Drake had a recent sit down with Rap-Up.com to discuss his debut album “Thank Me Later“. He confirmed that “Shut It Down” is not his first single (he hasn’t picked one yet either) and that he doesn’t have a set date for the album. Read the interview below.
One year ago, Aubrey Drake Graham was best known for playing Jimmy Brooks on “Degrassi: The Next Generation.” Fast forward to 2009 and the Canadian actor-turned-rapper has a No. 1 record (“Best I Ever Had”) and Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Eminem on his résumé. He’s also readying the most-anticipated debut from a rapper since 50 Cent with next year’s Thank Me Later. The Young Money rookie has been holed up in Toronto over the past couple months recovering from knee surgery, but checked in with Rap-Up.com for an update on his eagerly-awaited album. 
Lil Wayne recently caught up with Billboard Magazine for an interview (he is on the current cover pictured above) and Drake was brought up in the process. Check out what Weezy had to say!
Billboard: How is Drake’s solo album coming along?
Lil Wayne: He’s one of those guys who needs no help, (laughs) I don’t do anything but say, “Let me hear that song.” And I’m blown away with every word. I’m honored to have him. Knowing Drake, I want to say he’s probably finished with the project. But he’s one of those guys who keeps going back to put more icing on the cake.
Read the rest on NewLilWayne.com
- Remember to add us on Twitter – @DrizzyDrakeYo
On September 7, 2008, Lil Wayne stepped onstage at the MTV Video Music Awards and then stepped decisively away from the words on the lyric sheet circulating in the audience with the following lines…
I’m on my Disney thang, goofy flow/ I’m Captain Hook on the beat and my new car is Rufio/ Damn where my roof just go/ I’m somebody that you should know/ Get to shakin’ somethin’ cause that’s what [deleted] produced it fo’/ I make mistakes that I don’t ever make excuses fo’/ Leavin’ girls that love me and constantly seducing hoes/ I’m losing my mind like, Damn where my roof just go/ Top slipped off like Janet at the Super Bowl
Then, as Leona Lewis launched into the hook of Nina Simone’s “Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,” he croaked, “Drizzy Drake: I love you, bwoy!” That namecheck was the only clue to most attendees that Wayne had just blatantly violated the unwritten rules of his own freestyle game by spitting another artist’s words. Though almost lost in host Russell Brand’s commentary on promise rings and presidential politics, it was a coronation moment rarely seen in the arena of rap, and with one verse, Wayne introduced the name of his protégé to the mainstream in dramatic fashion. Amongst those already familiar with the various Wayne-affiliated rookies collectively known as Young Money, the lines sparked a fierce debate over whether Drake was in fact ghostwriting for the master (he and Wayne both still claim he never has), but by the time the rap blog drama blew over, one thing seemed clear: Drake was the next big thing, heir apparent to Wayne’s multi-platinum throne and Young Money’s most likely flagship artist.
Lil Wayne protege/ ‘Down’ singer won’t confirm or deny rumors.
In the past two weeks, British pop-R&B singer Jay Sean’s debut single “Down” (featuring Lil Wayne), has rocketed from #63 to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. On the iTunes Top 10 songs chart, “Down” is now nestled in between the Black Eyed Peas and Kings of Leon at #2. Yes, to say life is moving exceptionally fast for the newcomer (to most Americans, anyway) would be an understatement.
“It’s absolutely crazy,” Sean told MTV News on the phone from England Thursday. “I’ve been out there in the States for a good six or seven months, and with my song coming in at #2 on iTunes, all my best friends came up to London to be with me for a little holiday. And we were all sitting in my car and I opened up my e-mail and it said ‘Jay Sean in at #6 on Billboard.’ I just literally screamed and all my boys rolled down the windows and screamed, ‘My boy is in at #6!’ ”
In the wake of that success, rumors are now swirling that Wayne protégé/ labelmate Drake will be making a guest appearance on the second single from Sean’s forthcoming album, which is due in October.
When asked, Sean said, “I’m keeping my mouth shut. I love Drake. I think Drake’s an unbelievably gifted lyricist and young and fresh. I think it’s pretty safe to say that since he’s part of the family now, you’re gonna see all of us working together: Me, Drake, Wayne, Baby and Kevin Rudolph.”
A rep for Drake had not responded to MTV News’ request for comment at press time.
Jay Sean’s album, My Own Way, is scheduled for an October Stateside release
Source: MTV
‘I just wanted to laugh,’ Drake says of clip featuring women’s basketball team.
Some fans liked it, some fans were scratching their heads after the debut of Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” video last month. Some in the blogosphere said the clip’s buxom female basketball team did nothing but cater to the male audience without matching the theme of the song; others just thought it wasn’t all that creative. And a couple of bloggers even went so far as to suggest that director Kanye West sabotaged Drake’s production.
In fact, Drake told MTV News that West offered to shoot another video for the song, and he declined. He noted that receiving mixed reviews of his clip was a great lesson.
Recently, Drake sat down with Complex magazine to discuss his recent performance of “Every Girl” at the 2009 BET Awards and his alleged $4 million dollar deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money label.
Complex: There were rumors of a $4 million bonus…
Drake: [Laughs] Where is it? Tell me where it is, I’ll go pick it up right now. I got some money. I got a little money. I’ll be alright for a couple months.
Complex: Damn, that’s horrible. At the BET Awards this past Sunday, everyone was shocked to see you sitting on a stool. Did you ever think to yourself, Maybe I shouldn’t perform?
Drake: That, actually—to be honest—was a terrible idea that I’ll never do to myself again. [Laughs] But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes. I don’t think it called for us to perform “Every Girl” and “Always Strapped,” and I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-in-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne’s daughters and her friends coming out on stage…
Complex: Yeah, it really was an awkward moment.
Drake: Yeah, it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn’t planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is. I believe in Wayne and myself and it’s nothing we can’t bounce back from. To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn’t intended to offend anybody.
Read the rest of the interview here
Complex: Everyone’s been waiting on this video. Can you take us through the making of it?
Drake: Yeah. The video is directed by Kanye West. Basically we decided, as opposed to taking ourselves super serious, we just wanted to have some fun with it. Myself, being a young man, a young single man at that, I kind of wanted to be real about the way I function with women at this current point in my life. Which is, I don’t have one woman that I call my girl. There’s different girls in my life that play different roles and I see at different times, but collectively they kind of make up the roster of happiness for me [Laughs].
Complex: Understandable. So what’s the concept?
Drake: The concept of the video is, I’m a coach at a high school and the girls of my life are all on my high school basketball team. Throughout the video you see us prepping for this big championship game, and my team ends up losing. You see the looks on their faces at the end of the video, but the moral of the story, I guess, is win or lose, you can still be the best to somebody. When women see the video and see all the breast and ass, hopefully they don’t take offense. Hopefully they see the real meaning.
Read the full interview here.
