Young Money rapper Drake announced Thursday (July 1) that he will be postponing the European portion of his Away From Home Tour, which was set to begin Friday, in order to take care of his sick mother.

The rapper’s mother is currently fighting an arthritic condition, and an illness that leaves her extremely fatigued.

“Despite my best hopes, it is apparent that my mother will need surgery earlier than anticipated,” said Drake in a released statement. “In light of this news, I have made the difficult decision to cancel my European tour in order to support her during her recovery, just as she supported me through the years. I cannot thank my European fans enough and look forward to performing abroad soon. I ask everyone to please respect my family’s privacy during this time.”

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The rapper has rescheduled shows in Paris, Amsterdam and London for November 2010. However, several of his European stops were festivals, which means the rapper will not be able to make them up.

Drake will be back on tour July 16 for the Canadian portion of the tour, which includes stops in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.