By: Taren Vaughan
Drake’s street cred being questioned is not something the Young Money rap star worries too much about as he is preparing to drop his third studio album “Nothing Was The Same” this September. Drake made a lot of fans from the role he took on as Jimmy Brooks in the series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” and after he got his rap career off the ground, his fan base continues to grow, despite the recent stir he and Roc Nation star J. Cole caused over an offensive lyric Cole rapped on one of Drake’s new songs. With all the success he has seen, Drake still has his moments where he wonders how he is going to stand out amongst the rest. Nabbing his first solo cover with XXL for their 16th anniversary issue, Drake spoke to the publication about his upcoming album and how he feels about dropping it around the same time many heavyweights in the game are putting out their new albums.
On his new album, Drake says:
“I remember coming into this year thinking, “How am I going to cut through all these people and shine?” I’ve never been part of a year when so many legends are dropping projects. How am I going to be seen? I’m going to be like the kid waving in the background in the photo with all of his tall relatives. And, I guess, those were my initial thoughts, and not to say that I haven’t enjoyed some of the stuff that has come out this year, but it didn’t pan out the way I thought it was going to. I think I am going for it, to really establish what are murmurs or things being said quietly, “Um, I think that Drake might actually…” On September 17th I want people to be like, “Oh, we were right.””
And just because he is now a famous rapper, Drake says he never felt like he had to switch up his image and calls out other rappers for faking thug images:
“Do I think that if I didn’t have, for lack of a better term, a unique look about me, if I was from somewhere in America and if I hadn’t been on a kids TV show [Degrassi: The Next Generation], would I be as famous? I don’t know, man. Honestly, I don’t think so. I was just some young kid on a TV show. And I haven’t become anything else while I’ve been in this position. It’s not like I got here and was like, “Oh, got to switch up my image.” I don’t wake up nervous. I feel like maybe a lot of these guys do. How old are you, really? What is your background, really? What have you really done in the drug game, in the thug game?”
When it comes to the competition out there, Drake is ready to take on anybody out there, even Kanye West who he has a lot of respect for:
“It’s tough for me. That’s a guy I can’t pretend not to like. He’s the guy to me, in a lot of ways. That’s Kanye West. But I’m also here to be the best. I’m here to surpass. I’m here to outdo. I’m ready for whatever with anybody.”
Check out the cover below:
I like Drake. He seems to be content with who he is and knows how to still be on top despite that. Gotta respect it.
He annoys the hell out of me. In some of his songs he talks real tough too with his Degrassi a-s.
Drake is very smart. Technically he shouldn’t be on top because he’s everything a rapper isn’t supposed to be yet he made it work for him.
He’s right though. You can only fake it for so long before you end up look like a b-tch on camera like 2 Chainz did.
*looking, damn iphone
He looks delicious here.
LOL.
Delicious though? lmao
I agree with him and I like Drake’s music despite him being a emotional punk at least he is real when he is being a simp so I respect that.
CTFU!!! Hilarious! Behave!
I think Drake made the whole non street thing work for him. The ladies love him. He knows how to make hits. He’s definitely in the running to take over when the greats retire.
Love him! I hate his new song though. What is it called…Versace I think? It’s terrible man.
It sure is. I turn the station every time it comes on.
i think that’s him just trying to explore. Migos are what’s supposedly hot in the streets now so he kinda lucked up by being popular enough to put a verse on that particular song without sacrificing himself in the process. The verse is actually decent as well.
Sounds like he’s talking about his own boss. Lil Wayne ain’t no real thug. But Baby is. That’s why he keeps robbing all his artists and they don’t do anything about it.
I’m so tired of Drake.
Drizzy!
Drake is one of the few rappers I can tolerate nowadays. At least he actually tries to rap.
U obviously did listen to the last 2 albums. He want’s to be marvin gaye. He can rap if he isn’t singing or tryin to be a thug
I’d like him more if he sang less.
I like Drake but he’s the last one that needs to talk about fake thugs. He does try to sound hard in his own music at times and I know his little Jewish behind has never been about that life.