Q&A with Drake x The Recording Academy

November 30th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Interview
26 Fresh Comments »

“‘Are we crazy?’ And it took a while…it takes a while.”

Throughout the year, The Recording Academy (the folks behind The Grammys) hosts a series of conversations with artists from all over the country. Last week, the Nashville chapter held a Q&A with Drake, whose fascinating background and radio hits (such as this summer’s “Best I Ever Had”) have thrust him into the spotlight as the genre’s up-and-coming artist to watch. We sent guest writer and Recording Academy member Andrew Tritter to the program to take down what he could from the Academy’s conversation with the rapper who is poised to take over 2010.

Versus Magazine: This is not your first trip to Nashville, correct?
Drake:
No, it’s not. Nashville is a great city and my father lives in Memphis, so I used to drive down here all the time in this Mercury Cougar [laughs]… and that’s where I got a lot of music knowledge, actually. My dad used to give me 30 minutes to play hip hop on the 24 or 25 hour drive — he’d let me put on rap tapes and then he’d make me listen to Marvin Gaye, The Spinners … that really penetrated my mind as a young kid. So, yeah, the whole state of Tennessee is very valuable to me.

VM: Your father’s side of the family was very musical — how did your father and that side of the family influence your music?
Drake:
My dad was always a musician. My first time performing I was really young, probably like eight or nine, and he had taken me out when he wasn’t supposed to (because he had a gig and he was looking after me), and he thought it would be interesting to bring me up on stage to sing the one song that I knew, which was “Ride, Sally Ride.” So I ended up on stage performing with my dad, and everyone in the place thought it was the cutest thing in the world. I don’t remember much about my childhood, but I remember that night.

Also, the culture of Memphis … see, Toronto is very multi-cultural, it’s a booming city. So to go between Toronto and Memphis and get the different types of music, the different food, the different feeling … coming from Toronto, I always wanted to see more.

VM: Was there any music on your mom’s side of the family?
Drake:
Yeah, but it was classical pianists and things of that nature. But my mom… my mom used to force me to say things as colorfully as possible. She would never let me get by with saying, ‘Well, that food was good.’ No, I had to say, ‘That food was delicious,’ or something extravagant. My mom was responsible for a lot of the way I write, the way I choose to say things. That’s where the music comes in on my mom’s side.

VM: How did it come about that you ended up on Degrassi?
Drake:
I was in eighth grade and there was this kid in my class whose father was an agent. My biggest problem in school was that I was an attention-seeker, so I was always trying to make people laugh in class. And this kid was like, ‘You’re funny, you’ve got timing. You should meet my dad, my dad’s an agent. You’re mixed, and you have a presence about you.’ So eventually in grade nine I took him up on his offer and went to meet his dad, and his dad was completely like the opposite: “I don’t think [this kid] really has anything to offer…’ [laughs]. I thought I was gonna walk in there and be a star, and he was like “Nah, you don’t really have it.”

Read the rest of this entry »



Video: Drake Flipcam’s At The 2009 AMA’s

November 30th, 2009 | Posted by: Huey P | Filed under: Video
13 Fresh Comments »

Go behind the scenes with hip-hop’s hottest rookie as he suits up for November’s Awards Show.

Props: Complex



Video: Drake Only Cares About One Thing

November 29th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Photos, Video
10 Fresh Comments »

I care about one thing, and that’s the motherf*cking T.O” ©Drake

Last night in Toronto at the Kool Haus.

Thank you Justin.



Photo: Drake portrait by Emily Beaton

November 29th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Fans
16 Fresh Comments »

Remember this Drake photo? Good job A Milli (Emily), lol.


Thoughts?



Video: Drake x Kid Cudi Live in Toronto

November 29th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Events, Video
26 Fresh Comments »

Last night, Drake performed Forever live in Toronto at the Kid Cudi concert. As usual, the ladies go craaaaazy.

Photos coming later on in the day! Enjoy this likkle ting forever mane.

Hand motions, we know.



Video: DJ Khaled ft. Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Usher & Drake – Fed Up (Behind The Scenes)

November 29th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Video
3 Fresh Comments »

Video dropping soon.

Props Derick G



Mixtape: Drake – Room For Improvement (No DJ + Untagged Selections)

November 27th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Audio
44 Fresh Comments »

Ah, the infamous autographed Room For Improvement copy. If you own one of these, then you’ve been supporting Drake since day 1. No need to explain this late release but it’s simply 12 untagged (no DJ) Room For Improvement songs that you can all enjoy. A couple of these songs have some old Drake verses that have never been heard before so let’s see if you guy can tell the difference. Check out the track listing below.. it’s just a few songs missing. Maybe they’ll show up on one of Drake’s Lost Tapes ;).

Download: Drake – Room For Improvement (No DJ + Untagged Selections)

01. Special ft. Voyce
02. Do What You Do
03. Money (Remix) ft. Nickelus F
04. AMPM ft. Nickelus F
05. City Is Mine (Long Version)
06. Thrill Is Gone ft. Voyce
07. Video Girl ft. Voyce
08. Come Winter
09. A Scorpio’s Mind ft. Nickelus F
10. S.T.R.E.S.S. ft. Nickelus F
11. Try Harder
12. Do What You Do (Remix) ft. Malice of The Clipse & Nickelus F (BONUS TRACK)

Since we’re at it, here are all 3 official Drake mixtapes in case you are missing one of them.

Drake – So Far Gone (2009)
http://www.zshare.net/download/5595238868f9292a/

Drake – Comeback Season (2007)
http://usershare.net/kd5hvkvoikwa

Drake – Room For Improvement (2006)
http://www.zshare.net/download/5563355121b88fe7/

Thank Me Later, coming soon. How soon? Soon enough. Rather… sooner than later.



Video: Drake’s Part in DJ Khaled’s “Fed Up”

November 27th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Video | Tags: , ,
7 Fresh Comments »

It’s only 8 bars but it’s the only 8 bars that matter. Props to EKEK.



Drake featured in Glamour’s December ’09 Issue

November 26th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Magazine, News
19 Fresh Comments »

Yes, another Drake feature and this time it’s in Glamour Magazine. Go cop the December 2009 issue!

who’s that guy?
Drake

age:
25 23

claim to fame:
Two songs on the Billboard Hot 100

big break:
Starred on the teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation

best feature:
Big, brown eyes baby.



Drake & Lil Wayne to host Birdman’s Release Party

November 25th, 2009 | Posted by: Karla | Filed under: Events, Video
14 Fresh Comments »

If you’re in town, come through! Don’t forget to purchase Birdman’s new album Pricele$$ in stores today.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 25th 2009
BABY aka BIRDMAN PRICELESS ALBUM RELEASE PARTY
HOSTED BY: BIRDMAN, Lil Wayne, DRAKE and many more!

CAMEO THEATRE
1145 Washington Ave.
Miami Beach, FL 33139



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