A little over a month since its release, Drake’s Thank Me Later has officially gone platinum. As previously reported Thank Me Later went platinum in Canada its first week with over 100,000 units sold, but failed to reach Gold status in the U.S. after moving over 400,000 units. Now Drizzy can add his U.S. platinum plaque to the one he already acquired in Canada and announced his platinum status to fans saying,

Thank you to everyone who allowed us go platinum on a debut album. WOW

It might not of been in the first week like some folks thought would happen; but Drake’s debut album has surpassed the 1million mark. Congratulations.

Hits Daily Double tallys that 462,989 people purchased Drake’s album, Thank Me Later. As a result, the LP will enter the Billboard charts at number one as the highest selling debut this year. – RapRadar

So what do y’all think? Did you expect the album to do better first week, or do you think this is a good amount ?

On the release day of Thank Me Later, the Cookin’ Soul boys team up with Don Cannon for their latest mash up project.

Thanks Us Later is a new approach to song remixing. Not having the a capellas it is a complete new challenge. Cookin’ Soul got in the studio together with french top producer Spike Miller and electronic spanish producer VibaSound using real live instruments: guitars, bass, piano, strings and synths.

Tracklist + Download link after the jump… [Read more →]

Tuesday June 15th marked the release date for Drake’s Thank Me Later album. 1 Love T.O. (T-Rexxx & Brock) was on hand to meet some of the die hard fans that waited outside of the downtown HMV for hours on end just to get a copy of the highly anticipated debut album.

Shout out to everybody that can out & showed love. Be sure to buy Thank Me Later & support Toronto’s very own Drizzy Drake!!!

Crooks & Castles Supports Drakes new album…Thank Me Later!!

The Drakeover kicked off on Tuesday with Drake’s in-store appearance at Best Buy in New York’s Union Square. Lines wrapped around the block as eager fans, some crying, waited to meet their idol on his long-awaited album release day.

It’s a benchmark in hip-hop that only two MCs have ever realized: selling 1 million album units during an opening release week.

Eminem achieved the feat — with his second and third albums, The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show, respectively — and in 2008, Lil Wayne joined the exclusive club as he pushed seven-digits worth of his sixth set, Tha Carter III, an act that cemented his ascent to super-stardom.

Kanye West came close with his third collection, Graduation, but stalled just short of the platinum plateau. And 50 Cent is the only debuting rapper who ever came anywhere near the mark when he pushed more than 800,000 copies of Get Rich or Die Tryin’.

Now, on the verge of releasing his major label debut, Thank Me Later, many are wondering whether Drake — last year’s mixtape wunderkind — can deliver on all of the hype to become only the third rapper to break the one-million mark in first week sales.

I always said that his setup was so impeccable, so crazy, that I just thought he would get really close to 1 million,” Vibe magazine editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall told MTV News. “The one thing he needed was that big record and I don’t think he was able to get his ‘Lollipop’ out the gate,” he said referring to Wayne’s breakout Carter III single. “But still, I think the setup is incredible and I expect him to sell 500,000 to 600,000 the first week. [Read more →]

Drake’s debut album finally hits shelves next week (June 15th). Hit the jump for full versions of each poster and scans of the linear book as well as the back cover.

Thank Me Later in stores June 15th!

Last night Drake held a listening session for his debut in NYC. Earlier that day, the project sprung a leak and Drizzy addressed it on Twitter. But on camera he tells The Life Files that he’s still standing by his product.

Drake checks into Soundcheck to preview tracks from his full-length debut, ‘Thank Me Later.’ Watch the exclusive live set – and stick around for our one-on-one with Drake about making the new record, his upcoming tour, and working with Kanye! The full length performance will launch June 15th.

Expectations are the new anticipation and unfortunately Drake is bound to flop now & on June 15. Too much singing, not enough verbal gymnastics a la Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap & other greats. Not political enough. He didn’t do anything to warrant all the attention & acclaim…except most likely strike gold when the first week’s numbers come out.

There’s a level of shortsighted by purists & fogeys thinking that TML should be the album they grew up with. Dope boys want their anthems, otherwise he’s not a certified a hard rock. It’s valid, but flawed to a degree. [Read more →]

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Download Drake ft. Nicki Minaj – ‘Up All Night’

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Download Drake – Thank Me Now

At just 23 years of age, Canadian rapper Drake is learning all about the slings and arrows of outrageous expectations.

Just a few short years removed from his first foray into the music business, Drake has been embraced by Lil’ Wayne and his Young Money crew, become the subject of a multimillion-dollar record label bidding war, released a series of hit mixtapes and singles, and earned a pair of Grammy nominations — all before even releasing his official, much-anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later.

The record — which has been delayed a couple times — will finally hit stores on June 15. It features a guest roster that includes Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Kanye West, among others.

Despite the star power, most of the focus will fall on Drake, and questions of whether he’s worthy of being hip-hop’s next anointed one.

There’s gonna be the people who can’t

wait to get the CD in their hands just so they can say it’s everything they didn’t want it to be,” Drake says with a laugh. “I know there will be people who’ll get the album, skim through it and be like, ‘Nope, that’s not it. Now on to the next person, ’cause he didn’t do it.’ But I feel like those people will eventually come around; that’s kinda where the title comes from. [Read more →]

We premiered the tracklisting + production credits and now Complex has the inside scoop about each track on the Thank Me Later!

Drake – Thank Me Later UK: Out 14th June US: Out 15th June