how life is for all of us. Its [sic] hard,' Bieber wrote. 'Letss [sic] encourage our people not project our insecurities onto one another. Your concern doesn't come off as care. It's just oppressive weirdo.' Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen A screenshot of Justin Bieber's Instagram Stories. @JustinBieber / Instagram The posts came after a video emerged of Bieber getting into a confrontation on June 12 with photographers, with Bieber asking them to 'get out of my face' and 'stop provoking me.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'You're going to take this video out of context, you're gonna say I'm mad,' he said in the clip. 'I don't know who the f— is paying you to provoke me but I'm not the f—ing one.' 'It's not clocking to you that I'm standing on business, is it?' Bieber asked the photographers. 'But we're on the sidewalk, Justin,' a man responded. 'I don't give a f— that you're on the sidewalk. I'm a human f—ing being. You're standing around my car at the beach,' Bieber said. 'You don't think I'm a real f—ing guy do you? I'm a real dad, a real husband, a real man so don't f—ing do this sh-t to me.' Story continues below advertisement After the video was released, the 31-year-old Canadian pop star shared numerous new posts on his Instagram feed using the middle finger emoji in the caption. In one post, Bieber shared a selfie with the middle finger emoji and the caption, 'I'm a dad that's not to be f—ed with.' He also revealed that he and his wife Hailey Bieber went on a 'lil date night getaway' in another post. Story continues below advertisement Bieber also shared a post of his wife and their son Jack Blues Bieber at a keyboard, adding the middle finger emoji as the caption. This isn't the first time Bieber has publicly lashed out at critics and paparazzi. In April, the Sorry singer pleaded with paparazzi to stop swarming him when he's out in public. He shared a video from his perspective as he walked to his car, which showed multiple photographers and flashing cameras consistently going off. The video was the singer's attempt to give fans a glimpse of what he has to deal with daily. Bieber said that he was currently asking God to 'help me with patience because it can be really hard to not rip these f—in guys heads off.' Story continues below advertisement 'Today I'm forgiving myself for my own selfishness, AND forgiving THOSE WHO SEEK TO USE AND ABUSE ME SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY WANT TO CAPITaLIze off of me, Or Their jealousy makes them want to make me feel small like how they feel,' he wrote. 'However u slice it I'm getting hit from all angles And I'm no victim.' 2:17 Justin Bieber shares cryptic posts as wife Hailey Bieber celebrates billion dollar deal Bieber said that he moved to Los Angeles 'KNOWING ITS F—ED OUT HERE.' 'But can we as a unit align with how f—ed it is out here and change this s— or are we gonna let these f— boys keep treating me like s— and not change laws of anything because People have had to die cuz of this s— princess Diana is the first that comes to mind smh [shake my head],' Bieber wrote Story continues below advertisement 'We gotta do better please can we make a change?' he asked at the end of the post.
