Raptors' Johnson buys out every copy of Drake's new album

Amir Johnson, the 26-year-old Toronto Raptor fan favourite, delighted both basketball and Drake fans yesterday when he walked into the HMV and Future Shop stores at Yonge and Dundas and cleaned both stores out of every copy of Drake’s latest release, Nothing Was the Same.

This was both a show of support to Drake, the Toronto-raised, Jewish rapper who has become friends with Johnson, as well as an opportunity to mingle with Torontonians who were invited via Twitter to meet him at Dundas Square to get a copy.

“Out here at yonge and dundas I’m buying every @drake album and supporting the homie! If you see me I got a copy for u! #nwts, Johnson tweeted. “Got a copy for all the fans of #nwts champagnepapi. Shoutout to everyone who met me at Yonge and Dundas…”

Drake, an international rap star who has never shied away from using his platform to promote the city he loves, as well as his Jewish heritage, developed a friendship with the basketball player soon after Johnson joined the Raptors in 2009.

In August 2012, Drake, who was performing during the his annual OVO Fest (named after his record label called OVO [October’s Very Own] Sound), pulled Johnson on stage during one of his songs. 

Johnson has also participated in two of Drake’s OVO Bounce Basketball tournaments, and last November, a photo of Johnson flanked by Canadian pop star Justin Beiber and Drake that was taken after playing “late night hoops” was posted to his Instagram account.