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Drake Sales 631,000 His First Week; Lands at No. 1 on Billboard!

As expected, Drake nets the third-largest sales week of 2011 for an album, as “Take Care” debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 631,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The only two sets to sell more in a week this year were Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” debut (1.1 million) and Lil Wayne’s “Tha Carter IV” start (964,000).
“Take Care” is Drake’s second chart-topper, following 2010′s “Thank Me Later,” which launched with 447,000. -via Billboard

After analyzing first day sales, HDD is expecting Drake’s Take Care to sell between 675,000 and 725,000 units in its 1st week. Drake will easily take the #1 spot. If the numbers hold, Take Care will be the 3rd best release of the year, only trailing Gaga’s Born This Way, and Wayne’s Carter IV. Drizzy will also be the second consecutive Jewish rapper to take the #1 spot after Mac Miller’s impressive debut.

Childish Gambino’s Camp is expected to sell an estimated 50,000 units.

Webbie’s Savage Life 3 will hit the 25,000 mark.

sophomore studio album, "Take Care," is as much for his fans as it is for him. The 25-year-old Toronto native took his time and care -- no pun intended -- to craft a project that best showcases his life behind the lens. Drake brought along only close friends and family (from Noah "40" Shebib and The Weeknd, to hometown talent Divine Brown) for this ride, and bared his soul, for better or worse.

"So Far Gone" (2009) -- Drake's mixtape turned Grammy nominated retail album -- introduced us to the "Degrassi" actor turned rapper. Drake's debut effort, "Thank Me Later," (2010), cemented Drake as a force in the hip-hop game. But "Take Care" presents Drake at his best: unraveling without the care of being judged when spit-singing emotional verses over intricate, piano-heavy synths.

"I heard once that they would rather hear about memories than enemies," Drake says at the end of his first single, Rap Songs No. 1, "Headlines." "Rather hear what was or what will be than what is. Rather hear how you got it over how much it cost you. Rather hear about finding yourself and how you lost you. Rather you make this a open letter about family and struggle and it taking forever, about hearts that you've broken and ties that you've severed. No doubt in my mind that will make them feel better."

Which songs on "Take Care" abide by Drake's album scheme? Here's our Twitter-length track-by-track review of each song.

You be the judge: What do you think of Drake's sophomore album? Tweet us your own review at @billboard (using hashtag #bbdrake). The best tweets will be posted on Billboard.com in the coming days.

1. "Over My Dead Body"
Chantal Kreviazuk opens Drake's mounting ode to his competition: "jealousy is just love and hate at the same time." Ironic that Drizzy throws in 'Ye's notorious grunts into the mix?

2. "Shot For Me"
Drake acknowledges and takes responsibility for his impact on the ladies, good or bad. Don't hate him or thank him later just take a shot for him.

3. "Headlines"

Drake delivers a message in his first single: "The realest is on the rise, fuck them other guys." But take to the three minute mark for Drake's overall scheme for "Take Care."
Drake ~ Headlines (Official Video) from OctobersVeryOwn on Vimeo.

4. "Crew Love" feat. The Weeknd
Drake and The Weeknd serve 3 1/2 minutes worth of friendship. Perfect for the guys wanting to ride and simply reminisce on the bro-ments.

5. "Take Care" feat. Rihanna
We smell a Hot 100 No. 1! Rih Rih follows Drake and trades in the feistiness for emo-ness on this Jamie xx and Gil Scott-Heron dance number.

6. "Marvin's Room" / "Buried Alive" Interlude feat. Kendrick Lamar

Drake's ode to drunk dialing when in romantic turmoil. The song is sealed with Kendrick Lamar's poetic take on the rappers' encounter.

7. "Under Ground Kings"
Close your eyes and imagine being the passenger in Drake's Maybach. This is the story Drizzy would tell when riding around his hometown.

8. "We'll Be Fine" feat. Birdman

"Always presidential and tonight is no blue moon" - Drake's rhymes of luxury living and Birdman snaps bands over a T-Minus and 40 collabo.

9. "Make Me Proud" feat. Nicki Minaj
Drake joins forces with another Young Money star student to high-five independent women, one being herself. Ladies, take notes.

10. "Lord Knows" feat. Rick Ross
With a grand opening by Just Blaze, Drake boasts. Listen closely and you'll hear Rozay introduce the rappers' upcoming mixtape, "Y.O.L.O."

11. "Cameras"/ "Good Ones Go" Interlude
"Look like we're in love but only on camera," Drake rhymes faint over Jon B.'s "Calling On You." Wait, could he be talking about Rih Rih?

12. "Doing It Wrong"
Inspired by Don McLean's "The Wrong Thing To Do" and Stevie's harmonica, Drake shows the heart breaker in him. A considerate heart breaker.

13. "The Real Her" feat. Lil Wayne and Andre 3000
Guess who also listens to Adele when "sad as hell"? Andre 3000. The OutKast member seals Drake's a'ha moment with his own words of wisdom.

14. "Look What You've Done"
In an open letter to mom, uncle, and bubi, we see Drake at his best: heartfelt, honest over Static Major background vocals, Playa samples and 88 keys.

15. "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" feat. Lil Wayne
With a bit of "Swanging and Banging," T-Minus delivers a rock-influenced platform for teacher and student to squash questions with an acronym.

16. "Practice"
Drake slows and spins one of his predecessors' (also family: Cash Money) hip-hop classic for the z-share generation, "Back That Azz Up."

17. "Ride"
"I hate when people say they feel me, man." Noted, Drizzy. For those who have their doubts on The Weeknd, listen to the man's falsetto.

Drake isn’t happy. Not in an existential way or anything. He’s not upset about the direction his life is heading, or about the subliminal potshots rappers keep sending his way. Nah, he’s unhappy with how his photo shoot for this magazine is going down. Which is surprising because it’s a bright, unseasonably warm October afternoon in downtown Toronto, and things were going so well.

We’re perched on the roof of the posh Thompson Hotel where Drizzy’s being photographed overlooking his city like a feudal lord surveying his kingdom. To his left are cranes modernizing the largest city in Canada. To his right is the Rogers Centre, the convertible stadium seen in his “Headlines” video.

Suddenly Drake tells the photographer to stop and calls for his manager, Oliver El Khatib, 25, co-captain of the creative team October’s Very Own. Canceling a cover shoot at this stage would be a serious waste of time and money, but Drake doesn’t give a fuck. He wants things done his way or not at all.

Drake doesn’t want to keep shooting with this photographer. He’d rather get Hyghly Alleyne & Lamar Taylor—the same young Toronto dudes who shot the “Headlines” video—to finish the job. Never mind the fact that the first photographer is also a young cat from Toronto who’d been approved by Drake’s management and publicists.

“I’m not going to take that shit,” Drake says when I ask him later what went wrong at the shoot. “Nah man, I work too fucking hard for that. So does everyone around me.” Drake doesn’t often yell, even when he’s riled up. When he wants to emphasize a point, he focuses his stare and slows his speech so it’s clear. “Not to hate,” he says, “and to whoever I snatched that opportunity from, I apologize. But this is about what we’re trying to build here.”

What Aubrey Graham, 25, and his OVO crew are trying to build here is— excuse the cliché—a Toronto movement.

I just feel like I'm really good right now. I've never felt like that before.

“For Drake we have these budgets where we can do videos and shoot photographs by whoever the fuck we want, the hottest guys in New York or L.A.,” Oliver explains. “But I’d rather take Hyghly and Lamar, two kids who are 20 years old... I’d rather build up their portfolios and help them get on and do this video. So now they’ve done ‘Marvin's Room’ and ‘Headlines,’ and hopefully they can do more videos. They shot all Drake’s album artwork.

“We have this little fun factory in Toronto where there’s music being made, there’s art being done, videos being made, we’re starting to work more on our clothing,” Oliver says. “It’s kind of fun, you know? We’re giving opportunities to kids who deserve it... It’s different because everything we’ve done has worked.”

“There used to be a conversation in the Toronto hip-hop scene,” says producer Noah “40” Shebib. “You would [ask] on a regular basis: Who do you think is goin’ to do it? Do you think it’s even possible? Do you think a Canadian rapper could ever blow up in America? That conversation doesn’t get had anymore.”

Since breaking into the mainstream with So Far Gone, the 2009 mixtape that became his hip-hop baptism, Drake has positioned himself as one of music’s premier players. This coup was facilitated by his alliance with Lil Wayne, who damn near kidnapped the young Canadian, taking him on a nationwide tour before throwing him on numerous tracks. When Weezy reported to Rikers Island in March 2010 for an eight-month bid, Drake and his fellow Young Money/ Cash Money signee Nicki Minaj stepped up as the label’s primary breadwinners. His moody, emotionally honest debut, Thank Me Later, hit No. 1 on Billboard, selling 447,000 in the first week, and birthing three Top 20 hits.

Drake’s introspective, self-effacing lyrics—usually delivered in clever, succinct couplets—reveal the inner machinations of many dudes in their mid-twenties: the quest to live life to the limit, not just survive a nine-to-five; the balance of carnal desires with sincere compassion for women’s feelings; the struggle to act responsible when all you want to do is blow your paycheck on lap dances, liquor, and weed.

Drake was recently in New York City and he stopped by Hot 97 to talk with host Funkmaster Flex. After the interview, Drake gave Funkmaster Flex permission to debut his new "Make Me Proud" single, featuring Nicki Minaj.

The track, produced by T-Minus, is from his upcoming "Take Care" album...in stores November 15th. Check out "Make Me Proud" below and stick around for Drake's interview with Funk Flex.

Bad news for Drizzy fans, after announcing his planned tour dates for his Club Paradise tour with Kendrick Lamar yesterday, Drake took to his Blogspot moments ago to announce that his eagerly anticipated forthcoming sophomore album Take Care will be pushed back to a November 15th and the Club Paradise tour will now be rescheduled as well. Read Drake’s statement below.

“The new date for Take Care is November 15th, 2011. I managed to create this album in my hometown of Toronto and the thoughts and stories I wanted to get across just became so clear. It truly felt like when I was here 3 years ago making So Far Gone. So I have completed 19 songs (17 on physical and 2 on bonus), and have run into a roadblock of clearing 3 samples in time to make the October 24th date. My options were to take the songs off and make the birthday release happen, or to take an extra couple weeks to get the paper work right and give you the album they way I NEED you to hear it. The choice was clear as day for me. November 15th you will get Take Care the exact way I created it with no trimmings. This music means too much to me to get attached to dates and I do apologize for the delay but I promise that it is only for the benefit of our experience together. Club Paradise Tour will also be moved to when students are back from the Christmas/New Year break so that I can get to more schools. New dates will be released in the next week…see you all soon.” – Drake

Drake announces a six date tour which will see him kicking off in Ohio with further dates in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina to name just a few. Accompanying him will be Compton’s Kendrick Lamar, and Harlem’s ASAP Rocky. More dates are bound to be announced soon, but for those of you lucky enough to live in the vicinity of the upcoming shows, get your tickets here now.

Tour Dates
Nov 9 Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
Nov 10 University Park, PA @ Bryce Jordan Center
Nov 13 Champaign, IL @ Assembly Hall
Nov 15 Fairfax, VA @ Patriot Center
Nov 19 Columbia, SC @ Colonial Life Arena
Nov 20 Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex

As previously reported, Drake was discovered by Jas Prince, the son of Rap-A-Lot founder & CEO J. Prince. During his recent visit to Houston, Drake let his concert crowd know that Jas is the one responsible for introducing him to Lil Wayne, while taking out time to honor him for his birthday. Drake pulled Jas on stage and later began to rap a birthday song, before tossing him the keys to his new Lamborghini – his birthday present from Drake.

“Two niggas two brothers, that stand for the freak-a-lot, me and my old hoes, we don’t really speak a lot, you know I got that music that make yo motha fuckin speakers pop, and if a nigga got a problem, shit you can speak to pops. All them hatin ass bitches, they about to go ham though, when they see me in that Maybach – and you in that Lambo.”

Although Drake is not officially contractually signed to Rap-A-Lot records, J. Prince welcomed him to the family on Bun B’s recent Trill OG album. In a signature album introduction, Prince states “Let’s welcome Drake, the newest member of the family, who my son, Jas Prince, discovered.”
Happy Birthday Jas.

The official numbers are in and as expected Mr. Aubrey “Drake” Graham, has scored the top seat on The Billboard 200.

Drizzy’s long-awaited, highly anticipated debut LP, Thank Me Later, had many fans and critics speculating that he might be able to sell one million records in his first week. The industry insiders at hitsdailydouble.com projected the Toronto talent to do about half, but now the legitimate numbers have been tabulated. According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the Young Money artist has sold 447,700 units, the biggest introductory week numbers for a hip-hop artist of the year, so far.

Not surprisingly, another hip-hop act doesn’t show on the charts until No. 17. B.o.B.’s The Adventures of Bobby Ray takes that spot, after fans picked up an additional 19,800 copies of the album. Overall the ATLien has sold about 249,000 discs in 2 months.

Next up at No. 18 is Plies. The Fort Meyers, Florida rapper—who debuted at No. 5 last week—dropped 65 percent in sales this go-round. In week two his third album, Goon Affiliated, sold 19,800, bringing his total to 76,500.

One spot down at No. 19 is the unstoppable Black Eyed Peas with their latest disc, The E.N.D. The group usurped another 19,100 units to make their impressive 54-week tally now equal 2,609,000.

Nas and Damian Marley slipped seven spots this sales cycle to No. 38. The duo’s Distant Relatives project sold 11,400 units in the last week, making their complete stats stand at 124,600. And rounding out the top 40, at No. 40, is Ludacris. Battle of the Sexes inched a little bit closer to gold status as it’s total sales figures now equal 462,200, after 10,500 more copies flew out the stores last week.

The official numbers are in and as expected Mr. Aubrey “Drake” Graham, has scored the top seat on The Billboard 200.

Drizzy’s long-awaited, highly anticipated debut LP, Thank Me Later, had many fans and critics speculating that he might be able to sell one million records in his first week. The industry insiders at hitsdailydouble.com projected the Toronto talent to do about half, but now the legitimate numbers have been tabulated. According to the Nielsen SoundScan, the Young Money artist has sold 447,700 units, the biggest introductory week numbers for a hip-hop artist of the year, so far.

Not surprisingly, another hip-hop act doesn’t show on the charts until No. 17. B.o.B.’s The Adventures of Bobby Ray takes that spot, after fans picked up an additional 19,800 copies of the album. Overall the ATLien has sold about 249,000 discs in 2 months.

Next up at No. 18 is Plies. The Fort Meyers, Florida rapper—who debuted at No. 5 last week—dropped 65 percent in sales this go-round. In week two his third album, Goon Affiliated, sold 19,800, bringing his total to 76,500.

One spot down at No. 19 is the unstoppable Black Eyed Peas with their latest disc, The E.N.D. The group usurped another 19,100 units to make their impressive 54-week tally now equal 2,609,000.

Nas and Damian Marley slipped seven spots this sales cycle to No. 38. The duo’s Distant Relatives project sold 11,400 units in the last week, making their complete stats stand at 124,600. And rounding out the top 40, at No. 40, is Ludacris. Battle of the Sexes inched a little bit closer to gold status as it’s total sales figures now equal 462,200, after 10,500 more copies flew out the stores last week.

Next week look for Eminem battle Drake for the top spot.

Tuesday night, a riot broke out at free Drake concert in New York City, where the Toronto rapper was set to celebrate the release of his debut album, Thank Me Later. The NYPD shut down the show and used Mace to stop fights between patrons, who threw bottles and chairs.

Thousands of people began congregating for the gig -- sponsored by Paper magazine and also featuring Hanson and Ninjasonik -- at 3 P.M. By the time the gig was scheduled to start, at 8 P.M., a crowd of around 25,000 packed the city blocks near South Street Seaport's Pier 17.

There were no regulated entrances to control fans, resulting in extreme congestion. Trying to find breathing room, concertgoers scaled various kiosks and overhangs, and crowded balconies above the shops and restaurants on the north side of the Seaport, to the left of the stage.

Local punk-rap outfit Ninjasonik tried to soundcheck, but, as member Jahjah tells SPIN.com, "the kids were too rowdy. You can't integrate a free show when a guy's album is dropping and have 15 security there." Soon after, the melee started with ballcap-sporting youths fighting near the stage; the scuffling quickly escalated into a massive brawl. Beer and water bottles flew, striking people in the crowd and up on the balconies. People on the balconies retaliated by tossing down metal chairs.

Police armed with batons stormed the area and used Mace on concertgoers who refused to disperse. Two police helicopters circled overhead with spotlights on the scene.

"This is fucking crazy. I was seriously scared for my life," said one fan, fleeing the scene. "We just wanted to see Drizzy perform. That's it."

Numerous patrons were seen seeking treatment in ambulances. CBS reported that two arrests were made. One officer was overheard advising a girl standing solo to "find and stick with your friends. This place is full of gang members. Don't be a victim."

Immediately after the fracas, Drake issued a statement: "I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance and the release of Thank Me Later. I love performing for my fans but unfortunately the show was canceled by the NYPD due to over crowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show. I'm thankful for the support that the fans have been giving me... I thank you now."

Drake also tweeted, writing, "I'm disappointed. The police told me to turn around," and later, "To all the devoted fans that came out I wish you could have seen what I had planned! Until next time."

Watch a video snippet of the riot below.

It’s being called the biggest music release of the year. Indeed, Drake’s major label debut Thank Me Later, which hit shelves today (June 15), has received a level of excitement usually reserved for veteran superstar artists. But so far the Toronto MC has managed to hit the musical sweet spot by crafting songs that appeal to hipsters, hardcore hip-hop heads and female fans.

But there is one person that has yet to jump aboard the seemingly unstoppable Drake train: Andre 3000. “I really tried to do a song with Andre 3000, but I think it was meant for my second album,” Drake told VIBE on the eve of his release date. “Dre is one of those people that needs you to do a little more. He’s one of those people that believe in his craft so much that he needs you to do more than just be over hyped or just famous. In his mind, I have to prove myself and the truth is, I do. That’s just being real. I have a lot of work to do, so I actually respect him for that. I think on the second album I’ll probably only have two features. I have a few people in mind and Dre probably will be one of them.”

As for his current single “Find Your Love,” an R&B-laced track that managed to confound some critics and fans who were not expecting the popular rhymer to sing throughout an entire song, Drake says it's important that the public understands that he still represents hip-hop.

“That song means a lot to me,” Drake says of "Find Your Love." “It was just one of those things where it was a choice I made. I feel like I had a vision, so when the song dropped I already knew people were going to be like, “Man, what is this???” But I attached a visual to “Find Your Love” that I hoped explained it a little more. It’s on an album where there’s a lot of hip-hop. It’s almost too much rap on Thank Me Later [Laughs]. There are a lot of 32-bar verses. It’s hip-hop, man. Just a lot of me pouring my heart out. And that’s something I’m thinking about for my next album.

"I’m not saying I’m going to sing more, but I want to learn how to make better-structured songs that end sooner," he continues. "A lot of the songs on Thank Me Later go on for like five, six minutes. But it’s all good. There’s a lot of shit I had to say and people around me wanted to say things too from Jay-Z to Lil' Wayne…everybody has their 16 bars. It was just one of those projects.”

For his next single, Drake has settled on the Young Jeezy-featured track “Unforgettable,” a song that also serves as a respectful tribute to the late R&B princess Aaliyah. “It has an Aaliyah sample in it,” Drake says. “It’s a special record for me. I just love Aaliyah and I got the most feedback about that just being a feel good record. I just want to attach a visual to it and show how much I care about hip-hop...about music in general.”

But when it comes to his newfound fame, Drake is still getting used to the trappings of stardom. He credits his fans for seeing him through. “Right now, it’s hectic,” he says of the whirlwind attention that surrounds him. “I haven’t slept in like three days. I feel like everywhere I turn there are people who want me to perform or give them something. Right now it’s a little overwhelming, but I’m honored that people are excited. I just passed by a Best Buy and people are sleeping outside just to buy my album. I’m just trying to make it authentic for all my audiences.”

Drake fans are currently lined up in droves at the Union Square Best Buy in New York City to thank the man in person on the official release day of his highly-anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later. Drizzy is scheduled to meet with listeners and sign copies of the disc at the location today (June 15) at 2 p.m. EST. But that’s not the only event the Young Money star has planned for today. Six hours later at 8 p.m. he will also give a free performance at the South Street Seaport. Sponsored by Ray Ban and Paper Magazine, the show will take place at the Pier 17 stage.
Last night Drake also held a private listening of TML at high-end sneaker store, Alife, on the Lower East Side. Not content in just playing his record, the Toronto-native picked up the mic to rap along to some of his new tracks as well as old favorites like “Ignorant Shit” and “Forever.”

Since Drake's debut album Thank Me Later leaked last week, one of the most-talked-about tracks is its opening song, "Fireworks," where he reveals a brief relationship with pop star Rihanna.

If you're up on your gossip, over a year ago, the rapper and RiRi were spotted at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in New York, where they were rumored to have spent the evening making out. From there, they were rumored to be dating. However, neither publicly confirmed any relationship. That is, until now, because Drizzy lets it all out in the song.

"I could tell it wasn't love, I just thought you'd f*** with me / Who could've predicted Lucky Strike would have you stuck with me," Drake spits on "Fireworks." "Damn / I kept my wits about me luckily, what happened between us that night, it always seems to trouble me / Now all of a sudden these gossip rags wanna cover me, and you makin' it seem like it happened that way because of me / But I was curious, and I'll never forget it baby, what an experience / You could've been the one, but it wasn't that serious."

In a recent interview with the NY Times, Drake explained what happened between the couple.

"I was a pawn," he told the paper. "You know what she was doing to me? She was doing exactly what I've done to so many women throughout my life, which is show them quality time, then disappear. I was like, 'Wow, this feels terrible.' "

Apparently Drake wrote a song for Rihanna, but it was never released.

Minutes before hip-hop artist Drake took the stage on Thursday night at the Cleveland House of Blues, camera phones and pocket digital cameras flashed like fire crackers as LeBron James and his party made their way to the balcony seats in a private area.
The King was here.
After Drake breezed through his first song, the Toronto native told the sold out crowd that he loved the city of Cleveland. He also thanked the city for supporting his career. Cleveland is the fifth stop on Drake's tour that ends July 27 in Vancouver.
Following cheers and several seconds of applause, Drake turned to his right and looked up toward the balcony.
"I want to thank LeBron James," Drake said. "Thank you man for being there for me. I'll do anything for you."
James nodded and smiled in agreement.

When

Apr 26, 2010 8:00 pm (Monday)

Where

University of Missouri Kansas City

4949 Cherry
Kansas City, MO 64110ubrey Drake Graham better known for his role Jimmy on Degrassi. For most of you who doesnt know about him he now has a mix tape out and a sogn called Replacement girl Featuring Trey Songz. Drake, is making a name for his self in the music industry and it would be great if we could show him that there are fans here in the US and everywhere else. We could get him some publicity and get him signed here in the U.S. so lets start demanding

Young Money’s Drake and Lil Wayne, along with Eminem and Kanye West, have come together to bring us “Forever,” the biggest hip-hop collaboration since last year’s “Swagga Like Us,” according to MTV. This particular track, produced by Boi-1da, is set to appear on the “More Than A Game” soundtrack. And the music video will reportedly be shot sometime in September in New York City. Check out the song below and let us know if you’re gonna rock this … or if you’re just gonna drop it.