Circus Folk Arts Blog

No Doubt you have heard or even cruised in your car to the 2009 summer smash “Best I Ever Had” by Drake. Until a year ago the name Drake probably didn’t ring a bell unless you were a “Degrassi, Next Generation” fan, or happen to be an underground collector of the Drake mixtapes. Drake has become one of the best rapper’s in the game at the tender age of 22 and a Drake mixtape was what started the ball rolling.Mega Rapper Lil Wayne happened upon one of the Drake mixed tapes and the planets aligned. The already established rap superstar, whose album, “Tha Carter III” was the best selling album of last year. He laid a hot verse on Drake’s underground banger “Ransom”, solidifying the newcomers legit status. Lil Wayne hooked Drake up with his manager, Cortez Bryant which set him up with one of the sweetest deals and a rare one for today’s music industry. All because of a Drake mixtape the newby rapper has received a $2 million dollar advance, the publishing rights to his songs and only hands over 25% of revenue to the label.The young lyricist has expressed his gratitude and talks about what a long way he has come artistically with the right team. It is a far cry from his early self released Drake mixed tapesfrom 2006. Once he had his team in place they planned their every move with a calculated conviction. It would be about creating a brand and building a loyal following. They wanted to do it “the old fashioned way, the kind that doesn’t exist anymore” according to Gee Roberson, a member of Drake’s management. They would aim to put out a record not just a single and make a video. They would have Drake play club dates and do radio spots. They wanted to create listener enlightenment.So they released a third digital underground mixed tape, “So Far Gone” which featured songs produced by Just Blaze and Kanye West. This was the break through of all the Drake mixtapes. So far “Best I Ever Had” is his smash hit, selling over 600,000 digital copies. His team has proved you can still break an artist the old fashioned way but still take advantage of modern technology.