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Drake Breaks Silence on OVO Festival Shooting With Open Letter

"I am plagued and pained by the violence that continues to escalate in our city."

Drake has opened up publicly about the shooting that took place at his recent OVO Festival in Toronto, resulting in two people killed.

"The last few days I have been in a moral bind," the rapper wrote on his October's Very Own blog. "I am used to the fact that my life and the things I say to my fans are‎ closely watched. It's tough in situations like this where there's a tragedy and I consider the advice of my trusted advisors and counsel who worry that anything I might say could be misinterpreted. However, today I am choosing to follow my heart."

He goes on further to state that he is "plagued and pained by the violence that continues to escalate in our city. I stare into the eyes of so many young people and I wish to see them all shine as bright as they possibly can in this lifetime. I encourage my generation to show as much value and gratitude as you can for the lives we have been gifted."

Read Drake's entire open letter below.