DX News Bits: Drake, Ludacris, Phonte

Few artists carry the expectations that Drake lugs around. After releasing his So Far Gone   mixtape, fans, critics and artists gave him much praise and awards soon followed. Now, the Canadian star is setting up the release of his debut album, Thank Me Later, one that has fans anticipating a lot from the young emcee. In a recent interview with Yahoo, Drizzy spoke on how the hype is flattering but that he wants to be “legendary.”

“That’s the most flattering thing in the world, but at the same time, real, legendary status can’t be dictated by the people who are still here witnessing it. Legendary status is when the next generation comes up. The kids that are 15 right now and will be going to college in five or six years — if they say, ‘Yo, I remember when Drake came to this school. That’s one of the most legendary shows ever,’ that’s when you’re a legend. I’m young. I’m 23. This is too soon. I really want to grow and be that guy.”

Understanding the high expectations fans have placed on his work, he knows he needs to deliver. That’s what makes his first album “crucial,” in his words.

“I know I have a lot of growing up to do, but I guess, unfortunately, people won’t judge me as if this is my first album or my first year in the game. This is a crucial moment for me. It actually feels like my last album, not my first. I’ll be working hard to make sure you remember it. I’ll be in your city, performing all the songs, and hopefully looking at you in your eyes and letting you know it’s real out here, man. I’m ready.”

In other news, Ludacris recently added to his charitable works by participating in the building of Venetian Hill Elementary Playground. Sporting a volunteer shirt for United Healthcare, the emcee spoke on the importance of giving back.

“I want to say thank you to all of the volunteers…You’ve been working hard out here hard. It’s a hot day. I’m just extremely proud to see what’s going on. A lot of people understand, I do have my own foundation geared towards helping kids. So, we talk about promoting healthy lifestyles and that’s exactly what we’re doing here today.”

The video showing Luda in action during this charitable event can be seen at DTP’s website.

Luda’s latest album, Battle of the Sexes, is in stores now. 

With the end of Little Brother in the rear-view, Phonte recently spoke to The A.V. Club about his solo projects, adding that fans can expect more Hip Hop from his forthcoming album.

“I’m still going to have some singing on it, as well, but mainly it will be hip-hop this go-around, with some singing mixed in. Ideally, I would like to make a record that shows all of my influences, from the hip-hop to the R&B stuff. I want my solo record to be a one-stop shop. If you’ve heard a lot about Little Brother and you’ve heard a lot about Foreign Exchange, but you’re not really knowing about me, you can pick up my solo record and that can bring you up to speed about who Phonte is and what he does.”

‘Te also added that he’s working on the new Foreign Exchange album with Nicolay and restated that while LB is done, he will continue working with Big Pooh in some fashion in the future.