Drake Postpones Shows at New York's Apollo Theater Due to 'Production Delays'

Drake attends HBO's "Euphoria" premiere at the Arclight Pacific Theatres' Cinerama Dome on June 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
Drake attends HBO's "Euphoria" premiere at the Arclight Pacific Theatres' Cinerama Dome on June 04, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic Drake

Drake has postponed his shows at the Apollo Theater for a second time.

The Her Loss artist had upcoming shows scheduled for Dec. 6 and 7 after initially rescheduling his Nov. 11 concert to attend his friend and fellow rapper Takeoff's funeral on that same day.

Drake, his radio channel Sound 42, and broadcasting company SiriusXM wrote in a joint statement sent to PEOPLE that the latest change comes from production delays.

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"These upcoming shows for SiriusXM are so incredibly special for us. If you are going to play the world famous Apollo Theater, it has to be a world class production. We as a team have been working around the clock not just putting together a concert but an experience our fans deserve. With that said, we are up against some production delays that are just out of our control," the statement read.

The statement further elaborates that decision came after many "difficult meetings" and conversations, explaining that it would allow for the necessary time to complete the work.

His appearance at the Apollo Theater has been rescheduled for Jan. 21 and 22, 2023.

The rapper, 36, released a joint album with 21 Savage on Nov. 4 and had his last live performance at the Budweiser Stage in his hometown of Toronto on Aug. 1.

RELATED VIDEO: Drake, Justin Bieber, Cardi B & More Honor Takeoff at Celebration of Life in Atlanta

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After initially cancelling his performance at the historic Harlem concert hall, he wrote on his Instagram Story that the change would allow him to pay respect to a "dear friend."

Shortly after Takeoff's death on Nov. 1, he elaborated on their friendship with a touching Instagram post.

"I got the best memories of all of us seeing the world together and bringing light to every city we touch. That's what I'll focus on for now 😔 rest easy space man Take 🚀," he captioned a photo of them performing together.