Drake to executive produce new documentary about Black hockey players
Black Ice will be directed by Canadian filmmaker Hubert Davis
As fans continue to wait for Drake to release his highly anticipated new album, Certified Lover Boy, the Toronto rapper has announced another new project he'll be involved in: a sports documentary.
Drake is set to executive produce Black Ice, a feature-length documentary that explores "the history, influence and racialized journey of Black hockey players," chronicling everything, from the creation of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes in 1895, to today's National Hockey League and their "often overlooked and marginalized contributions to the game," according to a press release.
Black Ice will be directed by Canadian filmmaker Hubert Davis, who helmed the 2016 basketball documentary Giants of Africa. Joining Drake as an executive producer will be Adele "Future" Nur, Maverick Carter and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. (James and Carter's SpringHill Company is one of three production companies involved, including Uninterrupted Canada and DreamCrew Entertainment.)
"I was not only surprised but inspired to learn about the stories of the often overlooked and unheralded Black pioneers of hockey," Davis said in a statement. "I think it is more important than ever before for all generations, particularly young people of colour, to understand and see the diverse faces who have contributed and shaped one of the essential fabrics of our country."
While Drake is probably best known for being the global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, the artist also grew up playing hockey. In a 2010 interview with ESPN, Drake revealed that he played right wing and "ended up making it to Upper Canada College hockey camp, which is where good kids get sent." He added that his mother banned him from playing the sport after he got cross-checked in the neck.
Drake has a small but growing list of film and TV projects under his belt. In 2017, he was the executive producer of the Vince Carter documentary The Carter Effect; in 2019, he executive produced the HBO teen series Euphoria. And back in April, it was announced that he would be involved in producing a psychological thriller starring Selena Gomez called Spiral.
His most recent music release came in March when Drake released Scary Hours 2 featuring lead single, "What's Next."
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
