VIA: rapbasement.com

Nas is currently on tour and doing press to promote his shows. During a recent interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Nas talked about what who he is currently listening to and what he thinks of up-and-coming rapper Drake. "[I'm listening to] Drake and always Scarface," Nas revealed in an interview. "Drake is new. He's here to show anybody who questions him that he'll get at you. He's like fresh water right now on dry land."

Nas went on to talk about the respect he has for rap legend Scarface. "Scarface is the realist rapper. He's the most musically serious, besides Kanye [West], right now. What Scarface says in his rhymes is real. You can't get away from [Lil] Wayne right now. So that's what I'm listening to. I'm waiting on Dr. Dre's album."

VIA: MTV.news.com

Mixtapes are a movement. For some, giving away music could mean much more than trying to sell their tunes — but Drake played the game right. He started giving away his mixtape So Far Gone earlier this year, and the word of mouth spread with fans, his peers and record-company executives: a recent New York concert found [Warner Music exec] Lyor Cohen in the crowd, standing among screaming fans, including Kanye West and Talib Kweli.

Well, the wait is over: After weeks of speculation, Drake has chosen to go with the home team and sign with Lil Wayne's Young Money Records, according to a source close to the situation. The deal breaks down as a joint venture between Young Money and Cash Money,with Universal Republic distributing. Drake's management was adamant that he should be viewed as an independent artist, although Universal will distribute the project.

"Today is a definitely a comfortable day for me, having my team now that's been in place for a couple of years. It's just a great day," Drake said. "It's something new, but it feels familiar."

Drizzy is excited about having a corporate push to help with the momentum he's gained independently.

"Independent is a funny term," he told MTV News on the set of his video for "Best I Ever Had." "I can go independent, but you need distribution, period. You need somebody to distribute your record and you need that army that a label has to really push the record."

So Far Gone became this year's most talked-about mixtape because, in effect, Drake combines the best of both worlds by being a strong singer and rapper. His singing talent is prominent on the tracks "HoustonAtlantaVegas," "Little Bit" and "A Night Off"; his rapping on songs like "Uptown" and "Ignorant Sh--" is as sharp as a broken bottle in a barroom brawl. He rhymes are just as strong: "The game needs change and I'm the muthaf----n' cashier" (from "Successful"); "Account's in the minus, yet I'm rolling round the f---ing city like your highness" ("Say What's Real").

His popularity has gotten so strong that Drake performed — along with Weezy and the Young Money crew — in a prime slot at the BET Awards on Sunday night.

Drake's official debut LP, Thank Me Later, is currently in production and due later this year, with Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Jay-Z listed as possible collaborators. This summer, look for Drake on tour with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Soulja Boy Tell'em as part of the Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Music Festival. 

VIA: thestar.com

Media, marketers, major labels – and, yes, the ladies – are pursuing Aubrey Graham, alias Drake. The Toronto rapper without an album is stirring up a frenzy that will be felt on the red carpet of the MuchMusic Video Awards tonight

Jun 21, 2009 04:30 AM; Ashante Infantry Pop & Jazz Critic

He doesn't have a video of his own in rotation. He's never even made a studio album. But make no mistake: rapper Drake is one of the most anticipated guests at tonight's MuchMusic Video Awards.

"The red carpet is going to be bananas," said MuchMusic VJ Devon Soltendieck of Toronto-born Aubrey Graham's first local appearance since his sold-out show at Sound Academy last month.

Since his third mixtape So Far Gone was released in February, Drake (aka Drizzy) – who starred for eight seasons as paraplegic Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation – has slowly become rap's hottest property.

"Hip hop has been hungry for its next big star," said New York-based Elliott Wilson, founder and CEO of RapRadar.com. "(Early in the year) people were talking about Asher Roth, Kid Cudi andWale, and no one put Drake in. But by April, it was all about Drake."

And it's been more about Drake since his storied May 26 performance at Manhattan's hipS.O.B.'s club, which was jammed with about 300 tastemakers, celebrities, journalists and record executives, such as Warner Music boss Lyor Cohen.

Each day seems to yield new chatter about the 22-year-old, who is working on his debut album for a fall release but remains unsigned despite being wooed by major American record labels. He says it himself on top track "Best I Ever Had": "Buzz so big I could probably sell a blank disc."

Continued...Click HERE to read the rest of the article at thestar.com

Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)

Other Notables

Eminem's Relapse gained over 140,000 third-week sales. The artist, expected to go gold wiithin a month on shelves, was only topped by Dave Matthews Band's latest album, whose frontman publicly endorsed Em's release to HOT97's Peter Rosenberg.

VIA: hiphopdx.com

VIA: concreteloop.com

VIA: rollingstone.com

Drake's Big Break: Lil Wayne's Protege Graduates From Degrassi to Hip-Hop

 The hottest MC in the game is an unsigned 23-year-old prodigy who's got girls, executives and rap's biggest names hanging on every word

This is what Drake-mania looks like up close: It's just after 10 p.m. on a balmy Tuesday night in May and downstairs inside the cramped confines of New York venue SOBs, Drake is receiving what feels like a hero's welcome. Kanye West, Ryan Leslie, Talib Kweli, the Alchemist and Bun B (who'll later join the upstart MC onstage) are all here to acknowledge the much-hyped rapper before his performance, Drake's last before he'll officially begin work on his debut LP, Thank Me Later.

Upstairs it's more of the same. The rap media cognoscenti are all present, as are the executives who have been bidding for Drake's services, including a high-ranking Universal/Motown chief and Warner Music Group Chairman Lyor Cohen. And don't forget the girls. Soon-to-be shrieking girls are lining up just in front of the stage, ready to scream at a moment's notice. It's hard to believe it, but tonight's performance is a part of the New York radio station Hot 97's Who's Next showcase. It's not even a proper Drake concert.

"I'm a new artist, by the way," a cheeky Drake told the packed house when he finally made it onto the stage in designer duds, a striped Commes des Garçons shirt and crimson Nike Air Jordans. "I don't know if you can tell by this show."

CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE

Here's a self-made video from Drake while on vacation in July, 2008. Kinda old I know, but an interesting look at the off-stage, just-a-regular-guy, keepin-it-real, down-to-earth lifestyle of an emerging superstar...

VIA: BILLBOARD. COM

While there are as many as three major labels battling it out to sign Drake, the Toronto-born MC signed to Lil Wayne's Young Money label is close to signing a deal with Universal Motown, a source close to the negotiations confirms.

Sources say three majors are in possibly "one of the biggest bidding wars ever" in hopes of signing Drake, including Universal Motown and Atlantic Records. The presence of Warner Music Group's CEO Lyor Cohen and COO Julie Greenwald at Drake's recent New York show  further intensified the speculation that WMG was making a serious play.

"Drake is very talented," rapper Bun B, who collaborated with Drake on his popular mixtape "So Far Gone," told Billboard.com this week. "There's a difference between trying to be an artist and being one. Drake has the confidence to go very far and the chance to make history."

Although another source says Universal is the closest to snagging Drake, especially given the already established relationship between Cash Money/Young Money and the label, another label has allegedly offered $2 million dollars up front in order to further persuade the young artist to join its roster instead.

"Just know that whatever label we sign to it'll be because they'll add to what we've created on our own," Drake, who offers no clues about which label he'll choose to sign with, told Billboard.com last month. "I am very happy in my situation now, which is signed to Cortez [Bryant] and Gee Roberson at Young Money and management through 'Hip Hop Since 1978.' The most important thing for me is being around my team - they are stronger than any label."

Amid the intermittent drizzle, the Power Rankings return bearing ten little nuggets of sunshine. As expected, not much movement at the top: At this point, it’s looking like “Boom Boom Pow” and “Blame It” will have to suffer self-inflicted overexposure wounds to loosen their hold on the 1-2 rankings (considering the play counts they’re racking up, definitely a possibility). Further down the list, however, some interesting candidates have emerged, including a long-shot indie-rock duo, a veteran local-boy emcee, and the most famous Canadian rapper since Snow (sorry, Kardinal Offishall!).

The man in question would be Drake, already beloved around here for his yeoman work on Degrassi: The Next Generation — his “Best I Ever Had” is this week’s Biggest Gainer. Note the rise: Last month we said he’s “maybe gonna be a famous rapper”; this week, he just about already is. Drizzy’s already had to refute Rihanna make-out rumors and, more impressively, got Talib Kweli, Bun B, Lyor Cohen, and Kanye to show up at S.O.B.'s on Tuesday night. “Best I Ever Had” peaked at No. 6 this week on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart — doubly impressive when you consider it’s just a friggin' mix-tape track.

1. Black Eyed Peas, “Boom Boom Pow”: Are they attempting a flanking maneuver? “Boom Boom Pow” stays No. 1 on the Hot 100, while “Imma Be” pops up at No. 50.

2. Jamie Foxx feat. T-Pain, “Blame It”: Only getting stronger — with every passing week, the nation becomes more willing to accept the idea of a “Song of the Summer” coming from an Oscar winner.

3. Drake, “Best I Ever Had”: Hard to recall more buzz for an artist who hasn’t even begun recording his debut album.

4. Green Day, “Know Your Enemy”: Colbert appearances, GMA shows, Rolling Stone covers — just another week for arguably the biggest American rock band today.

5. Jadakiss, “Who’s Real”: A local smash from Yonkers’ favorite son that’s getting tons of play on Hot 97. Perfectly mindless summer entertainment.

6. Jeremih, “Birthday Sex”: Big stuff — an extremely sexy teaser clip for the video was released, finally clearing up just what the heck this song is about. Also, per his very helpful Twitter, it’s Jeh-ruh-mih.

7. The-Dream feat. Kanye West, “Walking on the Moon”: Radio’s modern-day Midas officially kicks off the “Song of the Summer” bid for his new single, premiering the video and performing on Jimmy Fallon (alas, sans Kanye).

8. Jason Mraz feat. Cobie Caillat, "Lucky" : Slow and steady for Mraz and Caillat — your radio stations might not love them, but the Adult Top 40 totally does.

9. Kelly Clarkson, “I Do Not Hook Up”: Troubling, and disappointing, signs of slippage — “Hook Up” fell from 23 to 32 on the Hot 100 this week.

10. Japandroids, “Young Hearts Spark Fire”: Take it away, walkwithastagger: “It has the all important pitchfork blessing (both best new track and best new music), is riding the lo-fi noise-pop buzz … and the song has the perfect summer jam lyric: ‘i don't wanna worry about dying, i just wanna worry about those sunshine girls.’” Anyone else care to weigh in?

SRC: NYmag.com