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Drake's is about fresh as could be right now. The 22-year old hot-spitter is decked out in Billionaire Boys Club. A blue buttoned sweater lays atop a dollar symbol t-shirt that gave one message - Drake is so money. A Louis Vuitton belt barely holds up crisp dark denim, which crashes into all red leather Nikes.
On "Successful," Drake raps, "Just call me shopping bag Drizzy / Or Mr. Damn he aint coppin that is he?"
On May 20, as one the Cultural Programming Advisory Board's guest artists graces the stage of the Bob Carpenter Center, he more than lived up to his nicknames.
Plus the guy's rap game is ripening before our eyes. Just last year Aubrey Drake Graham was playing Jimmy Brooks on The N's "Degrassi: The Next Generation." The Toronto native starred on the high school-based program for nearly nine years, but always had aspirations to rap, and when the show's producers decided to do a complete make-over of the cast, Drake pursued a career in music with full force.
The 22-year old MC released his second mixtape, Comeback Season, in 2007 with a strong single, "Replacement Girl" featuring Trey Songz. The tape wasn't the breakthrough Drake was looking for though, and the unsigned talent remained just that - without a major label deal to back him up. But his music did reach the hands of industry titan Lil Wayne, who was so impressed that he invited Drake to join him on his 2008 "I Am Music Tour."
As Drake's visibility began to rise, so did his recognition. In 2008, Drizzy released his latest mixtape, So Far Gone, straight to the Internet and received nothing but a shower of praise. It's an infusion of R&B and rap, of confidence and vulnerability, but most of all it has set Drake up to take the game by storm. He's found mingling with Hip-hop heavyweights Bun B and Lil Wayne and rapping over beats that are both eerily haunting and explosively energetic. But every song sounds like he's an artist who's got his eye on the prize.
As Drake's time in hip-hop has increased, so has his stardom. And less than halfway through 2009 Drake is having his biggest year yet. He released another mixtape, Friends with Money, in May. His verse on the Young Money group record "Every Girl" is second to only Wayne himself. And the single is third on the Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-hop songs this week.
But bronze is a far cry from the work Drake's other single is doing. "Best I Ever Had" is first atop that same chart, the same position it holds on the Hot R&B/Hip-hop Airplay and its #36 on the Billboard Hot 100. And that business of the best unsigned act in town, it was put to rest in late June. Drake inked a $2 million deal with Lil Wayne's Young Money Records with distribution going to Universal Republic.
Tucked away in a small locker room in the Bob Carpenter Center, the leader of the rap's incoming freshman class finishes up this semester with a bang. He and his crew sip Remy Martin out of red Solo cups as they reflect on the show he just wrapped up. He's minutes removed from his set, which featured many hits from So Far Gone, including "Best I Ever Had" as his parting shot. During his show he made mention of his mentor Lil Wayne, and of the act in which he opened for, Young Jeezy. In fact, he wants to make it back out by the stage in time to catch Jeezy's set. In the brief moments he was able to give, rap's freshest young act shows he's ready to move the entire nation. He just conquered Delaware quite easily.
On the opening of Friends With Money Angie Martinez asks you if you feel that buzz surrounding you. So do you feel that way? Do you feel like you're about to break open and tear the scene apart?
I hope so. I'm thankful for every response and every fan that's excited to see me, and I think I've got a lot of work to do. This is all off of mixtapes. It's great. If this is what happens off a mixtape then I'm looking forward to what happens from the album.
What process do you go through when you write a verse? Is it kind of like Eminem where an inspiration hits you and the pen hits the pad, or is it like Lil Wayne and Jay-Z, where it happens in the booth?
Nah, I definitely do my research. First off all, I write off inspiration - I have something happen in my life and it'll shape the first line. The first line is the most important. So I get that first line and then from there…I write in my Blackberry actually. So, I'll be in my phone and I'll go in the internet if I need to like to look up famous quotes or anything. I do my research when I write a verse. So, yeah, I definitely put time into each verse.
You rapped over "Ignorant Shit" on So Far Gone and on Friends With Money, you actually quote Jay-Z you say "At least let me tell you why I'm this way, hold on." How is Jay-Z playing into your rhyming style - the fact that he's coming up in multiple mixtapes? I've also heard you're working with him, so…
I've got a chance to sit in the studio with Jay and be around him, and the one thing I can say is, you meet one your idols and you just pray that you're not disappointed. To meet Jay-Z was like the best feeling in the world because I felt like "I've loved you for so many years, I've looked up to you, and you really are that guy, your really that talented, your really that together." And to meet Jay-Z was probably one of the best days of my life.
On "Closer to My Dreams" you talk about how you've been thinking about reaching your dreams, and this is off 2007's Comeback Season. So, since then how much closer are you to your dreams?
Well, from Comeback Season to So Far Gone, the growth musically is obviously there. I think I've learned to get more personal. As far as achievements and success, it's been overwhelming. But I don't want to stop or celebrate in it too much; I just want to keep working.
[at this point he begins reading the questions off of the reporter's typed list and answers them himself]
By the way Cleveland's going to win the NBA playoffs.
What player would be your equivalent?
Lebron James
My relationship with Trey Songz?
He's like a brother.
You said your new albumThank Me Later isn't going to sound like So Far Gone, how so?
It's going to be all the elements that people love about So Far Gone it's just going to be more rap. I'll probably be singing my own hooks. I plan on eventually doing an R&B album so I think I'm going to save a lot of my song writing for the R&B album. And it's just going to be high energy. I'm working with different producers and just really get my album finished.
Alright, I know I'm at my limit but I want to ask you this one. You ghostwriting for Detox? What can you tell me?
I can tell you Dr. Dre is a great influence and a great man and that when Detox comes out its going to be a great project.
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