What to know
- A massive ice sculpture for Drake’s Iceman album took over a paid parking spot in downtown Toronto.
- Jacob Balshin, who pays for the spot, received a $135 parking ticket after being forced onto the street.
- Balshin is hoping Drake himself will pick up the tab after writing a song and posting it on TikTok, complaining about it.
When one Torontonian pulled up to his parking spot, he didn’t expect to find it blocked by a giant ice block—part of Drake’s Iceman album promo. After getting slapped with a parking ticket for street parking, he’s calling on Drake to pick up the tab.
On April 20, Drake unveiled a giant ice installation in a parking lot with his Iceman album release date buried inside it.
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Fans were hyped for the new album, but Torontonian Jacob Balshin was not.
For him, the ice block was in his $279 paid parking spot at 81 Bond St.
The first day, Balshin found street parking — and was hit with a $135 parking ticket.
From there, he was using his uncle’s garage and walking several blocks.
In response to the ticket, Balshin wrote a song.
@dinkbalshin Last week the rapper Drake left an ice block in the parking spot I rent from my landlord. As a result I was forced to park really far from my apartment and walk. I also got a parking ticket that I am expecting Drake to pay back or else. Beat: @Stu Weinberg Filmed by: @Dave Koval Enzo: @rodrigofstoll #toronto #drake #the6ix #drizzy #torontotiktok ♬ original sound – dink
“Yo Drake, the parking spot is mine,” he sang. “The city gave me a ticket, you better come correct.”
Balshin was not given any notice that the sculpture would be taking over the parking lot, so he had no time to prepare alternatives.
“It was a weird day. You know, I pay for parking. So when I got there, I was like, What the heck. No one told me that it would be happening. So it was a surprise,” Balshin told Now Toronto.
“Zero notice was given to me. I literally was just trying to go to work,” he added.
When he asked his landlord for an alternative parking spot, he was told he just had to wait until the installation melted.
The lot avoided accountability and told Balshin to contact Drake with any concerns (as if that’s realistic.)
Without being offered any form of reimbursement for the parking ticket or losing his spot for a few days, Balshin brought the issue to TikTok.
“I want Drake to reimburse me. I’m hoping Drake himself will pay my parking ticket that was $135.”
Now Toronto reached out to the City of Toronto, which answered that the private property did not need a City of Toronto permit. “The event organizers are the appropriate team to address other questions,” a spokesperson wrote.
Essentially, Drake is the one to speak to — but will he reply to Balshin’s complaint?
