DETROIT - It's a bustling summer for Drake, the Canadian actor, singer and rapper.
Having honed his live chops with a winter college tour, the 25-year-old Toronto native hit the road last month for his Club Paradise amphitheater run, bringing a cast of musical friends with whom he's done recent collaborations - including J. Cole ("In the Morning") and Waka Flocka Flame ("Round of Applause").
Before heading to the European festival circuit in July, Drake will start work on his third record, a follow-up to last year's million-selling "Take Care," which kept his pop hot streak rolling with singles such as "Headlines."
Drake spoke with reporters before the tour's kickoff in Concord, Calif.:
On prepping for a year of touring: "Starting in September 2011 is when I really started conditioning my body, training as if I was an athlete, as if I really had something competitive to get in the months ahead. I'm very happy that I did that, because it's helped me stamina-wise and health-wise just to stay above water, which is definitely a difficult thing when you're sleeping in all different kinds of hotels, showering in different showers. You know, you've got 90 minutes on stage every single night. Are you eating right? What are you eating? What are you drinking? It's very difficult."
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On creating a memorable night: "My favorite part of it is just that moment where I realized as a kid what it meant to me to go to a concert and see my favorite artist and have him really engage the crowd and have him interact, or have that person really make me feel special. And those memories. I guess I realize now that I'm doing arenas and stadiums and amphitheaters, like - you know, there's people in those crowds that are the next whatever-they-may-be. There's young people in that crowd that are the front-runners of this generation. There's another Drake in one of those crowds."
On the appeal of his songs to women: "I think it just kind of happened naturally. You know, it's funny because sometimes in the songs that I'm making, I don't always necessarily say the most respectful things, but I think ... like, real women just appreciate how candid and honest I am about the mind of the man. You know, I think that's what it's more about. It's more about giving them insight about how a man really thinks.
"I definitely don't sugarcoat it. I think the women that you're talking about are not naive women. They don't want to hear about the fairy tale either, you know? They want it clear cut. They want it real. When you ask me who listens to my music, I never say 'girls' ... or anything. I always say, it's women that listen to my music. And even if it's young girls, it's young girls with the aspiration of becoming great women."
On what he hopes fans take away from his show: "They've given me an opportunity to be one of the few people that can go in and sell out an arena and amphitheater. There's only about four of us that can do it right now, you know? So, I hope that they'll understand how seriously I take that blessing.
