With the Toronto Raptors now in the NBA playoffs, Canadian singer/rapper Drake took some time to speak on the team he became global ambassador of last year, during an interview with Grantland.
The Young Money wordsmith says that he initially partnered with the Raptors because of his love for his hometown of Toronto, but eventually realized how much the partnership made sense after observing the team’s progress.
He added that since sports fans differ from his music fans, he was unsure of whether or not he’d be able to make an impact with his work for the Raptors.
“I think initially the union, the partnership between myself and the Raptors was purely for the fact that I love that city more than anything in the world,” Drake said. “I have too many tattoos and too many memories. I was born there, raised there. I grew there. And I just wanted to really support the team. I didn’t necessarily know how it was gonna go. I didn’t know if I would be able to make an impact in sports because sports is way different, you know? You look at sports fan’s reactions to a lot of things. Whether it be me hosting the ESPYs or whether it be—It’s just sports is a different type of appreciation. When people from other genres start coming in. So, I had high hopes for what we could accomplish, but I was just there purely for the city. And the union made sense.”
Drake later commended Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri and Tim Leiweke, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, for their work in getting the Toronto Raptors to where they are today.
“I think that all the elements have to be in place,” he said. “And now it’s up to Masai and Tim and us. I mean, all of us. I like to include myself, but I like to give the credit to them. It’s up to us to now build on what we have. And what we have maybe a few months ago I would have been like ‘Well, we really gotta build on.’ But what we have it ain’t so bad when you really take a look at it. I mean, it’s incredible.”
It was in September of last year when it was announced that Drake would soon serve as host, business partner, and consultant for the Toronto Raptors beginning with the 2014-15 season. During a press conference held last year in honor of his new position, the Toronto musician doted on his hometown.
“There’s something genuine about this city. There’s something great,” Drake said. “I think aside from that with All-Star coming here there’s an untapped nightlife, restaurants, culture. There’s so much to soak in and I think that our goal is in 2016 to truly showcase that, not only for the players, but also for everybody.”
RELATED: Toronto Raptors Host “Drake Night”
Even his laugh is gay as fuck
It’s Drake dude, what do you expect
Yo jalen rose is a dope host. He just knows whats down then says, talk about that shit.
…fuckin needlessly menacing baseball bat over the shoulder…
Sports fans won’t give a fuck as long as don’t touch the ball.
there is a photo floating around that Cam’ron reposted on IG of Drake hugging up on 4 different ball players looking like the proudest girlfriend ever. so funny.
No ,it just looked like a good dude without a jealous bone in his body. That’s something you wouldn’t and couldn’t understand. Ole hating a n.
^spoken like a true groupie
^ spoken like a no pussy gettin hater
^another no pussy getting groupie hating someone with a different opinion.
At least he’s real and doesn’t rap about selling birds from Brooklyn to Maryland. Jay Z wasn’t a boss, he was just a mascot for his tougher friends from Marcy.
damn you kids are corny
u mad?
Toronto going out the first round though lol. Yall should go and check out thegrandreport, they got some good videos on there too
FUCK YO SITE
Down here at YMCMB headquarters, we are all very proud of Drake. Birdman is a true MOGUL. He breeds stars.
We don’t believe you
You need more people
THIS COMMENT IS BANNED
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT!!
DETOX FINALLY COMING OUT ON JULY 8, 2014. FIRST SINGLE WILL BE CALLED, REMEMBER ME FEATURING EMINEM, K DOT, AND SNOOP DOGG!! SHOULD BE OUT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS
Aftermath just sent me the following tracklist
1. Intro
2. Fake Niggas (feat. 50 cent)
3. Remember Me (feat. Eminem, Snoop Dogg, and K Dot)
4. Still Godfather of Rap
5. Yin Yang (feat. Eminem)
6. Doctor Sketch
7. Rolling with the East (feat. Nas)
8. Still Niggas (feat. Ice Cube)
9. Murder (feat. Kendrick Lamar and Jon Connor
10. Explosion (feat. Eminem and Hittman)
11. Don’t fuck wit me (feat. Kurupt and Warren G)
12. Doctor Sketch 2
13. Reversion (feat. Eminem and 50)
14. Last Episode (feat. Snoop Dogg and Kendrick)
15. Aftermath (Outro)
^^ How long did you take to make up this bullshit ass tracklist?
ill find ur daddy force him to fuk ur throat while i piss on u bichh
than set u both on fire
ya bichhh u kno wat u did 666 MOTHER FUCER
CALL UR SELF FBI WHEN I PUT MY MOMS HEAD ON EAT U FAGGET 666 ON UR SOUL BURN U
crackhead on hiphopdx not sure what to think
CALL UR SELF FBI FAMPUS ARTIST ECT
ILL GET UR DADDY FUK FACE UR THROAT WITH MY MOMS HEAD ON WATCHING IT WHILE SHES STILL SCREEMING
HRY FUKER MY MOMS HEAD ON GONNA WACH UR DAD FUK UR BICHH
ILL PAY THAT WEIRD DUDE N MALL EAT U BICHH
U LOOK LIKE TWEET ON CRAC
U LOOK LIKE BAG BULL 666 DEVIL DEMON SHAT SHAT
666 RABBIT MASK DEVILS JASONS LOOKING FOR U HAAAAAA
HEY SICKY ITS THE BICHEY
ITS 666 CREEPER UT SON OF DAWN DEMON BITCHER SKICKIN
LEFT EYE CREEP ON UR SOUL THROW IT DEVIL HELL THAN AFTER ILL THROW COKES ON DEVIL
stop doing drugs and go to sleep
Stop dreaming in the closet and come out and show the world. Bitch, you tip toeing trying to test the creative waters. Don’t quit your day job.
Drake so corny when he around white folk.
you should see him around ball players, he turns into a 13 year old girl
Half his family is white, which is why he sounds like he’s educated.
But Drake is one of the many Miami Heat bandwagon fans and super groupies. Why didn’t Raptors management pick someone that actually is a fan of the team? As soon as the Raptors get knocked out, Drake is gonna be right back in Miami, trying to get into the Heat locker room again.
wtf no 50 cent says headlines today
hiphopdx is joke site
50 Cent says your mommas a whore.
50 Cent sued for 11 mill
The time has come for Drake to step back and make room for an up and coming legend. I’m talking about the magnificent and charming Rick Ross, ladies and gentlemen. I guarantee you that in 20 – 30 years, you’ll still be playing Trilla or Teflon Don and so will your kids and grand kids. Nearly ever disc in Ross’ discography is considered a hp hop classic. Maybe one day, hip hop will stop considering him a laughing stock and actually recognize him as one of the greats, like Redman, Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Big Daddy Kane, KRS 1, Cube, Ice T, Snoop, etc, etc. etc #bawse
you talking about Bieber, right? bieber would kill ross in a rap battle!
I don’t understand why this fool got so many fans, he can’t sing realy he can’t hold a note when he sings, he can’t rap, you american must love wack music, its a shame cuz america got the most good artist that are not in the spotlight! FUCK DRAKE BITCH
What can you do? Fuck your mama!
I couldn’t give a fuck less about a Drake, but GO RAPTORS! GAME 3 TONIGHT IN BK!
Obviously you do because you’re writing on his story.
This dude is the corniest rap superstar of all time…Vanilla Ice and Hammer were less corny than this guy
Your girlfriend must like Drake?
Bieber and Drake two Canadians old people hate but kids love, Sadaam Hussein is in Hell and the Devil pushes the gay agenda. Looks like South Park the movie was prophetic and it’s coming to reality.
guess what? only GOD knows when the world is ending though. now that’s real power.
Drake snuck in the game and you haters mad.
Ain’t nobody stopping this young man from getting his money. He niggaz old enough to be his dad beefing with him. Legends in the rap game from NYC, Chicago, ATL by way of OH and VA by way of NYC are beefing with a biracial kid from the suburbs of Canada lol.
drake is way bigger than kendrick. kendricks home team would never partner up with a nobody like kendrick because kendrick doesnt have even a miniscule fraction of the sucess drake has and is a nobody compared to drake.
Drake rhymes with Cake.
Black people will be meeting tomorrow at 6 a.m. to discuss removing Drake