On Monday night, NYC sample drill star Cash Cobain was set to celebrate his birthday with a hometown show called Slizzyfest at Irving Plaza. Ticketholders waited outside for hours to be let in and there were rumors of a Drake appearance. However Drake didn’t perform, and Cash Cobain and his openers didn’t either. The show was shut down without explanation before anyone was let inside.

As police cleared the scene, the “Fisherrr” rapper instead led fans to Union Square Park for an impromptu gathering. There Cash Cobain rapped along to his hits playing from a speaker. (A similar scene unfolded in NYC’s Washington Square Park last summer.)

Cobain has now shared a statement with Billboard about what transpired. “To all my fans and supporters — thank you for coming out Monday night, we really tried to put on the best show in New York, but for reasons out of my control, the show had to be canceled last minute,” he writes. “The show might’ve got canceled, but I walked out to the park because the fans wanted to see me. They paid money to see me and the guys, and I was out there, I was fly — I had to do it. I needed to be seen. I’m sorry, I love you guys and everyone’s gonna get a refund. We are working on putting on something special for the fans in the near future. Thanks to everyone who came out, I really appreciate it.”

Watch videos from the night below.