Andre 3000 to assist Drake on "Take Care"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

When Drake was recording Thank Me Later, he reached out to several veteran artists. Initially, a collaboration with Sade was announced. Sade eventually informed the people no collaboration between she and Drake would take place.

Drake also reached out to Andre 3000, who turned him down. Despite turning Drake down, Andre 3000 remained a supporter of him. Drake is putting the finishing touches on his second album, Take Care, one year later. With Noah "40" Shebib, Drake has been in the studio for months.

40 recently revealed Andre 3000 was contacted about being a part of Take Care and he agreed to be on the album. Drake's new album now boasts collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Andre 3000, while he is hoping for more legendary input.

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Drake is putting the finishing touches on "Take Care"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Fresh off the mixtape scene, Drake headed straight over to Young Money. After being signed to the label for a year, Drake released Thank Me Later, living up to the hype. Fans immediately wanted to hear more from Drake.

A little over a year later, Drake is preparing to release his second album, Take Care. Drake said his second album was inspired by Lil Wayne. Speaking on Lil Wayne, Drake said it was a major blow to Young Money when he went to prison, but he was glad he and Nicki Minaj were able to keep things going during Wayne's time away.

While recording this album, Drake has been with Lil Wayne and his work ethic has inspired him to go ten times harder than his hardest. Drake said he has enjoyed recording Take Care alongside his brothers, Wayne and Rick Ross. Speaking on his brothers, Drake said they work non-stop, so if he decides to have a little fun, it feels like he is slipping. In New York City, Drake is currently mastering his new album and talking with his team about the final product.

There have only been a few leaks off Take Care, so the public does not know what to expect from Drake's second opus.

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Will Drake top "Thank Me Later" with "Take Care"

By Hardcore Critic
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

When Drake signed with Young Money, his mixtape fans could not wait for him to release his debut album. In 2009, Drake collaborated with many big names. His "Forever" single displayed Drake's abilities against the likes of Kanye West, Eminem, and Lil Wayne.

In 2010, Lil Wayne began his prison sentence and Drake was told to hold the Young Money team down. Right before spring, Drake released his debut single, "Over." Quickly, the song became a hit, getting significant radio play.

During the summer of 2010, Drake released Thank Me Later and it was met with mostly-positive reviews, plus the two summer singles, "Find Your Love" and "Miss Me." Aside from the singles, the album did well with collaborations with Jay-Z and Young Jeezy. Before the end of 2010, Drake was already discussing his next album, saying it would be much better than his debut.

Despite not having any music of his own out, Drake still dominated during the summer of 2011. Being featured on all the biggest songs helped Drake keep his name out there. Before the end of summer, Drake released his "Headlines" single, which has received moderate radio play. On his second album, Drake is not going to benefit from dropping during the summer. Instead, he is going to drop in the fall.

From a sales-wise standpoint, can Drake top his previous effort. With his debut album, Drake already had two singles generating significant radio play. So far, his second album only has one single out and it is not receiving much play as his initial singles did. Still, he has another top twenty hit and his lyrical abilities have vastly improved.

However, overall, will Take Care do better than Thank Me Later both sales-wise and with critical reception.

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Drake also unaware of Lil Wayne's Jay-Z diss on "It's Good"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Lil Wayne captured the attention of fans and critics, when he used his verse on "It's Good" to go after Jay-Z. Despite collaborating with Jay-Z several times, tension has existed between Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. Birdman claimed to have more money than Jay-Z, which led to the "baby money" diss.

Nearly eight months after the fact, Lil Wayne responds to the cheap shot with a more direct hit. The "It's Good" track also features Jadakiss and Drake. Jadakiss was once a rival to Jay-Z and was also signed by Jay-Z. Last week, he said he had nothing to do with the diss song.

Drake, who was featured on The Blueprint 3 and also had a verse from Jay-Z on Thank Me Later, spoke on the diss. He said he had no idea Lil Wayne was going to go after Jay-Z. It seems as if Drake was in the dark, as he said he recorded over a beat and then he sent it back. Drake made it clear he had nothing to do with the diss, as he would like to have Jay-Z on Take Care.

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Drake returns to Mixtape Roots on "Take Care"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Almost immediately following his Thank Me Later debut, Drake announced Take Care. When talking about 2011 for his Cash Money Records, Birdman said Drake would likely release Take Care in April. But, when the time came, Drake had only started to record.

During the early spring of this year, Drake said he was going to release his album on October 24. While Thank Me Later was a major success, his initial fans were turned off. Most Drake fans felt he had gone pop with the album. Drake heard the complaints and he is trying to fix it.

On his second album, Drake said he will have more songs like his classics, "Fear" and "9 A.M. in Dallas." He said his second album will be more upbeat than his debut. Drake said he and 40 have been using different sounds that will make his album stand out. On his last album, Drake said he was still getting used to the fame, but now he can handle it and is more comfortable with who he is.

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Drake announces Release Date for "Take Care"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Around this time, last year, Drake was preparing to release his debut album, Thank Me Later. He already had two successful singles on the radio. Both "Over" and "Find Your Love" had become major hits.

Thank Me Later was capped off with such singles as "Fancy," with T.I. and "Miss Me" with Lil Wayne. In the time since these singles, Drake has done several collaborations. Before the end of 2010, he announced his Take Care album.

Initially, Birdman announced the album may come during the spring of this year. But, when the New Year did come, the decision was made to push the album back. The album was then scheduled for a September release.

Earlier today, Drake announced his sophomore effort will come on October 24 of this year. The album's first single will be coming sometime next month.

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Jay-Z's Sade collaboration has been Leaked

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

In 2009, Sade announced her comeback. Later in the year, she released her first album in ten years. At the time, Drake was putting together his Thank Me Later album. Based on his popularity, he was confident he could get Sade to record on his album. Sade, however, gracefully turned him down.

Drake has often said he wants a long and successful career in hip hop. He wants a legacy that can be compared to that of Lil Wayne and Jay-Z. For years, Wayne has been trying to rise to Jay-Z status in the game. However, even Jay-Z had to jump through hoops to land a Sade collaboration.

For her Ultimate Collection album, Sade allowed Jay-Z to record a verse. The verse will be a part of the song, "The Moon and the Sky" remix. 40, Drake's producer, provided production for the remix. The song was supposed to be kept under wraps, but it was leaked to the internet sometime yesterday, confirming the Jay-Z collaboration.

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Drake says Toronto is the Greatest Place on Earth

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

There are not too many people who think Toronto, Canada is very fabulous. Not even a year ago, NBA star, Chris Bosh, bolted from the city in chase of Miami. Drake, the biggest star in recent history from Toronto, has also been spending tons of time in Miami. Being a native of the city, many would assume he loves being away.

On his Thank Me Later debut, Drake shouts out Toronto, saying he is hardly ever in town. For most of his career, Drake has been traveling all over the world. Usually, Drake is spending time in many major cities. Because of his Cash Money roots, he is often found down South in New Orleans.

Drake also has several sponsorships, so he is often spending plenty of time in New York City and Miami. Even after spending so much time in all of these places, Drake still feels there is no place like home. The young star recently revealed the greatest place on Earth, to him, was his hometown of Toronto.

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Drake solely focusing on "Take Care" album

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Over the past two years, Drake has been all over the radio in between his mixtapes, Thank Me Later, and his collaborations. In the midst of his popularity, Drake announced he was working on his second album. Not even a year since the release of his debut album and Drake is back in the lab.

Last fall, Drake announced he would be returning to the studio to record another album. While Lil Wayne was in prison, Drake was the focal point of Young Money. Now, with Wayne out, Drake has become a star in his own right. Because of his popularity, his label wants him to put another album out.

Currently, Drake is featured on several songs. His most notable guest verses are on Rihanna's "What's My Name?" and Jamie Foxx's hit single, "Fall For Your Type." More artists have been calling on Drake to record with them. After the success of the "Deuces (remix)," Chris Brown wants a formal collaboration with Drake for his next studio album.

While Drake is flattered by the support he has received from all of the new artists, he needs to take some time off. Last fall, Drake announced he was working on an R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough. But, because he was so focused on rapping, he had to push it back. In between time, Drake has been doing a little work on the mixtape. With his demand so high, Cash Money Records wants him working on his Take Care album and that is where Drake has decided to focus.

On this album, Drake said he wants to actually take the time to make the album the way he wants it to be, instead of rushed like Thank Me Later. Initially, the album was slated for a April release date, but will likely be released sometime during the summer of 2011.

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Drake discusses New Album and Universal Records

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Last month, Drake announced he was back in the studio working on his second album, Take Care. The album will be released sometime in the summer of 2011 on Young Money. After the success of his last album, Young Money wants him to put together an album similar to Thank Me Later.

Drake, however, has different plans for his next album. He is an artist and he wants to continue growing. The label wants to keep him in a box, wanting 14 to 15 songs on the album. But, Drake wants to follow his own creative process. Drake does not want to limit himself for anyone.

The Toronto rapper wants to do interludes and other breaks on his next album and what Universal wants will not be enough for him. For his next album, Drake is taking it back to his mixtape days because he hears fans complain about how they miss that Drake. Wanting to stay true to himself, Drake is going out and doing Take Care for his fans, not for his label.

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Drake opens up about Being Robbed at Gunpoint

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Last year, Drake was robbed during a visit to Toronto, his hometowm. The rapper rarely talks about it, but he mentioned it on Thank Me Later. On the album, he says he was set up by a girl he was dating at the time.

For the first time since the May 2009 robbery, Drake has opened up about what happened. He was on a date and some people came to his car and robbed him of his chain and $4,000. But, the woman he was dating had her purse out and they did not rob her.

After the robbery, Drake began to play the situation back in his head. The conclusion he came to was that he was set up by the woman he took out. Following the situation, Drake learned to stay away from the negative energy that surrounds rap.

Ironically, after almost losing his life, Drake realized he was able to handle the rap world. A month after the robbery, his career took off and things have not been the same for Drake since. He has since made the jump from mixtape rapper to a platinum rapper. Currently, as 2010 comes to an end, Drake is back in the studio working on his second album, Take Care.

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Drake talks New Album, "Take Care"

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Ever since the release of Thank Me Later, fans of Drake have been waiting on the release of his next album. Initially, there were rumors of Drake releasing a new album before the end of this year. Later, Drake announced the release of his R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough.

However, Drake later decided not to continue recording the mixtape. Tired of R&B, Drake wanted to focus solely on his new album and rap. Earlier this week, Birdman revealed Drake would be releasing his next album next spring.

With his new album on the way, Drake said he is trying to shorten his rhymes, but make them catchier. Despite the high bar he set with his debut album, Drake promises more hits from his Take Care album than what came from his debut, Thank Me Later. On his next album, Drake said he will shorten his rhymes down to sixteen bars. On his last album, Drake simply rapped as he felt best.

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Drake wants another Jay-Z collaboration

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Drake finally nabbed Jay-Z for a collaboration when the two teamed up for "Light Up." The song has become a favorite among fans and hailed as a classic. Following the success of the song, the people are left wanting more.

Drake prides himself on being just as big of a fan as the fans themselves. Even after recording with Jay-Z, Drake still feels starstruck when he shares the room with him. Still elated after their collaboration, Drake wants them to do it again.

With his second album slated for a 2011 release, Drake has been recording in an effort to get himself back into the game. Like with his debut album, Drake wants another collaboration with one of his idols, Jay-Z.

Their Thank Me Later collaboration, "Light Up," was considered an underground classic. But, Drake wants to get in the studio with Jay-Z for his second effort in order to record a major hit single. While he accepts the fact that he came up in the underground, Drake understands that the money comes from radio play. Because of this, Drake does enough to satisfy both the radio and the streets.

The next collaboration between Drake and Jay-Z will likely be a street song, but radio ready.

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Drake describes Toronto winter, Talks Sophomore Album

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Despite becoming one of the biggest rap stars and going platinum on his first try, Drake is staying grounded. Instead of heading down to Miami for the winter, Drake will be in his hometown of Toronto. He said winter in Toronto is unlike any winter anywhere else.

The winter is inspiring his R&B mixtape, It's Never Enough. It has been marketed as an all-singing release, but Drake has other plans. While he is definitely a good singer, Drake finds it difficult to do an entire release without doing some rapping. There are two songs in particular that will include rapping.

In a recent sit-down with XXL magazine, Drake also gave information about his second album. Drake said he learned a lot from putting Thank Me Later together and he plans to use this in putting his second release together. One major lesson from that album was learning what works for him and what does not work for him. Drake denied he was talking about a particular track.

Drake knows the next album, still untitled, will be a successful release because he is working with the same people he worked with last time. He feels it is important for him to work with the people he is most comfortable with.

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Game has no Competition from Drake

Nearly two years have passed since Game last released an album. At the time, he was still looking to establish himself outside of Dr. Dre. While L.A.X. was not acclaimed, it helped to solidify Game as a solo act. But, after the album, Game kept a low profile and Drake took over the hip hop game.

Over the course of the past few months, Drake has become one of the most popular rappers in the game. Meanwhile, such rappers as Game have become afterthoughts. Ever since last fall, Game has been trying to release The R.E.D. Album. As fate would have it, the album will not come until June.

Ironically, Game's album will be released on the same day as the debut album from Drake. Many people believe that Thank Me Later has the ability to outsell Game. Despite being away from the game for a little while, Game is not worried about competiton from Drake.

Game recently spoke on the so-called challenge from Drake and said that there was "no competition" between the two rappers. He is confident that his album will sell more copies than Thank Me Later.

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Drake will have to Wait on "Thank Me's"

The way that Drake was releasing music last year led many people to believe that Thank Me Later was going to be released last year. But, because of the fact that Drake wanted to create a masterpiece and the constant push backs of the Lil Wayne albums led to Drake being slated for a 2010 release. Even before any music came from the album, the release date was set for June 2010.

Earlier this year, Drake said that his primary focus was to make his album into one of those classic debuts. He said that before each of his recording sessions that he listens to Illmatic. That album, the first from Nas, has been hailed as one of the greatest debut albums of all-time. Last month, the first single, "Over," was released off of Thank Me Later. The song has become a great hit off of the album.

Following the success of "Over," Drake finally recieved a release date of May 22, 2010. Despite the popularity of the new music and the anticipiation, Universal Records has pushed Thank Me Later back. The album has been pushed back to its original timeframe of June 2010. No exact date has been set in June.

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Drake completes "Thank Me Later"

Last year, when Drake released So Far Gone, there were many who thought that it was an album. Drake would boast about this. But, even as he was releasing material from the mixtape, he was promoting Thank Me Later. Once people realized that So Far Gone was just a mixtape, they assumed that his album would come in 2009.

While Drake did not release an album in 2009, he was the biggest rap act of the year. Most of the talk about Drake surrounded his new album. There was a lot of hype that was around The Blueprint 3, but no one talked about that album as much as they talked about this one. Drake spoke of the first single for four months before it was even released.

Last month, however, "Over" was released and it has become the anthem of spring 2010. Aside from the lead single, Drake spoke of "Light It Up" and a collaboration with Eminem. When Drake spoke of the album, he said that he wanted it to be one of those critically-acclaimed debut albums, much like the debuts from Jay-Z and Nas. Drake has provided a lot of talk.

Now, he is ready to put that talk into action as Drake has completed Thank Me Later. The only thing that he has left to do is release it and he plans to do that soon. Initially scheduled for a June release, Drake has the rare joy of his album being pushed up for release on May 25, 2010. The album will be released on Young Money, Cash Money, and Universal Motown.

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Dr. Dre joins Drake and "Thank Me Later"

Numerous times, Drake has stated that he wants to go all out with his debut album. Where most rappers start out modest with their debut albums, Drake wants to hit the ground running. If his mixtape can be successful enough to be the album of the year, why would he hold off with his debut album?

Following his appearance on "Off That" with Jay-Z for his critically-acclaimed comeback, The Blueprint 3, Drake said that he wanted the big homie for his debut album. Weeks after he made the announcement, Jay-Z and Drake had recorded their song. After collaborating with Eminem, Drake said that he wanted him for the album and he got him.

So far, everything that Drake has asked for he has gotten it. His collaborations with Eminem went so well that Em recruited Dr. Dre to also work on the album. Now that 50 Cent is gone, it appears that the production duo will not be starving for work.

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Boi-1da talks "Thank Me Later"

No one has been with Drake longer than Boi-1da. Before the fame and the hip hop spotlight, he was there. When Lil Wayne came calling with his Young Money crew, Boi-1da was thrown into the mix. Not forgetting where he came from, Drake has made Boi-1da an instrumental part of his upcoming debut album. He even had Boi-1da as a key part of his So Far Gone mixtape. The lead single from his new album, Thank Me Later, is produced by Boi-1da.

Apparently, more production for the album will be handled by Boi-1da because he has been speaking about the album. Drake has let it be known that he is going all out with this album. Still, he wants to stay close to his roots. This is one of the main reasons that he chose "Over" as his lead single. It is obvious that Boi-1da has skills, but that is his man from way back, so he had to come through for him. Throughout his time with Young Money, Drake has been working back and forth with his longtime supporter.

Boi-1da has let it be known how he feels about Drake and his new album. There is no doubt about the rapping skills that Drake possesses and there is no question about his ability to carry an album. However, when Drake said that he wants this album to compare to Illmatic, the questions rose, once again. Now, one of the up-and-coming producers in the game has given Thank Me Later the co-sign. Boi-1da has already said that this album will be one of the greatest hip hop releases, to date. When speaking of the lead single that he produced, Boi-1da said that is only the tip of the iceberg. He has said this without even hearing all of the album.

Thank Me Later is supposed to be released in June 2010 on Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Universal Motown.

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Drake finally releases Debut Single

Last year, Drake released his mixtape, So Far Gone. The mixtape would go on to become the best album of 2009. Not only did it gain him respect, it also built him a fan base, and got him a record deal. In the end, the Canadian rapper ended up signing to Young Money. With their franchise player, Lil Wayne, out for the season, it is up to Drake to step up and lead the team. If the singles from his mixtapes can chart high without even trying, imagine the damage that he could do with promotion.

Originally, Thank Me Later, the debut album from Drake, was supposed to be released this month. However, the executives at Universal Motown felt that it would be better if his album was released during the summer. Still, the promotion is set to begin in the early spring of 2010. With spring around the corner, Drake has offered the first sampling of his debut album. Tomorrow will mark the official release of his deubt single, "Over," which is produced by Bo-1da, the producer of "Best I Ever Had" and the successful "Forever."

The album will have production from many big names and guest appearances from the Young Money crew. But, outside of the crew, Drake has also enlisted Kanye West, Eminem, and Jay-Z. Getting those artists on any album is incredible, but this is his debut album. The best part about this is the fact that Drake is not done, he also wants to land Andre 3000 to the guest list of Thank Me Later. Drake hopes that this album will become a classic. One artist that he has studied during this period is Nas and his favorite Nas album is his classic debut, Illmatic.

Drake is supposed to release Thank Me Later in June 2010 on Young Money/Cash Money/Universal.

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