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Video: Drake Speaks On His “Club Paradise” Tour

Danny M — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:43:05 +0000

Drake recently spoke with MTV after his Cali Christmas 2011 performance to discuss his “Club Paradise” tour, which he also just announced new dates for. Drizzy says the shows will be for his So Far Gone fans.

The Toronto rapper will play for about 6,000 to 9,000 people every night, mostly college students, a demographic he said he feels most loyal to. “I chose to do that because I just feel like those are the kids that downloaded So Far Gone off of October’s Very Own that night and have been riding with me ever since,” he shared. “I don’t want them to ever feel like I left them or like we’re disconnected, so I’m just gonna go back and I’m gonna bring them a real tour into those college spaces.”

Video: Drake Speaks On His “Club Paradise” Tour is a post from: Young Money HQ

GQ Speaks To Drake About The Lil Wayne vs. Jay-Z Beef & More

Danny M — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:31:38 +0000

GQ recently sat down with Drizzy to discuss his Take Care album, coming up with the album title while in Birmingham, England, some of the lyrics from songs on the album, So Far Gone, Thank Me Later, the perfect girl for Drake, sweaters, why the “Fancy” music video was never released, and the Lil Wayne vs. Jay-Z beef. Hit the jump to read the full interview!

GQ: It seems like the world is excited.
Drake: [Huge smile] Yeah, man, I hope so.

GQ: You announced the title of this album, Take Care, with us back in December. What does it mean?
Drake: No one has actually asked me that yet. I came up with the name when I was on a bus in Birmingham, England, going to a show. “Take Care” is this thing we use in passing conversation to dismiss bullshit like, “Oh, you couldn’t make it on time? Oh, take care, take care.” We’ve always used that and then I really took so much care making this album. I knew I was going to go home and take longer than six months, I knew that I was literally going to take care of making this project and be attentive, be clear, be immersed in it. “Take Care” worked.

GQ: You seem more excited releasing Take Care than you were with Thank Me Later. Do you have any regrets with your last album?
Drake: No, I never regret. It did amazing things for my career and as a sonic composition, I’m still proud of it. It was just very weird to make an album, for sale, in four months on a tour bus. It wasn’t So Far Gone. So Far Gone was my first album, so I felt like it was unfair to me. Like damn, I just made So Far Gone. Now I have to come right back out with another piece.

GQ: And that is what people were going to call your first album.
Drake: Right! This is what people are going to call my first album when really [So Far Gone] was my first album. I shouldn’t have to rush this because I just gave you a body of work. Give me a minute. So I made Thank Me Later and it did great for me but you’re right, I was immediately on to my next one.

GQ: So what’s different now?
Drake: I’m going to make this a moment for myself. I followed through on my vision…even the songs that are out now like “Trust Issues”and “Club Paradise,” “Free Spirit,” “Headlines,” “Make Me Proud,” “Marvins Room,” “The Motto,” I’m all very proud of. That’s an album in and of itself and I have nineteen more songs to give you on November 15th.

GQ: So rank them, if you will, best to worst: So Far Gone, Thank Me Later, and Take Care…
Drake: It’s hard for me to put So Far Gone second because it’s the first time anyone ever really paid attention or heard me. But I’m going to be honest with you, Take Care, then So Far Gone, then Thank Me Later…

GQ: Some of the features on this album are crazy. Wayne, Nikki, Rihanna, some unknown guy named Andre 3000…
Drake: He murdered that shit! He killed it and 40 switched the beat, it’s nasty. I didn’t get to see him record, but speaking with him was great and we even spoke about projects beyond “The Real Her.”

GQ: You said that, “Just by buying your album, you know a lot of shit about me.” So let’s break down some lyrics. “Why is this so familiar? Just met/already feel like I know the real her.”
Drake: I guess sometimes I feel like I’m laying next to the same woman over and over again. The things that they say, the place they are in their life, the concerns they have about me and my life. I feel like I deal with the same women repetitively. The ones I’m referring to in that song have all fucked the same rappers. So, yeah, that’s why I say we just met but I think I’ve already met the real her, because I’ve already met you so many times, in different shapes and forms—it all feels familiar.

GQ: Who’s the ideal girl for Drake?
Drake: Who’s the ideal girl? She is very funny, very supportive, understands that right now I’m trying to build with somebody. The ideal girl is driven, working on something other than modeling or being a singer…

GQ: Or being seen.
Drake: Or being seen! She’s probably in New York to be honest with you. There are a lot of good women in New York.

GQ: The next lyric is from “Marvins Room.” Everyone with vocal cords uploaded their own version of your song to YouTube. Whose version was your favorite?
Drake: I mean everybody says Jojo’s but you know I don’t really have a favorite. Actually, my version is my favorite and I never say stuff like that. But really though, my version is my favorite because there is such a story behind it.

GQ: Let’s get into the story. “The woman that I would try, is happy with a good guy.” Who’s the girl you’re talking about?
Drake: It’s not about one particular female. It’s just an emotion that I’ve experienced. I’ve texted girls late at night saying, “I miss you,” and she’ll be like, “I’m out on a date.” She is happy, somewhere else.

GQ: Wait, you’re one of the top artists in the world right now. That still happens to you, in 2011?
Drake: Yeah, definitely.

GQ: What type of wildly successful girls are you dating to where they’d dis you? Oprah?
Drake: [laughs] I wish I dated Oprah. No, they’re mostly girls from Toronto that know the real me and don’t give a fuck about who “Drake” is or what he’s accomplished. And then there are a lot of girls who get a kick out of doing that to me because of who I am. A lot of girls want to purposefully drive a point home.

GQ: Last lyric: “I be getting high just to balance out the lows.” [Drake begins to shake his head.] What’s the lowest point of your career?
Drake: Hmm, what do you think is the lowest point of my career and I’ll see if I agree with you.

GQ: I think Thank Me Later was the best album on the shelves when it came out, but you felt like you could have made a better album.
Drake: I’m in agreeance with that, definitely that combined with the videos for “Miss Me” and “Fancy.”I just watched the videos and was like, “What the fuck are these videos about?” That’s why “Fancy” never came out. It was a weird moment.

GQ: On to something a little lighter. We’re GQ, so we have to ask: What’s up with the sweaters?
Drake: [laughs] Now, this I have been asked about several times.

GQ: Do you have a favorite?
Drake: Yes, I do. It’s a toss-up between three sweaters. I’d say one would be obviously the OVO Owl Sweater. I can wear it repetitively and no one calls me out on it. I have a cashmere Hermes sweater that I love. Lastly, any of my Missoni sweaters. I don’t give a fuck what anybody says about my Missoni sweaters! Fuck you, if you don’t like my sweater! [Editor's note: A middle-aged couple sitting next to us sharply turn their heads.] It’s funny because people only talk about me and sweaters because I don’t give them anything else to talk about. I live in Canada, so any dirt I do you’ll never see because we don’t have the paparazzi up there! It’s the stupidest thing, man, but I’ll embrace it. Hopefully Missoni hollers at me and we get a sweater line popping!

GQ: When Lil Wayne and Jay-Z made passing references to each other earlier this year, did you feel like you were in a compromising situation? We know you really look up to Jay and you really look up to Wayne.
Drake: I’m just riding with Wayne, always. I’ll never sit here and say that Wayne compromised me. I’m just doing what I got do. I’m a Cash Money soldier. That’s who I ride for.

GQ: Do you think it was blown out of proportion?
Drake: I mean, not really. I think it was pretty clear-cut. I think anybody denying anything at this point is silly. And I’ve said that before for either of them to say, “Oh, no man, I didn’t mean it,” it’s like, “Yes you did, man”. But it’s all good, it’s what rap is about. It’s a competitive business.

GQ: You appeared on Wayne’s ” It’s Good,” which made reference to Jay. Would you have gotten on “H.A.M.” with Jay-Z, where he made the initial reference?
Drake: If I had heard it? No. Because Wayne’s done way more for my career than Jay-Z. Wayne is the reason I’m here. Jay-Z did that for Cole, that’s his artist. Cole’s my brother, he’s an artist I respect so much but I know he’d say the same thing. We’ve got bosses. We’re just falling in line, doing what we got to do.

GQ: People talk a lot of shit, anything you wish they’d stop saying?
Drake: That’s tough. I wish that we lived in a time and a generation where people would stop viewing my honesty as overly emotional. People always act like I spend my life crying in a dark room. I don’t, I’m good. I’m a man. I want to be remembered as an artist that gave you a piece of me, as opposed to some surface bullshit. I don’t think people realize that we die, we leave here, and either they forget about you or remember you. And how they remember you is up to you. I just want to be remembered as a poet that was open and honest because I wake up every morning and I’m me.

GQ Speaks To Drake About The Lil Wayne vs. Jay-Z Beef & More is a post from: Young Money HQ

Video: Rio Ferdinand Interviews Drake For #5 Magazine

Danny M — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:57:25 +0000

Earlier this year, Rio Ferdinand interviewed Drake for the latest issue of #5 Magazine, which also features Nicki Minaj on the front cover. Drizzy talks to Rio about how he became a Manchester United fan, acting, rapping, traveling with Lil Wayne, Weezy’s work ethic, his So Far Gone mixtape, his forthcoming Take Care album, award nominations, pressure, and lots more! You can watch the full 20 minute interview in the video above, courtesy of RapDose.

UNITED

Video: Rio Ferdinand Interviews Drake For #5 Magazine is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake XXL Cover Story Excerpt & Photos

Danny M — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:25:24 +0000

What are your thoughts on this cover?

It’s great to me. I’ve never done XXL, so it’s exciting. And to be doing it with Nicki, man, that’s my dog. That’s more than my dog. That’s, like, we have the most interesting relationship, ’cause it’s so multilayered. That’s my co-worker, my peer, my family. But, at the same time, on any given day, she’s, like, the love of my life… Nicki’s a very intriguing character. To be doing it with her is great, man.

So since the success of your mixtape So Far Gone you’ve become rap’s golden child. Has it been hard getting your debut together, to live up to that hype?

Not hard. If you’re not struggling, then there’s something wrong. If it was effortless, then I’d be scared. If I was like, “Yeah, this is it, this is the one.” I’m still listening to it, and I’m like, “Man, I don’t know, it could be better.” But that’s just me. That’s just the artist in myself competing with myself. And now it’s so crazy, because, to be in the industry, a lot of people start playing you their music. You start hearing other people’s hits and sound, and you start thinking, Wow, okay, this is all the music that’s coming out this year. And you start thinking about yourself fitting into that, you know? Like, last year, other than Blueprint 3, it was a pretty dry year for hip-hop, as far as, like, the legends. But this year it’s way different. You know, you’ve got OutKast rumored to be coming out.

Do you know something we don’t?

I don’t. I just read what I read. Even from, like, [Santogold] is coming out again, MGMT. You’ve got Jeezy. You’ve got T.I. Carter IV’s gonna drop as soon as Wayne gets out. So it’s a great year for music. But when you’re in it, you also start thinking about, Well, I can’t get lost in that. And I make R&B, and hip-hop, so I’m not only thinking about the rappers—I’m thinking about the Dreams, the MGMTs, just great music on a whole. That’s the best part about it, because that’s what makes my music better and pushes me to keep working on it, as opposed to just being, like, “Okay, it’s done.” I wasn’t confident when I dropped So Far Gone, neither. I thought I had made the biggest mistake of my life.

Really?

Yeah, ’cause I started the mixtape off with an R&B song about women that were lost in the world. It was a risk. I mean, we knew it meant something to us, but we also sat there, like, “Man, are people going to accept this? A rapper that’s singing?” And I’m not just doing melodies, I’m singing. Same with this album—I’m singing. And I even went further. I explored music on So Far Gone. I was taking other people’s music and revamping it. I can’t do that on an album. I love that genre of music. It sparks something in me when
I use soundscapes or write like that. So now I’ve crafted my own interpretations on that that apply to my life, and I’m just wondering, Are those going to work now? ’Cause it’s just me. It’s my shit. So it’s a lot of unknowns on this album.

Sometimes I’ll have been up all night thinking about it, and then I finally get to the studio, listen to it front to back, and I’m like, “Man, this is a good record. It’s a great first record.” And it’s so crazy, too, because people are always telling me—oh, you know, like, the Kanyes, and the Jays, and the Jeezys, they put me, like, for some reason, over there, like my album is gonna be competing with those people. And I don’t know if it’s just what they assume soundwise, like, maybe it’ll sound that big and be in the category, but really, for the new artists that just put out a mixtape and are working on their first album, I mean, just those guys, the new class, that’s really where I’m at. I really only put out a mixtape, and this is my first album. And just, like, [Kid] Cudi or a Wale, J. Cole—time-line-wise, that’s where I am.

Via XXL, and hit the jump to see some more photos of Drizzy from the XXL May 2010 Magazine. Also, you can check out Nicki Minaj’s XXL cover story excerpt and photos here.

Drake XXL Cover Story Excerpt & Photos is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake Says So Far Gone Honor ‘Means The World To Me’

Danny M — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:50:20 +0000

“So Far Gone being named the Mixtape of the Year means a lot to me,” Drake said in Toronto. “It was a risk we all took as a team to put out a mixtape that I’m exploring so many different genres of music — from the Santigolds to the Lykke Lis to Peter Bjorn and Johns, to even myself going from rapping to doing records that sound like old Jodeci songs. It was a mix of all the things that make up my character, and for people to embrace it the way they did and for MTV to name it the top mixtape of 2009 means the world to me.”

For the first time ever, Drake goes in-depth about some of his and everyone else’s favorite tracks on the tape.

Joints He Checked For

» “Uptown” (featuring Lil Wayne and Bun B). “It was one of the later records,” Drake explained. “That was when I felt like the mixtape was moving a little too slow and it needed some energy. It gave me another chance to really just rap. I love to rap and say witty, clever things that people can say in the club. I like to give people that opportunity. When I heard the beat, I came up with this saying, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK, it’s OK.’ And at the time I wasn’t home, so I was like, ‘You can run and tell my city I’m on.’ It became this chant. Initially that wasn’t even the hook. Wayne had the hook that was part of his verse. That’s why it’s called ‘Uptown.’ He was like, ‘I’m so uptown.’ Then we took that out and made the hook [heard on the mixtape]. Bun getting on there was exciting. Produced by Boi-1da — I thought it was the one. That record means a lot for me.”

» “Unstoppable” (featuring Lil Wayne and Santigold). “Me and Oliver were into the Santigold record. ‘Starstruck’ was one of my favorite records. And ‘Unstoppable,’ the beat, it needed to be rapped on by somebody. I always try to do something with Wayne. Everyone has heard Wayne spit, but when Wayne’s put in an awkward situation, he goes off and shines in that atmosphere. So I had given him the beat, and at first he probably heard it and was like, ‘This is weird.’ A month later, I got this verse in my e-mail back. I did my verse and we found a way to edit it together — 40 did his surgery. It became a record that moved. On the So Far Gone Tour it was my favorite record to perform.

» “A Night Off” (featuring Lloyd). ” ‘A Night Off’ is my favorite song on the mixtape. It came from just … the song right before it is ‘Ignant Sh–’ with Wayne. It was such an exhausting song, rap-wise. We rapped for so long, it was so much to digest. I was like, ‘Man, after you hear that song, it would be so ill to just go into a slow jam.’ At the time it was some girl probably had hit me up like, ‘You never have any time. All I need is for you to take a night off.’ I saw that written on my phone. I was like, ‘A night off. That’s a crazy concept.’ Especially for anybody that works. You could be doing [any job] — to take a night off for somebody means the world. It was sexy and it made women feel special. That’s what I like to do. Lloyd with his higher voice showcased two types of tones. I love that song and girls really like it, which is the best thing in the world.”

» “Bria’s Interlude” (featuring Omarion). “I was smitten over this girl from L.A. and I started writing a song about her. A lot of the R&B [I do] is really based off women that come into my life and inspire me to speak to them in song and say what I never would expose on just a talking level.”

Shouts to MTV

Drake Says So Far Gone Honor ‘Means The World To Me’ is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake Hopes Fans Get ‘Lost With Emotion’ On Debut

Danny M — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:05:24 +0000

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.”

“I can’t say this is unexpected, because, I mean, it’s something that’s kept me up many nights,” the 23-year-old says. “I dreamed about this for a lot of years and have lost lots of sleep over it. This is like the highest honor and I am humbled by this. It’s one of the few awards that isn’t a popularity contest; you have to make great music to be honored, and this is completely surreal to me.”

It’s an honor, however, that has an unintended side effect. With the two nominations that stemmed from his mixtape, that puts Drake out of the running for best new artist in 2010, when his debut album is released.

Lady Gaga experienced a similar technicality in 2009, as she was ineligible for best new artist since her track “Just Dance” was nominated for best dance recording the previous year. The best new artist rules say the nominated performer is eligible for “the first recording which establishes public identity,” and a prior nomination indicates that this threshold has already been reached.

But that may be just a tiny regret for Drake, who is set up to receive tremendous exposure for his forthcoming set. Drake, who got signed to Universal Motown through mentor Lil Wayne’s Young Money label shortly after the release of “So Far Gone,” is prepping “Thank Me Later,” slated for a February release. “The best part about ‘So Far Gone’ was that I didn’t focus on structure. The only thing that was consistent was the story and the emotion. That’s what I want to do with this album,” Drake says. “I make music for people to get lost in it, so, as long as it takes you somewhere, then I’ve succeeded.”

So far, the album features Kanye West, Wayne, Young Jeezy and Jay-Z, and a collaboration with Sade is on Drake‘s wish list. “Something happened last night too that might be great-it might serve as the legendary sprinkle for the album,” Drake says about another potential partnership on the set. “Shut It Down” and “Fireworks” are two tracks slated to make the album’s final cut.

“In 2010 I’m really hoping I can stay true to this new way of life I’ve committed myself to,” he says. “I have a special plan to keep the free flow of music going after the album is released. This is definitely a unique path I’m setting out on, and honestly, it’s great. I’m honored to be in this position.”

Via Billboard

Drake Hopes Fans Get ‘Lost With Emotion’ On Debut is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake’s So Far Gone Is Mixtape Daily’s Mixtape Of The Year + #8 On MTV News’ Men Of The Year Countdown

Danny M — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:44:30 +0000

Drake’s rise to superstardom was one of the biggest stories of 2009. From his humble beginnings as Jimmy Brooks on “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” Drizzy (born Aubrey Graham) took the hip-hop world by storm, thanks to the success of his So Far Gone mixtape and subsequent partnership with Lil Wayne’s Young Money label. Drake collaborated with the biggest names in the game, was co-signed by everyone from Bun B to Kanye, and didn’t let a little thing like tearing the ligaments in his knee stop his climb. Grammy nominated, often-imitated, Drake came out of nowhere to lay the blueprint for success in ’09. Now he knows G4 pilots on a first-name basis.

2009 Highlights: In February, he made his So Far Gone mixtape available for free on his MySpace page, and it all went nuts from there. Drake jumped on Lil Wayne’s I Am Music Tour soon after, and was quickly named a “Fire Starter” by MTV News’ Hip-Hop Brain Trust. Then, riding a wave of hype, he headlined a Hot 97 “Who’s Next Live” show at New York club SOB’s, wowing a crowd that included the likes of Eminem, Kanye West and Talib Kweli.

With fame came certified sex-symbol status, which meant whispers that he and Rihanna were an item (which he denied), and he tried to downplay it all by proclaiming himself not to be a ladies man, but rather, “An honest man.” Of course, it was kind of difficult to hear him over the throngs of squealing ladies who followed his every move.

He joined up with Wayne again on his America’s Most Wanted Tour, and soon signed to Weezy’s Young Money Records. But his time on the tour would be short: three days in, he collapsed onstage, tearing three ligaments in his knee and forcing him to drop off the bill (though his knee would go on to launch a much-discussed Twitter account).

But really, 2009 was all about Drake’s music, and the tremendous in-roads it made for him. He was only the second artist in Billboard Hot 100 history to have two songs in the Top 10, with “Best I Ever Had” and “Every Girl,” and the So Far Gone mixtape was so successful that Young Money/Universal decided to re-release it as an EP. He collaborated with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Jay-Z and Trey Songz, and his “Forever” (featuring verses by Em, West and Weezy) was a posse cut for the ages. He landed at #3 on MTV News’s Hottest MCs list, and closed out ’09 with a pair of Grammy nominations and much hype surrounding his Thank Me Later LP, which is tentatively due in March.

Also this year, Drake refused Kanye West’s invitation to re-make the “Best I Ever Had” video … Drank a bottle of Opus One wine, wrote a lengthy blog post detailing his prodigious healing abilities … Sorta feuded with Universal Motown head Sylvia Rhone and the ghost of Tupac Shakur … Remained unrepentantly Canadian.

Congratulations to Drake for making #8 on MTV News’ Men Of The Year Countdown, and hit the jump to see So Far Gone get Mixtape Daily’s Mixtape Of The Year award:

If Drake is not a household name for everyone just yet, the 23-year-old is on the front porch, ringing the bell. That he’s done it without even putting out an official album shows just how far he’s come in 12 months. What a journey it’s been for the Toronto native in 2009.

I first met Drake last year in Los Angeles around Grammy time. Lil Wayne’s co-manager Cortez Bryant introduced me to Drake as a new “singer” that they were working with. Drizzy was cool but barely spoke: At the time, there was no way I’d envision him as having a shot at making the MTV News’ “Hottest MCs in the Game” list, let alone finishing in the top three. He was a “singer,” right?

Everyone — including Drake — is probably surprised at how much he’s achieved this year. On the basis of its quality and impact, Mixtape Daily can say that So Far Gone isn’t just the top mixtape of 2009, but one of the greatest of all time. As a body of work, the project is better than most albums from the past few years.

First off, as promised, homes is singing, and it isn’t anything corny — in fact, one young lady I know was brought to tears after hearing “Brand New.” And his rapping skills were a stunning surprise: His clarity, tone, articulation, confidence and — always paramount — lyrics are first-class.

The impact of So Far Gone built gradually but rapidly, via blogs and word of mouth. As “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful” began picking up radio airplay, Drake began getting offers from just about every major label. Yet he elected to stay with Lil Wayne’s team and inked with their Young Money label, with distribution by the Universal powerhouse, which quickly released an altered version of the mixtape as an EP — and which has led to Drake receiving two Grammy nominations for “Best I Ever Had,” a song that was originally released on a mixtape! From the Net to the streets to the Grammy red carpet: Hands down, this is our mixtape of the year.

Joints We Checked For

» “Lust for Life.” The title alone makes this track (not included on the re-release) a must-listen. Drake gives his declaration of being hip-hop’s newest That Dude. “The game got these old handprints on it/ But I’mma be the one to pour cement on it/ And start over.” His delivery was subtle but effective, like bullets from a silencer.

»”Houstatlantavegas.” Drake described the song to us thusly: “A lot of people think it’s about strippers but it’s not. It’s actually kind of about women who live life with the mentality of a stripper, I guess you could say. Or it’s these girls that sort of drift from place to place and city to city depending on where the event is or where the next show is, where the next awards are. They have guys fly them out, meet guys there and they kind of … I have come across so many women like that either started out like that or I met them and they became like that. And it was just important for me early on, in that disc, to capture that emotion because it actually led to the demise of a relationship that I was in. So yeah, it was just kind of just a way of speaking to a specific type of girl. When I talk about women I don’t like to talk in generic terms, I like to really speak to women — not to say anything they’re doing is wrong but I like to be very specific when I talk to women, so they feel something.”

» “Successful” (featuring Trey Songz and Lil Wayne). Drake: “I remember hearing the record and the drums coming together, and they were just so rocking and it has this pocket and there was no melody yet, and [when the chords came in] it was so eerie. I was like, ‘Yo that’s it!’ Every note fell into place. So I had this beat sitting here that I love so much and I didn’t know what to do with it. Sometimes as an artist you find a musical piece that you love so much that you want to do it justice. It’s a very overwhelming feeling at times. So I actually turned to Trey Songz and I was like, ‘Yo, I got this joint and I know how it makes me feel. I just don’t know how to say it the right way.’ So I sent him the record and he sent me back this hook and was like, I want to call the song ‘Successful.’ ”

» “November 18.” Drake says of this track, which also is not included on the re-release: “My connection with the South is one of the best connections in the world: My father is from Memphis, Tennessee, so at a young age I got a feel for what the South was really about [because] I got to go down there every summer. It really shaped the person that I am to be able to go from a city like Toronto to Memphis. It’s like two different worlds: Toronto being this big city, more cultured, it’s very different than Memphis. So to go to Memphis I used to love the feeling that I would get hanging out with my cousins and hearing the music from the South and seeing how they support Southern artists. Actually, of the first artists that I really got that feeling from was Yo Gotti. In Memphis at the time Yo Gotti was fresh, he was new, he was just popping. I used to go to his shows and I would sneak in. It was just a thrilling feeling to be a part of it. And then I just started listening to music that the South had to offer and it influenced a lot of my sound.”

» “Ignant Sh–” (featuring Lil Wayne). The song that got the most play in our office, its Just Blaze beat (taken from Jay-Z’s song of the same title) has a classic feel. Drizzy was so arrogant on the record, not too many people could have come after him on the beat, but Wayne was a downright rap hooligan on it. It has so many quotable lyrics in such a short time span, let’s just highlight: “Better cover your eyes, your face falling/ Watch the game from the side, I’m playing calling/ No, I didn’t say that I’m flawless/ But I damn sure don’t tarnish.”

If you need any more convincing, be sure to track down both the mixtape and the re-release. And stay tuned for Drake’s official debut LP, Thank Me Later, due in March. Can 2010 be Drake’s year even more than 2009 was?

Props MTV

Drake’s So Far Gone Is Mixtape Daily’s Mixtape Of The Year + #8 On MTV News’ Men Of The Year Countdown is a post from: Young Money HQ

Queen Latifah Speaks On Nicki Minaj + So Far Gone EP Sells 72,104 1st Week

Danny M — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:17:14 +0000

Even though there was only 7 songs on Drake‘s So Far Gone EP, he still managed to sell 72,104 units in the first week. Also, don’t forget that these songs (except for one) have been released for free earlier this year. Visit Hits Daily Double for the stats.

Check out Queen Latifah speaking on Nicki Minaj below:

One of the females that’s being hailed as the torchbearer for the next generation of hip-hop is Nicki Minaj, who’s making a huge splash in the rap world. What’s your opinion on her as an artist and what she’s doing with the genre?

I like everything I’ve heard from her so far. What I do like about her is number one, I got mad love for Lil Wayne. He’s bringing her up, he’s giving her an opportunity to come up through his camp. She’s showing and proving. Eve did the same thing. She spit with every dude in the Ruff Ryders camp, and that showed that she had the courage, gumption, talent and ability to be in this game. But then the records that she made were great records that talked about things that females wanted to talk about, and they were hit records. Her first album was platinum, so to me, when we do get on, we make a big splash because there aren’t that many of us. We stand out from the crowd. I’m hoping that there’s not just Nicki Minaj, but that there’s someone else out there, the next whoever, that’s waiting to have that same opportunity that she’s getting right now. But God bless her, I hope she blows up, because that’s what we need right now. We need that female energy in the game.

Queen Latifah Speaks On Nicki Minaj + So Far Gone EP Sells 72,104 1st Week is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake – Fear [Full/CDQ]

Danny M — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:43:26 +0000

Here is the full version to Drake‘s record “Fear” which will be on the re-release of So Far Gone that is in stores September 15th! You can listen and download the song below:

Download: Drake – Fear [Full/CDQ]

So what do you think

Drake – Fear [Full/CDQ] is a post from: Young Money HQ

Drake – Fear [Snippet]

Danny M — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:21:18 +0000

Anyone remember Drake talking about that “Fear” track he has recorded for the re-release of his So Far Gone EP coming September 15? Well, it has now leaked as a snippet via Amazon and he also said that the very last line of this joint will be the very first line on his debut album, Thank Me Later. You can download the snippet below:

Download: Drake – Fear Snippet (zShare is down)

I hate snippets

Drake – Fear [Snippet] is a post from: Young Money HQ