Drake was scheduled to head to Europe on Friday (July 2) for a string of tour dates in support of his recently released debut album Thank Me Later, but abruptly canceled in light of his mother's upcoming surgery.

The rapper issued a statement this week explaining that the cancellation comes so he could support his mother during her recovery.

"Despite my best hopes, it is apparent that my mother will need surgery earlier than anticipated," Drake said in the 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."

Drake previously revealed that his mother had been battling an illness for sometime now, but did not give further details regarding her condition.

He asked fans to offer support on Tuesday (June 29), via his Twitter page (@drakkardnoir): "Back at my moms house ... please include her in your prayers tonight as tmrw she faces a true challenge."

As far as the tour, dates in Norway, Denmark, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Belgium, Ireland, and Scotland were canceled.

At press time, it was unclear if he planned to make up the dates.