Drake Releases New Single, 'Started From the Bottom'

Drake performs onstage during the last night of the UK part of his 2012 Club Paradise tour at Nottingham Capital FM Arena on April 25, 2012 in Nottingham, England.Ollie Millington/Redferns via Getty

Drake released the first cut of his upcoming third album on Friday night, more than a week earlier than its expected Grammy-night debut. The rapper posted the new album's lead single, "Started From the Bottom" on his website, along with a note describing his motivations behind the song:

"I feel sometimes that people don't have enough information about my beginnings and therefore they make up a life story for me that isn't consistent with actual events," Drake said. "My family and my second family (consisting of the best friends anybody could ever have) all struggled and worked extremely hard to make all this happen. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve."

Drake Delivers High School Graduation Speech

Drake also offered an explanation for releasing the track through his website. "I didn't feel I needed any interviews or radio or press to launch this song," he wrote. "It felt right to come back to the site that I started on and release it to the people that started here with me. Judging by this post, the tour that we've been planning, the conversations about new songs and album artwork . . . I think it's safe to say we're back together again."

Drake, 'Started From the Bottom'

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Drake Releases New Single, 'Started From the Bottom'

Drake performs onstage during the last night of the UK part of his 2012 Club Paradise tour at Nottingham Capital FM Arena on April 25, 2012 in Nottingham, England.Ollie Millington/Redferns via Getty

Drake released the first cut of his upcoming third album on Friday night, more than a week earlier than its expected Grammy-night debut. The rapper posted the new album's lead single, "Started From the Bottom" on his website, along with a note describing his motivations behind the song:

"I feel sometimes that people don't have enough information about my beginnings and therefore they make up a life story for me that isn't consistent with actual events," Drake said. "My family and my second family (consisting of the best friends anybody could ever have) all struggled and worked extremely hard to make all this happen. I did not buy my way into this spot and it was the furthest thing from easy to achieve."

Drake Delivers High School Graduation Speech

Drake also offered an explanation for releasing the track through his website. "I didn't feel I needed any interviews or radio or press to launch this song," he wrote. "It felt right to come back to the site that I started on and release it to the people that started here with me. Judging by this post, the tour that we've been planning, the conversations about new songs and album artwork . . . I think it's safe to say we're back together again."

Drake, 'Started From the Bottom'

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Drake Will Release New Single to Coincide With Grammys

Drake performs during the Made In America Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Though Drake's is nominated for three Grammys, including Best Rap Album for Take Care, the rapper is going to extra lengths to make the night of the awards show his own by releasing a new single. According to Billboard, the Canadian singer and rapper is releasing "Started From the Bottom" on February 10th, the same night as the Grammys. The song will offer the first hint of what to expect on Drake's forthcoming third album. The rapper linked up with Director X last month in Toronto to shoot what is presumed to be a video for the new single.

Seven Hot Hip-Hop Crews

Drake is also up for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for "The Motto" and "HYFR," respectively. He had a busy 2012, memorably brawling with Chris Brown at a New York night club last summer, but he also found time to work on a new posthumous Aaliyah project and graduate from high school.

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Drake Will Release New Single to Coincide With Grammys

Drake performs during the Made In America Festival in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Though Drake's is nominated for three Grammys, including Best Rap Album for Take Care, the rapper is going to extra lengths to make the night of the awards show his own by releasing a new single. According to Billboard, the Canadian singer and rapper is releasing "Started From the Bottom" on February 10th, the same night as the Grammys. The song will offer the first hint of what to expect on Drake's forthcoming third album. The rapper linked up with Director X last month in Toronto to shoot what is presumed to be a video for the new single.

Seven Hot Hip-Hop Crews

Drake is also up for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance for "The Motto" and "HYFR," respectively. He had a busy 2012, memorably brawling with Chris Brown at a New York night club last summer, but he also found time to work on a new posthumous Aaliyah project and graduate from high school.

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Drake and Chris Brown Sued Again Over Nightclub Brawl

Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Chris Brown and Drake face another lawsuit stemming from their June 14th brawl at a New York club, this time from a model who says he received a severed tendon in his right hand, The Associated Press reports. Romain Julien was sitting at a nearby table at Greenhouse in Manhattan when Brown, Drake and their entourages began throwing glasses and bottles at each other, resulting in cuts, cosmetic deformity and mental distress, Julien claimed in a complaint filed Monday in New York Supreme Court. 

His suit accuses Brown of having incited the incident, describing the singer as having a "hot temper." Julien included W.i.P., the owners of Greenhouse, for allegedly creating a public nuisance not providing adequate security and serving liquor to patrons already intoxicated. 

Neither Drake nor Brown's camps have responded to the suit. Greenhouse and W.i.P. said they would "respond appropriately" after looking over the legal filing. 

Last week, Greenhouse and W.i.P. filed their own suit against Brown and Drake, seeking $16 million over the brawl. Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the company that owns the trademark to Greenhouse, claimed that the brawl led to bad press, which ruined a $4 million licensing deal. The suit called the behavior of the two musicians "beyond the bounds of reason" and added that the two "should have foreseen that their notoriety and celebrity would ensure that their acts had far-reaching and devastating effects." 

NBA star Tony Parker has also sued Greenhouse and W.i.P. Parker, a bystander who claims he suffered a "corneal laceration of the left eye and other injuries," doesn't include Drake or Brown in his filing, which holds the club responsible: "The defendants were reckless, careless and negligent in permitting Drake's entourage and Brown's entourage to be in the club at the same time despite known tension between the two."

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Drake and Chris Brown Sued Again Over Nightclub Brawl

Debra L Rothenberg/Getty Images; Johnny Nunez/WireImage

Chris Brown and Drake face another lawsuit stemming from their June 14th brawl at a New York club, this time from a model who says he received a severed tendon in his right hand, The Associated Press reports. Romain Julien was sitting at a nearby table at Greenhouse in Manhattan when Brown, Drake and their entourages began throwing glasses and bottles at each other, resulting in cuts, cosmetic deformity and mental distress, Julien claimed in a complaint filed Monday in New York Supreme Court. 

His suit accuses Brown of having incited the incident, describing the singer as having a "hot temper." Julien included W.i.P., the owners of Greenhouse, for allegedly creating a public nuisance not providing adequate security and serving liquor to patrons already intoxicated. 

Neither Drake nor Brown's camps have responded to the suit. Greenhouse and W.i.P. said they would "respond appropriately" after looking over the legal filing. 

Last week, Greenhouse and W.i.P. filed their own suit against Brown and Drake, seeking $16 million over the brawl. Entertainment Enterprises Ltd., the company that owns the trademark to Greenhouse, claimed that the brawl led to bad press, which ruined a $4 million licensing deal. The suit called the behavior of the two musicians "beyond the bounds of reason" and added that the two "should have foreseen that their notoriety and celebrity would ensure that their acts had far-reaching and devastating effects." 

NBA star Tony Parker has also sued Greenhouse and W.i.P. Parker, a bystander who claims he suffered a "corneal laceration of the left eye and other injuries," doesn't include Drake or Brown in his filing, which holds the club responsible: "The defendants were reckless, careless and negligent in permitting Drake's entourage and Brown's entourage to be in the club at the same time despite known tension between the two."

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Drake Co-Producing Posthumous Aaliyah Album, Label Confirms

Erika Goldring/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Drake will co-produce Aaliyah's posthumous album and Timbaland and Missy Elliott will be involved in the project, the R&B singer's label, Blackground Records, confirms to Billboard. Drake and his close collaborator, Noah "40" Shebib, will co-produce the LP using 16 unreleased tracks and "fragments" as source material. Blackground, run by Aaliyah's cousin Jomo Hankerson and his father Barry, hopes to release the album by the end of the year.

"We really felt like it was time. There's a real new generation that doesn't know her necessarily, and we wanted to continue her musical legacy with this new generation. That's one of the reasons why we wanted to do very contemporary music," said Hankerson. "We didn't want to make it a nostalgic project; we already did that with the 'I Care 4 U' album. The idea was to release new music for her diehard fans, and also reintroduce her music to a new generation that doesn't really understand how much influence she has in the music that they're listening to today."

While Hankerson did not specify if Timbaland had already produced tracks for the album, he did reveal part of Missy Elliott's involvement. "One of the records that we had that was never released was a Missy record that we obviously are going to be refreshing," he said. Still, Hankerson made clear both artists will work on the project. "I can tell you that Timbaland will definitely be involved, Missy will definitely be involved," he said.

At first, Hankerson denied Drake had signed on as a producer, downplaying his contributions to song appearances. But Blackground later reached out to Billboard to confirm Drake's role as executive co-producer.

Earlier this week, a new Aaliyah track featuring Drake was posted online by Blackground. Aaliyah died on August 25th, 2001, in a plane crash. She was 22. The Drake-produced record would be her second posthumous album, following 2002's I Care 4 U.

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Drake Co-Producing Posthumous Aaliyah Album, Label Confirms

Erika Goldring/Getty Images; Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Drake will co-produce Aaliyah's posthumous album and Timbaland and Missy Elliott will be involved in the project, the R&B singer's label, Blackground Records, confirms to Billboard. Drake and his close collaborator, Noah "40" Shebib, will co-produce the LP using 16 unreleased tracks and "fragments" as source material. Blackground, run by Aaliyah's cousin Jomo Hankerson and his father Barry, hopes to release the album by the end of the year.

"We really felt like it was time. There's a real new generation that doesn't know her necessarily, and we wanted to continue her musical legacy with this new generation. That's one of the reasons why we wanted to do very contemporary music," said Hankerson. "We didn't want to make it a nostalgic project; we already did that with the 'I Care 4 U' album. The idea was to release new music for her diehard fans, and also reintroduce her music to a new generation that doesn't really understand how much influence she has in the music that they're listening to today."

While Hankerson did not specify if Timbaland had already produced tracks for the album, he did reveal part of Missy Elliott's involvement. "One of the records that we had that was never released was a Missy record that we obviously are going to be refreshing," he said. Still, Hankerson made clear both artists will work on the project. "I can tell you that Timbaland will definitely be involved, Missy will definitely be involved," he said.

At first, Hankerson denied Drake had signed on as a producer, downplaying his contributions to song appearances. But Blackground later reached out to Billboard to confirm Drake's role as executive co-producer.

Earlier this week, a new Aaliyah track featuring Drake was posted online by Blackground. Aaliyah died on August 25th, 2001, in a plane crash. She was 22. The Drake-produced record would be her second posthumous album, following 2002's I Care 4 U.

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Feist, Drake, Japandroids Make Polaris Prize Shortlist

Feist performs during the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

The Polaris Awards have announced their shortlist of 10 albums that are up for the 2012 prize, including Drake's Take Care, Feist's Metals, Japandroids' Celebration Rock, Grimes' Visions, and Fucked Up's David Comes to Life. Also included are Handsome Furs' Sound Kapital, Kathleen Edwards' Voyageur, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan's YT // ST, rapper Cadence Weapon's Hope in Dirt City, and Cold Specks' I Predict a Graceful Expulsion.

The final nominees were announced today at the Drake Hotel in Toronto at an event hosted by CBC Radio 3's Craig Norris. Now in its seventh year, the Polaris Music Prize awards $30,000 to the artist responsible for Canadian Album of the Year, which is chosen by a jury of over 200 members of the Candian music media. The other nine nominees receive $2,000 courtesy of Slaight Music. Albums are "judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales," a statement reads.

Cadence Weapon, Feist, Fucked Up and Kathleen Edwards are the only artists in this year's final 10 who have made the shortlist twice. Cadence Weapon's Breaking Kayfabe was nominated in 2006, Feist's breakout The Reminder was in 2007, Edwards' Asking for Flowers was in 2008 and Fucked Up's The Chemistry of Common Life took home the grand prize in 2009.

Back in June, Polaris announced its long list of nominees. Notable omissions on the shortlist including Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas, The Weeknd's Echoes of Silence and 2007 winner Patrick Watson's Adventures in Your Own Backyard.

This year's winner will be announced at the Polaris gala on September 24th. The event – which will follow the actual voting – will feature performances from the artists on the shortlist and will stream live on Muchmusic.

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Feist, Drake, Japandroids Make Polaris Prize Shortlist

Feist performs during the 2012 Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

The Polaris Awards have announced their shortlist of 10 albums that are up for the 2012 prize, including Drake's Take Care, Feist's Metals, Japandroids' Celebration Rock, Grimes' Visions, and Fucked Up's David Comes to Life. Also included are Handsome Furs' Sound Kapital, Kathleen Edwards' Voyageur, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan's YT // ST, rapper Cadence Weapon's Hope in Dirt City, and Cold Specks' I Predict a Graceful Expulsion.

The final nominees were announced today at the Drake Hotel in Toronto at an event hosted by CBC Radio 3's Craig Norris. Now in its seventh year, the Polaris Music Prize awards $30,000 to the artist responsible for Canadian Album of the Year, which is chosen by a jury of over 200 members of the Candian music media. The other nine nominees receive $2,000 courtesy of Slaight Music. Albums are "judged solely on artistic merit, without consideration of genre or record sales," a statement reads.

Cadence Weapon, Feist, Fucked Up and Kathleen Edwards are the only artists in this year's final 10 who have made the shortlist twice. Cadence Weapon's Breaking Kayfabe was nominated in 2006, Feist's breakout The Reminder was in 2007, Edwards' Asking for Flowers was in 2008 and Fucked Up's The Chemistry of Common Life took home the grand prize in 2009.

Back in June, Polaris announced its long list of nominees. Notable omissions on the shortlist including Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas, The Weeknd's Echoes of Silence and 2007 winner Patrick Watson's Adventures in Your Own Backyard.

This year's winner will be announced at the Polaris gala on September 24th. The event – which will follow the actual voting – will feature performances from the artists on the shortlist and will stream live on Muchmusic.

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Leonard Cohen, Drake, Feist Nominated for 2012 Polaris Awards

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Drake: I Did Not Promise 'Marvin's Room' Woman Money

Drake performs at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Drake has responded to a lawsuit from a woman claiming royalties for his hit song "Marvin's Room," saying that he doesn't think she is owed anything for her contribution to the song. According to the rapper's official legal papers, Ericka Lee – the woman whose voice can be heard as a voicemail recording on the track – "consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin's Room' for no compensation."

Drake has also denied Lee's claims that the two had a romantic relationship and that he threatened her over her complaints about not being paid for the song. A representative for Drake responded to Lee's suit last month, saying it was "entirely without merit."

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles in February, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects, including the song "Marvin's Room." According to Lee, she was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. Lee is seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

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Drake: I Did Not Promise 'Marvin's Room' Woman Money

Drake performs at UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Drake has responded to a lawsuit from a woman claiming royalties for his hit song "Marvin's Room," saying that he doesn't think she is owed anything for her contribution to the song. According to the rapper's official legal papers, Ericka Lee – the woman whose voice can be heard as a voicemail recording on the track – "consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin's Room' for no compensation."

Drake has also denied Lee's claims that the two had a romantic relationship and that he threatened her over her complaints about not being paid for the song. A representative for Drake responded to Lee's suit last month, saying it was "entirely without merit."

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles in February, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects, including the song "Marvin's Room." According to Lee, she was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. Lee is seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

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Drake Sued by Ex-Girlfriend Over 'Marvin's Room'

Drake performs at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Drake is being sued by a woman who says she is the voice on the other end of the phone call in his hit song "Marvin's Room." Ericka Lee, who says that she is the rapper's ex-girlfriend, has filed a suit claiming she was excluded from sharing co-writer royalties for the song, which is featured on his best-selling album Take Care.

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects. Drake allegedly agree to work with her on "Marvin's Room" and split the earnings. She was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. The rapper supposedly acknowledged her contributions to the piece in several texts, including one that apparently reads "U basically made that song."

Lee and Drake's relationship ended completely after the song was released. The rapper reportedly offered her 2 percent of the publishing royalties for the song, and later raising the offer to 4-5 percent along with a $50,000 settlement. Lee is now seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

Watch a video for the finished version of "Marvin's Room" below.

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Drake Rep Responds to 'Marvin's Room' Lawsuit

Drake performs at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

A spokesperson for Drake has responded to the lawsuit filed against the rapper over royalties for the song "Marvin's Room." As Rolling Stone reported yesterday, a woman who says she is Drake's ex-girlfriend is claiming that she was wrongfully excluded from sharing co-writer royalties for the song. 

"This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct," the spokesperson told Rolling Stone. "Ericka Lee consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin’s Room' prior to its release. Lee asked only for the credit she received as 'Syren Lyric Muse,' and she did not ask for any compensation. It was only after she retained a lawyer that there was a demand for payment.  Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court."

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Drake Sued by Ex-Girlfriend Over 'Marvin's Room'

Drake performs at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Drake is being sued by a woman who says she is the voice on the other end of the phone call in his hit song "Marvin's Room." Ericka Lee, who says that she is the rapper's ex-girlfriend, has filed a suit claiming she was excluded from sharing co-writer royalties for the song, which is featured on his best-selling album Take Care.

According to papers filed by Lee in Los Angeles, she and Drake had a romantic and business relationship between early 2010 and mid-2011. Lee claims the two traded poems and lyrics over the course of their relationship and discussed collaborative projects. Drake allegedly agree to work with her on "Marvin's Room" and split the earnings. She was originally intended to record a hook for the track and perform a monologue that would frame the lyrics. The rapper supposedly acknowledged her contributions to the piece in several texts, including one that apparently reads "U basically made that song."

Lee and Drake's relationship ended completely after the song was released. The rapper reportedly offered her 2 percent of the publishing royalties for the song, and later raising the offer to 4-5 percent along with a $50,000 settlement. Lee is now seeking a co-writing credit for the song as well as undisclosed damages.

Watch a video for the finished version of "Marvin's Room" below.

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Drake Rep Responds to 'Marvin's Room' Lawsuit

Drake performs at the Joint inside the Hard Rock Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

A spokesperson for Drake has responded to the lawsuit filed against the rapper over royalties for the song "Marvin's Room." As Rolling Stone reported yesterday, a woman who says she is Drake's ex-girlfriend is claiming that she was wrongfully excluded from sharing co-writer royalties for the song. 

"This claim is entirely without merit and our client has not engaged in any wrongful conduct," the spokesperson told Rolling Stone. "Ericka Lee consented to the use of her voice in the song 'Marvin’s Room' prior to its release. Lee asked only for the credit she received as 'Syren Lyric Muse,' and she did not ask for any compensation. It was only after she retained a lawyer that there was a demand for payment.  Drake tried for months to resolve the matter amicably, and he now looks forward to being vindicated in court."

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Drake: I Want to Play President Obama

Neilson Barnard/Alex Wong/Getty Images

Drake has his eye on eventually playing Barack Obama in a film about the President's life. "I hope somebody makes a movie about Obama’s life soon because I could play him," the rapper and actor told VH1 News at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this week. "That’s the goal. I watch all the addresses. Any time I see him on TV, I don’t change the channel. I definitely pay attention and listen to the inflections of his voice. If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m pretty good at impressions."

Drake, who broke into show business as an actor on the long-running Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, said that he is mostly being offered roles as basketball players and rappers these days but aims to do something bigger. "I've been reading scripts for awhile," he said. "I want to do something great. I want to do something for my culture: the younger people who are still in tune with everything going on. I’m actually writing with my friends right now."

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Drake: I Want to Play President Obama

Neilson Barnard/Alex Wong/Getty Images

Drake has his eye on eventually playing Barack Obama in a film about the President's life. "I hope somebody makes a movie about Obama’s life soon because I could play him," the rapper and actor told VH1 News at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this week. "That’s the goal. I watch all the addresses. Any time I see him on TV, I don’t change the channel. I definitely pay attention and listen to the inflections of his voice. If you ask anyone who knows me, I’m pretty good at impressions."

Drake, who broke into show business as an actor on the long-running Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, said that he is mostly being offered roles as basketball players and rappers these days but aims to do something bigger. "I've been reading scripts for awhile," he said. "I want to do something great. I want to do something for my culture: the younger people who are still in tune with everything going on. I’m actually writing with my friends right now."

To read the new issue of Rolling Stone online, plus the entire RS archive: Click Here

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