Drake celebrates 40th birthday with Backstreet Boys performance, gifts attendees Chanel and Hermès bags

Among close friends and a tight-knit circle, the OVO rapper thanked those in attendance and said the night was about “being alive, staying alive.”

There are birthday celebrations and then there’s what Drake does as he reaches a milestone birthday.

The Toronto native took over the Casa Cipriani in New York City on Friday (Oct. 23) and welcomed around 400 guests for his 40th birthday party. Dressed in a ritzy black suit, the “Iceman” rapper thanked those who were in the room for him and used it as a moment of gratitude.

“There’s a lot of extremely important people who I resonate with in here because they work extremely hard,” he told the audience. “And even though it’s a Friday, I know we take time for ourselves.”

He continued, “I wanted to say thank you. Tonight is not about a tour or an album release or a bunch of videos that we shot or a fragrance or a Nike shoe. Tonight is just about being alive, staying alive.”

Attendees didn’t walk away empty handeed. According to Billboard, those in attendance were treated to Chanel and Hermés bags, with a game show held inside that awarded individuals cash prizes up to $1 million. But the biggest moment of the night wasn’t about Drake, but rather a 2000s era boy band that had the world in their palms at one point.

The Backstreet Boys took the stage for a surprising performance of “I Want It That Way,” with Drake joining in, weaving in elements of his hit song “Hold On, We’re Going Home” to boot. It wasn’t the first time Drake and the Backstreet Boys have connected. The group brought him on stage during a tour stop in Toronto in 2022.

“I Want It That Way” holds a sentimental meaning for Drake, who recalled that he heard the song at his bar mtizvah and it was also the time a girl came up to him and asked him to dance. “That was the first time I ever felt acknowledged, and the first time I ever felt like I had a shot at being cool,” he recalled, before calling “I Want It That Way” one of the “greatest songs of all time.”