S. Samuel
Young Money star Drake recently opened up on hitting the road for his "Club Paradise" tour and revealed his intent on becoming a seasoned live performer.
While his hit-making ability is without question, Drizzy said he wants to perfect his stage presence.
During his Houston stop, Drizzy brought out Rick Ross, and while in Atlanta on May 20, Drake welcomed hometown hero T.I. to the stage. “I feel like we’ve been pretty consistent on this tour with giving each city their own special moment,” he said confidently. “The performance is another element to my career that I want to challenge myself and get better at.” (MTV)
Coincidentally, New York rapper A$AP Rocky recently credited Drizzy for giving him stage confidence while on the tour.
“I learned how to, you know, like gain confidence, stage presence,” Rocky revealed in an interview when asked what he has taken from touring alongside Drake. “Because honestly, before all of this, I honestly was partying with the crowd. It really wasn’t me doing a show, it was actually me just performing. It’s a difference because now I put on an actual show.” (Buzzworthy)
Recently, Drake gave props to rolling alongside artists like Lil Wayne and Jay-Z for helping his own stage confidence.
Though the Young Money MC’s set was a bit unpolished, it clearly showed promise. He’s come a long way since then–going on several tours and performing in a number of award shows. “Being able to watch Wayne for the last couple of years, then going out with Jay to Europe, watching Trey [Songz] grow, watching just the people around me grow performance-wise, I’ve gotten better and more comfortable,” Drake explained. “That’s the key. You feeling comfortable so the room feels comfortable.” (XXL Mag)
Back in 2010, rap mogul Jay-Z thanked DMX for helping him season his performance skills.
“In hip-hop, there’s not many great performers,” Jay said in an interview. “I look outside the genre, measuring myself against others. I look at Madonna’s production and envy that. Daft Punk‘s set…ll my early years? Forget it. I was a horrible performer. DMX tore me to pieces. I remember being stunned. [DMX] had me really working. But I had to figure this out. If you want to be a headliner, you better put on a headline show.” (Los Angeles Times)
Check out a recent Drake interview below:
