Drake was the mystery headliner at Tyler, the Creator’s Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival on Sunday night. But the superstar rapper’s lukewarm reception led him to cut his surprise set shorter than he’d evidently planned.

Represented on the festival’s poster by a series of question marks, the closing performance slot had been the subject of feverish speculation in the days leading up to the annual event, which took place Saturday and Sunday in the parking lot surrounding Dodger Stadium. (Performers announced in advance included Tyler, Solange, YG, Juice WRLD, DaBaby, Earl Sweatshirt and FKA Twigs.)

Many fans expressed hope that Frank Ocean, Tyler’s onetime partner in the Los Angeles hip-hop crew Odd Future, would appear in concert for the first time since 2017. Instead, Tyler recruited Drake along with ASAP Rocky and Lil Uzi Vert, each of whom quickly performed two songs before Drake took the stage and opened with his hit “Started From the Bottom.”


The Canadian artist, dressed in sweatpants and a puffy jacket over a vintage Smashing Pumpkins T-shirt, went on to string together snippets of several other tracks, including “Mob Ties,” “I’m Upset,” “Headlines” and his and Gucci Mane’s “Both.” Twenty minutes or so into his performance, he did a pair of relatively low-key tunes he said Tyler had requested — “Feel No Ways” and “Wu-Tang Forever” — but apparently found the crowd’s enthusiasm lacking.

1 / 22 Willow Smith performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium parking lot in Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 2 / 22 A man holds a giant rose as he watches Willow Smith perform. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 3 / 22 Fans watch Willow Smith perform during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 4 / 22 Willow Smith performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 5 / 22 FKA Twigs performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 6 / 22 FKA Twigs performs at Camp Flog Gnaw. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 7 / 22 Blood Orange performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 8 / 22 Blood Orange performs Camp Flog Gnaw. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 9 / 22 Brockhampton performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 10 / 22 Blood Orange performs. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 11 / 22 Fans cheer as Brockhampton performs at the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 12 / 22 Brockhampton performs. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 13 / 22 YG performs during Day 2 of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium parking lot. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 14 / 22 Lil Uzi Vert makes a surprise appearance as seen on a large television screen in the headline slot that was split between Drake and A$AP Rocky as guests of Tyler, the Creator on the final day of Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 15 / 22 ASAP Rocky is seen performing on a large television screen at Camp Flog Gnaw. He was one of three mystery guests of Tyler, the Creator on the festival’s final day. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 16 / 22 Fans are silhouetted as Drake is seen performing on a large television screen as a special guest on the final day of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 17 / 22 ASAP Rocky, left, is seen performing on a large television screen with Tyler, the Creator on the final day of the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 18 / 22 Drake is seen performing on a large television screen at Camp Flog Gnaw. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 19 / 22 Drake, seen performing on a large television screen at Camp Flog Gnaw (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 20 / 22 Tyler, the Creator performs on the Camp Stage at the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 21 / 22 Tyler, the Creator looks for crowd reaction at the Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times) 22 / 22 Tyler, the Creator performs on the Camp Stage at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival at Dodger Stadium. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)

“I’m here for you tonight,” he said. “If you wanna keep going, I will keep going tonight. What’s up?” Here he paused, seeming to gauge fan reaction, which included a growing wave of boos. “Well, look, it’s been love. I love y’all. I go by the name of Drake. Thank you for having me.” And with that he exited the stage, leaving the audience — which expected the show as advertised to last another 20 minutes — unsure of what to do.

A desultory “We want Drake” chant started up but soon morphed into a “We want Frank” chant. Then, after another few minutes of awkward inactivity, the parking lot’s lights came up, triggering a wave of groans in the crowd (and at least one bottle that went hurtling toward the stage).


On the way out, the atmosphere among show goers was mixed. Some felt Drake had been disrespected; others said the rapper was too proud and that he’d made some new enemies. And one group of people amused themselves as they left by loudly singing Ocean’s “Thinkin Bout You.”