Canadian rapper Drake, one of the biggest names in hip-hop, has surprisingly signed with a tiny independent label in London – according to Instagram at least.

The 29 year old star performed alongside Rihanna to an audience of millions at the televised Brit Awards on Wednesday night, but eschewed the glad-handing and back-slapping of the afterparty at London’s O2 Arena for a tiny venue in the East End, where he performed as a special guest of rap collective Section Boyz.

Fans who turned out at the tiny Village Underground venue to see the South London group were left gobsmacked when Drake, the biggest selling hip hop artist in America for the last half-decade, was brought out as a surprise guest.

The first Canadian signed to BBK. Big up my brudda @skeptagram for life yeah. And my section gunners too. ????

A photo posted by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on

At around the same time on Wednesday night, rapper and label owner Skepta put up a picture on his Instagram account of somebody in a T-shirt that boasted the logos of both his own independent label Boys Better Know and Drake’s own OVO imprint.

More: Drake unveils new album’s first single ‘Summer Sixteen’

“The first Canadian signed to BBK. Big up my brudda @skeptagram for life yeah. And my section gunners too,” Drake posted a few hours later.

Drake’s love for Boys Better Know has been well-publicised in the past, as he brought Skepta out as a special guest last summer at the Wireless Festival to perform the latter’s track ‘Shutdown’. He’s also thanked BBK in the liner notes to his last album If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, and has a BBK logo tattooed on his left shoulder.

Earlier in the evening, Drake and Rihanna teamed up to provide arguably the raunchiest moment of the Brit Awards ceremony, as they performed their new single ‘Work’.

More: Super Bowl 2016 commercials – Amy Schumer, Drake and Steve Harvey keep us gripped mid-game