As far as fans knew, the British rapper J Hus was due to remain in jail until later this summer after being sentenced to eight months in jail for carrying a knife in public last December. But during a performance by the Canadian rapper Drake at the London O2 on Friday night, the 22-year-old announced his freedom with a surprise appearance.

Drake told the crowd: “These are the type of things in my career that I’m just blessed to even be a part of. This is something I’ve wanted to make happen for the whole week, and I’m just glad I could make it happen with this group of people in this building because y’all been going crazy all night … I need you to stand up, because [we’re] about to celebrate one of our brothers tonight.”

The words “welcome home” flashed across the venue’s screens, and J Hus walked out on stage. He told the crowd: “I’ve missed you so much, I swear.” The pair embraced, and Drake told J Hus: “I wanna give you this stage so you can do what you’ve been waiting to do.” Drake then ceded the floor for J Hus to perform his 2017 hit, Did You See.

J Hus, whose real name is Momodou Jallow, was arrested in June 2018 near the Westfield shopping centre in Stratford, east London. Police stopped him and his girlfriend after smelling cannabis and asked if he was carrying anything he should not have been. He admitted to having a 10cm folding knife on his person.

He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of carrying a knife in public, but later changed his plea. At trial in December, in a letter read out by his lawyer, J Hus said he was sorry and that he “fully accepted his actions were careless”. He described carrying a knife as “ill-advised” and “utterly stupid” and added: “I’m deeply sorry and regret my foolish actions.”

J Hus’s debut album, Common Sense, was nominated for the 2017 Mercury music prize, and received three nominations at the 2018 Brit awards.

Drake is known for his patronage of UK rap. He has a BBK tattoo in tribute to the Boy Better Know collective founded by the brothers Skepta and Jme. He is a vocal fan of Wiley, and has collaborated with UK rappers including Giggs, Section Boyz and Dave.

In 2017, he bought the rights to the erstwhile Channel 4 drama Top Boy, which follows the lives of people involved in drug dealing and gang life on the fictional east London estate of Summerhouse. It is due to return for a third series, on Netflix, this year, with a score from Brian Eno.