Drake speaks to XXL about Performing at S.O.B.’s for the First Time

Seeing how big of an artist Drake is, it is hard to imagine him on the come up the way he was, only three years ago. Fresh off the release of his So Far Gone mixtape, Drake performed at the legendary S.O.B.’s in New York City. The stage at S.O.B.’s has served as a right of passage for many rappers. The legendary hip hop hotspot is celebrating their 30th anniversary at SXSW tonight and Drake spoke with XXL about his first performance there.

Reflecting on his first performance at S.O.B.’s Drake said he was very nervous. There was a lot of pressure behind him doing the show. Aside from the pressure, Drake had no band and “no sense of what makes a good show.” Even though Drake’s initial S.O.B.’s performance was far from perfect, everyone could sense a star was close to being born. Following the S.O.B.’s performance, Drake would officially sign with Young Money.

Over the next year, Drake would grow and become more comfortable. Drake credits this to watching the growth of Lil Wayne and Trey Songz. Along with watching their growth, Drake had the chance to see Jay-Z perform in Europe. On his own, Drake has been a part of numerous tours and award show performances.