Drake isn’t a singer-and he’s the first to admit it. When he released his highly touted 2009 mixtape “So Far Gone,” which finds the Toronto-raised artist singing and rapping, he thought he made a huge mistake. “People were like, ‘What is this? There’s way too much singing on here,’ ” he says. “We were really nervous about it and for like a week I was having a serious breakdown.”
But a month later, Drake, born Aubrey Graham, realized there was a method to the madness. “Within like four weeks I noticed I had a brand-new sound that takes a while to digest and understand. Things started to pick up and I started to learn the value of taking risks,” he says.
Now, the venture is paying off. Last month when the Grammy nominations were announced, Drake learned he was up for best rap solo performance and best rap song for “Best I Ever Had” off “So Far Gone.” 
‘When I heard that beat … it was like, ‘Man, this is a moment,’ ‘ Drake tells MTV News of the Thank Me Later track. Who’s excited for this song? #ThankMeLater coming soon!
It’s done. Drake’s collaboration with Jay-Z, “Light Up,” is finally finished. The Toronto lyricist had been hopeful all year that he and Hov could connect in the studio.
“Everybody is looking for this one joint with me and Jay, so that needs to happen,” Drake told MTV News back in June. “My goal at this point is to keep making that organic music. I don’t wanna feel pressure now that I have a single and music that’s hot.”
Drake recently sat down with MTV News in his Canadian hometown and explained how the song, produced by Tone Mason and co-produced by his October’s Very Own cohort Noah “40″ Shebib, came to fruition.
The track will be included on the rapper’s forthcoming debut, Thank Me Later, tentatively slated for a March release.
Every year around this time, my partner PR and the fine folks at Shade 45 do a special program called Hanukkah Radio. This time, they really lucked out cause rap’s next superstar just happens to be a Jew. Besides admitting he was Bar Mitzvahd in a basement at an Italian restaurant, Drizzy reveals that while in Houston he recorded several songs with Bun B and will soon be headed to Hawaii to finish Thank Me Later with you-know-who. Album still slated for end of March 2010 and he says it’s coming together cohesively and his bars is up. L’ Chaim!
As we all know, today was Drake’s knee surgery. Quoted below @FutureThePrince says…
Surgery was successfull, day 1 of the road to greatness. Get well soon brother! Drizzy Drake Proforming in a city near you soon!
Shock to the heart. No Main Pick today. We decided to fall back in order to make our grand announcement that we start rolling out picks for the 2009 Hottest MCs in the Game on Monday, August 17. Get on point, get your arguments ready — we look forward to hearing from you about our picks.
Mixtape Daily still goes, though. Today, Lil Wayne’s gorgeous It girl, Nicki Minaj, makes her return to these parts. She has a few stories to share about her and the crew getting down onstage and off and what they’ve been cooking up in the studio.
Nicki Minaj and Drake roll like brothers and sisters. So it was no surprise when Nicki told us about a playful spat they had on tour at the Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival.
“Actually I think Drake is wack and I don’t think he deserves [his accolades],” she joked. “I’m sorry. We just had a fight in the back. I was about to punch him dead in his face. [One of his mangers] Cortez intervened.”
Minaj got a little more serious, clarifying that she and Drake do not have any gripes with one another. They are thick as thieves.
