subject: Drake Tickets - Drake Honors Mentor Lil Wayne at NYC Album Listening Party [print this page] Drake Tickets - Drake Honors Mentor Lil Wayne at NYC Album Listening Party
Drake's mentor Lil Wayne may not have been present at the Young Money MC's New York album listening party on June 2, but he was there in spirit (and in voice). Prior to hosting a listening party for his hotly anticipated debut album Thank Me Later, Drake paid Lil Wayne a visit at Rikers Island, where Weezy is serving a yearlong sentence. Drake told Rolling Stone, "I just looked in his eyes, and I could tell he was proud of me." Drake even recorded a minute-long freestyle by Lil Wayne over the guest-to-prisoner phone at Rikers. Drake edited in the freestyle after Jay-Z's verse in his song "Light Up" and played it during the album listening party.
Held in a Manhattan recording studio, Drake's listening party was attended by the Toronto-bred rapper's collaborators and friends like Jay Sean, Bow Wow, Chris Brown, Baby and Universal Motown president Sylvia Rhone. Before unveiling Thank Me Later, Drake thanked Nas and Jimi Hendrixtwo artists who greatly inspired his debut. The MC then introduced each of his album's 14 tracks one at a time, offering back stories and an anecdote for each song. Thank Me Later earned praise from Rolling Stone, with the music magazine claiming it to be "the rap album of the summer." The album's list of collaborators and producers does read like a who's who in the industry, featuring guest spots by T.I., Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Swizz Beatz, Young Jeezy, Alicia Keys and Jay-Z and production by Kanye West on "Show Me a Good Time."
Although Thank Me Later leaked less than 24 hours before Drake's listening party, SOHH.com reports that the Toronto native isn't worried the leak will drag his album sales down. "I always said if I had to put an album out that was poor quality and music that people didn't enjoy, then I think the leaks would hurt me," said Drake before adding, "Because a lot of the feedback has been great. The word of mouth, music is something that is to be enjoyed. I think it can help me so, June 15, I'm still confident."
Drake even took to his Twitter account to tweet: "I gave away free music for years so we're good over here ... just allow it to be the soundtrack to your summer and ENJOY! JUNE 15!" Would you expect anything less from the current Golden Boy of hip-hop?
Drake is currently in the midst of his first solo tour and the 23-year-old MC will be stopping in cities like Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Montreal, PQ; Saskatoon, SK; Edmonton, AB; Vancouver, BC and more this summer. Drake launched his Away From Home Tour in Slippery Rock, Pa. on April 5 and has been performing in front of packed crowds ever since.
Fans can get Drake tickets from StubHub.com to see him perform new tracks like "The Resistance," "Over," "Karaoke" and more live. The first single off his debut, "Over," peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The Anthony Mandler-directed video for "Over" arrived in mid-April and has since been earning rave reviews.
