Drake Confirms Lil Wayne Deal, "It's Kinda Like We're Doing It By Ourselves" [Video]

Drake has confirmed signing a record deal with Lil Wayne's Young Money label and what his experience was like during his publicized bidding war.
In addition to confirming the deal, Drake also detailed Universal's involvement on his upcoming album.

"I actually signed directly to my managers Cortez Bryant and Gee Roberson," Drake explained in an interview. "And we signed a joint venture with Young Money which is Lil Wayne's company. The courting was nice, I had some great dinners in hotels, I got some nice things [during the bidding war.] I think the best part about it is that we've done this thing in the industry where it's been so organic to do it with the people that I'm doing it with. It's kinda like we're doing it by ourselves. It's distributed through Universal." (Alexa Chung)

Drake's manager Cortez Bryant also confirmed the signing.

"We were looking for all the creative control and all the say-so over the project," Bryant said in a statement. "The person who gave us the sweetest deal." (XXL Mag)

The rapper's record deal made headlines Monday (June 29) afternoon.

The long-anticipated wait is over as Drake has signed a record deal which places him under the wings of Young Money/Cash Money with distribution through Universal Republic. While an official statement has yet to emerge, the rapper's long trek of signing speculation has come to an end. (SOHH)

Online reports also spread online last week which hinted at Drake signing to Universal.

According to several sources on the left coast, Toronto native, and Hip-Hop's second coming, Drake, who's been used as tug toy between Atlantic Records, Universal Records, Interscope Records and Def Jam Records has allegedly inked a deal with Universal Records. From my understanding, Drake was set to announce his new found Hip-Hop residence some time soon, but I guess word got out a little premature and landed directly in my lap. Now, the lil birdie who threw me this tidbit got the information straight from the label, so you can kill the LowKey's making up ish? commentary - ASAP. And if this doesn't serve true, well someone up at Universal Records has a lot of explaining to do. (BET)


Young Money CEO Cortez Bryant Speaks on Drake’s Distribution Deal
In one of hip-hop’s most drawn-out bidding wars, Drake has finally inked a deal with Universal Republic, according to Young Money’s Cortez Bryant.

Bryant says the Toronto rapper was already signed to Young Money Entertainment, but signed his distribution deal on Sunday.“[We were looking for] all the creative control and all the say-so over the project,” said Bryant, “the person who gave us the sweetest deal.”

Drake, who Bryant says is ecstatic about the signing, will appear on one of two follow-up singles to Young Money’s hit “Every Girl,” slated to drop in the next two weeks.

Drake’s debut album, Thank Me Later, has no release date, but Bryant says the Young Money group album is expected to drop late this year, on the same day as Lil Wayne’s The Rebirth.

Aside from becoming 2009’s most buzzed new artist after releasing his So Far Gone mixtape, Drake has gained fans in fellow rappers.

Jay-Z will reportedly feature the newcomer on his first single for his forthcoming album, Blueprint 3. And Nas recently sang Drake’s praises in an interview with the Omaha World-Herald. “He’s here to show anybody who questions him that he’ll get at you,” Nas said of Drizzy. “He’s like fresh water right now on dry land.”

Drake goes on tour next month along with Weezy, Soulja Boy, and Young Jeezy for the Young Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival. The first concert stop is July 27, in Scranton, PA. –John Kennedy