That's what happened for twelve-year-old Jason Vaughn of Denver when he attended the first of two sold-out Drake concerts at the Pepsi Center on Saturday, October 1. The Canadian hip-hop artist born Aubrey Graham is known for pointing out fans in the crowd during his shows, saying things like, "I see you in the blue shirt. I see you, waving your arms," and traveling around in various ways to get a better look at the audience up in the nosebleeds. Drake didn't have to look far to spot Vaughn, who spent much of the show pressed up against the railing closest to the stage. He shouted out the boy (whose favorite Drake song is "Controlla") multiple times during the set, projecting his image onto the big screen, and even giving Vaughn the Von Miller jersey off his back.
The shout-outs didn't stop there: A photo of Vaughn, enraptured, appeared on Drake's Instagram (@champagnepapi) with the caption "More life young brudda."
The thrill of the experience wasn't lost on Vaughn, who has been getting attention at school after Drake's spotlight. The eighth-grader reached out to Westword with a letter he had written about the show and addressing his hero, Drake. It appears below, edited slightly for grammar and punctuation.
To whom it may concern:
Hi, my name is Jason Vaughn. I am 12 years old and I am in the 8th grade. My passion is music. I love playing instruments, listening to music, and singing. One day I hope to be a singer. I am also a great entertainer. A couple of weeks ago, on Saturday, October 1st, I went to see my favorite music artist Drake, in concert.
That night I had the best time of my life. Drake is and always has been my favorite music artist, ever since he first came out, I have dreamed to see him up close. When my godfather got me front-row tickets, it was a dream come true. After Drake’s concert my life has changed more than you will know. His concert made me realize how lucky I am to attend his concert, never the less get front-row seats. I’ve always known, but now I truly know that I have to be really grateful because most kids and few adults, get to do what I did that night. If it wasn’t for my godfather and my parents I would not have had that amazing experience.
At the concert Drake gave me three shout-outs. When he did I was so surprised, that was the best feeling I had ever had. Then the greatest moment of my life happened when he came out with a Denver Broncos Von Miller jersey, took it off and gave it to me. At that time I knew I had to be dreaming. I thought I was going to pass out (luckily I didn’t). I am so thankful and happy for what he did and I know I will cherish his jersey for the rest of my life. I’m seriously getting it framed for my room.
The next day when I woke up, I logged in to Instagram and looked at his page. The next thing I knew, a picture of me at the concert was on his Instagram page with the caption saying “More life young brudda." I was just shocked. I called both of my parents and read all of the comments. It was so amazing. I felt like I was famous for a day. The next day when I went to school, I knew I was famous [because] all these girls came and gave me hugs, and my teachers were in shock and so excited. Of course some of my friends were hating, but I told them when I get famous, I’ll mention your name, and they all laughed. But still to this day people still ask me about the concert and I tell them that I can’t even explain. Drake is such an inspiration to me, always has been and will be. One day I hope to be just like him.
If Drake were one of my family members, I think he would be like a big brother. If I met him, I know that I would pass out. Drake is such an amazing artist and someday I hope to be as great as him. I am so glad I went to his concert, and now that I’ve seen Drake in concert, my 1st concert, I know I will continue to do my best in music. There will never be another moment as great as this one. Drake will always be my favorite artist in the music industry and I will always be his #1 fan supporting him forever.
Thank you to Drake. If you are reading this, I hope to meet you someday, I appreciate everyone who got me here and I hope to be just like Drake when I grow up. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Jason Richaan Vaughn
