Drake offered his apologies to moviegoers at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, but gave little explanation as to why he bailed on his opening night event in the first place.

In a video message that substituted for his original plans to speak in person Thursday night, Drake immediately acknowledged he left some fans high and dry after they paid more than $100 for tickets to the Canadian premiere of 鈥淢onsters and Men.鈥�

鈥淚 wish I could be there to share this moment,鈥� he said in a brief video introduction for the film.

鈥淯nfortunately I鈥檓 on tour right now.鈥�

That was the extent of his reasoning for why he pulled out of the event with only hours notice.

TIFF organizers announced the Toronto-based rapper as a guest a mere two weeks ago, which meant his tour schedule had already been in place for months.

A representative for Drake declined to offer further explanation.

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The rapper also thanked 鈥淢onsters and Men鈥� director Reinaldo Marcus Green, as well as a company that created merchandise for the film.

鈥淚鈥檓 just very excited and honoured to be part of something that continues a conversation in this day in age,鈥� he said of the film, which follows the aftermath of a police shooting that kills a black man in Brooklyn.

The storyline tracks various people affected by the shooting, including someone who captured the incident on his phone, a teenager with a promising baseball career who鈥檚 grappling with the political fallout and a police officer who weighs his values and his loyalty to the force.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an extremely, extremely important moment and an important movie, and I hope you guys love it as much as I do,鈥� Drake said of the film.

The rapper鈥檚 withdrawal from TIFF鈥檚 opening night shifted attention away from the film鈥檚 timely political themes and towards his unexpected absence.

It鈥檚 the second time in the past month Drake has cancelled on Toronto.

In August, he pulled out of his first tour date in the city 鈥渄ue to scheduling commitments鈥� and has yet to announce a new date for ticket holders.

Drake鈥檚 website listed Thursday as a night off for the rapper, after a show in Montreal on Wednesday and ahead of a concert in Boston on Friday.

David Friend, The Canadian Press

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