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As smooth as your entry to the rap world was, you only stumbled when people questioned your choices, like the video for "Best I Ever Had."
Drake: You can do something you believe in and people will still say, "This shit is terrible!" But I still believe in Kanye's vision. Maybe we didn't do a great job with getting the point across—it was supposed to be a humorous video. When I read the comments, I was like, Man, I guess no one wants to laugh anymore. Everybody wants the fairy tale, you know?
For an artist who's perceived to be so multifaceted, it was interesting to see people try to put you in a box: "How could he do this? This is degrading to women!"
Drake: If you listen to the lyrics, it's really not a romantic song. It's humorous. Yes, it's great to tell a woman, "You're the best I ever had." But the hook was so lovey-dovey that I just wanted to make the verses some fun shit. And that's how I viewed that song. Like a good time, like a laugh.
Do you think that slowed your momentum?
Drake: A lot of people thought it was going to. That's what happens when you have passionate fans. They feel like they're a part of your career. So it's like, "That's not what I would've done for you." We're in a day and age when videos are dead. There's no outlet for them. That video did its job—it was a conversation piece. It has however many million views. It's great that people love to see you, but videos don't propel you like they used to. Your video going number-one doesn't really mean much anymore. 'Cause it's only 106 & Park.
What about when you fell onstage in New Jersey and injured your knee?
Drake: That never happened. [Laughs.]
During the recovery phase, what was going through your mind, in terms of your career?
Drake: I was going so hard that the only way I could have ever slowed down was for something extremely painful to happen. I'm just glad I only tore my ACL and didn't get shot or stabbed or anything. It was an injury that allowed me time for discipline. That was somebody watching over me and being like, "Look, you need to slow down." If that had kept up, and I had done 50 or 60 shows before I tore my ACL, and I was at all these parties…I don't know, man. I don't know if I'd be where I'm at right now. As crazy as it may sound, I think that was how it was supposed to go. It was painful.
I can imagine.
Drake: Extremely painful. I fought with my managers, like, "You don't understand, I can't do this tour." Then I went and saw a doctor who gave me advice like, "If you don't move around too much and you wear a brace, you'll be fine." But this is what I love to do. So when "Best I Ever Had" comes on, I can't help but run around. That's my fuckin' song! I got 25,000 people that actually want to hear me perform. But it was a reality check: Sit the fuck down. The interesting thing is gonna be my new performance style. It's not gonna be the same Drake jumping on speakers and running to each side of the stage—well, not for a while. I'm gonna have to get a little Jay-Z influence on my performance style; hopefully my records will be powerful enough to carry the show.
The first time we ever spoke, you said that you were more in tune with R&B artists than the current new guys rapping.
Drake: When you're coming up, and you're in competition with somebody, it's always hard to have a friendship. I think Cudi and I are realizing that we don't threaten each other. It's ended up being one of the greatest industry friendships I have.
Around the time that Kanye directed “Best I Ever Had,” it seemed like there was strife between your camp and Cudi’s camp because Kanye was so enamored of you while Cudi’s project was being worked on.
Drake: I wasn’t aware of that. Even so, I could understand. If Wayne were to be enamored—which is a great word—of another young artist, I would be like, “Damn, I’m here too!” But at the same time, it happens in more than one situation. It happens with ‘Ye, and I have a great relationship with Jay, and Jay’s got Wale and J. Cole, who’s one of my favorite dudes rapping right now. I’ve happened to have had more success. I made the most money, I have number-one records, those guys don’t have that shit. And it’s just facts, it’s not even my feelings or that I feel I’m more talented. That’s what the game is about, making great music that earns profit. When it comes to my relationship with the new dudes, I’m just excited for them. I get to sit back in a cool position and be like, “Yo, I’m excited to see you do it now because I know what it’s like, it’s gonna be so much fun for you…”
You feel like you’re at the finish line?
Drake: I’m at the starting line. Those guys are at home, putting on their tracksuits, getting ready to make their attack. When J. Cole gets it super-right, I think he’s gonna have a place as a Nas-type character who really stands for hip-hop, but still makes ill records that everybody fucks with.
If J. Cole is Nas, then who are you?
Drake: [Laughs.] I’m the young big homie!
Of all your contemporaries, it seems like you want to be famous the most.
Drake: That's gonna change. When Cole's sound is the new sound that everybody wants to hear, he's gonna be like, "I wanna be as big as possible with this shit." I didn't jeopardize anything to be in the position I'm in. You're listening to the shit that I believe in, not some shit I did because I needed to get here. People just happen to embrace my shit. That's very rare—but I also think the younger generation appreciates that brand of music, so I think it's possible for one of these guys to emerge and do exactly what I'm doing.
How's the atmosphere at Young Money now that Wayne is about to go to jail?
Drake: We don't really talk about it. It's surreal to me still. I guess on the day that it really happens, I'll start thinking about what I gotta do. I wanna have a talk with Wayne and ask him what he needs from me.
You and Wayne share an ability to cross over to diverse groups. What do you think it is that attracts polar-opposite groups to enjoy your music? Is it the Young Money affiliation alone?
Drake: I'm not talking about a thousand rounds in a chopper or payin' 24, 23. It's just delivery. One of my favorite rappers in the world, Jeezy, is somebody who loves my music. For him to not only co-sign what I'm doing but also to want to make music with me is crazy. Wayne had this conversation with me like, "You're in a position where you could be a star. Not just a rapper star. A true star." Me being biracial, me being from Canada but having success in the States, I have all these moments in my life where I'm jumping roof to roof. Black to white. Singing and rapping. My mom's friends listen to my music and don't feel weird about it. They feel weird listening to Wayne.
Does anybody in your extended team ever push you to be more...anything, I guess?
Drake: Never. Nobody's ever come to me and said, "Yo, you need to start rapping about this." Not Sylvia [Rhone, president of Motown/executive VP of Universal], Wayne, Doug Morris [CEO of Universal]. Nobody's ever said that to me in my life. I don't think anybody could ever do that. I talk about my real life. That's undeniable shit.
I think it's just that you were so far from what people expected when they thought "Young Money."
Drake: Everyone seems to have a comment for me about Young Money, "Fuck Young Money" or "Why are you with them?" But what people have to understand is maybe there was a way for me to be successful without Young Money. But we'll never know. My loyalty is to Wayne, and that goes for anybody who genuinely believes in me. We don't have the most personal relationship where we hang out every day or we talk that much, but Wayne's admiration and respect goes without being verbally said. He put his neck out there for me at a very early stage, and those actions tell me everything I need to know about how he feels about me as an artist.
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