Drake x Sprite. Sprite’s “Spark” campaign is an integrated marketing effort that includes TV, digital, and mobile applications aiming to give teens a platform to express their creativity through music and film. Drake was given his first worldwide endorsement deal with Sprite which involves commercials, participation at company events and to lead the Sprite “Spark” Music Project all of which will run in four major markets, Phillipines, Turkey, South Africa and the U.S.

“We looked at a lot of artists for this campaign,” says Joe Tripodi, chief marketing and commercial officer of the Coca-Cola Company. “As we filtered through, we realized we wanted someone with a breadth of interest across the globe — a new, fresh, young talent.”

“Drake’s ability to combine the purest rap with emotional R&B and coming from a child acting career in Canada to a worldwide music career was the ultimate spark in fresh thinking in the youth platform,” adds Katie Bayne, chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola North America.

The Sprite “Spark” Music Project which launches in March, is an online interactive music mixer that allows users to make their own tunes and remix music from Drake with emerging artists around the world. Drake is also partnering with Sprite for its “Step-Off” competition in Atlanta, which awards $1.5 million in college sponsorships.

The program has been running through historical Black colleges since last fall, Drake will make appearances as a judge and performer at the finale. So far Drake participated at the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown during the NBA All-Star weekend as a judge and performed along side LeBron James check the jump for the performance.

This partnership will most likely help Drake promote his album Thank Me Later which is due later this year. Could the Sprite deal be as beneficial to Drake as Vitamin Water was to 50 cent?
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Drake x Sprite. Here is a new behind-the-scenes look at Drake’s Sprite ad which is getting big buzz due to the announcement that this is Sprite’s first globally integrated campaign.

The campaign, called “Spark,” will also feature globally recognized artists and actors and extends to a corresponding digital campaign. Nice to see Drake getting some major publicity on this one. We will have more details on the entire campaign soon. Via: KissMyBlackAds

Drake x Sprite. Here’s a better version of the Drake x Sprite TV ad that we posted earlier. It’s still not “official” quality but better than the first. Via: Rap Radar

Here is the official tour poster for Drake’s “Away From Home Tour” which runs April 6 – May 8. Full tour dates here.

Drake x Sprite. And now here is a behind-the-scenes video of the new Sprite TV ad with Drake….a closer look at the behind-the-scenes including him in the studio, storyboards of the commercial and more. Get ready for some huge moves from Drake’s team in regards to future partnerships and involvement in the Hollywood film and TV scene as well.

Drake x Sprite. Sprite continues to push their need to stay at the forefront of urban music by enlisting Drake for their latest ad campaign. Although I’m not a Sprite drinker the ad itself definitely grabs your attention. Drake’s recent mainstream Grammy’s exposure will definitely help elevate his promotional partnership game with Corporate America. Via: BrokenCool

Drake is the new cover boy for the latest issues of “Complex” magazine….one of the few urban print pubs that is still standing. Check after the jump for the Drake x Complex interview.

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Rising from the ashes comes the new VIBE Magazine…which really looks a lot like the old one except with new owners, management and structure going on behind the scenes. To kick off the re-launch Breezy graces the cover with Drake as the alt. Check the Drake cover after the jump…

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Drake’s mixtape So Far Gone will be repackaged for an offical re-release to retailers on September 15th according to MTV. The album will feature an unreleased song “Fear, which will serve as the transition from his mixtape to Thank Me Later. According to Drake, the last line of “Fear” will be the first line heard on his debut.

“I did this song that no one has ever heard before, ever,” he explained. “[It's] a song called ‘Fear.’ I recorded it when I did So Far Gone ‚Äî the first verse and half of the second verse I had gotten through. But then I just stopped because it was getting eerie. It was getting where I didn’t know if I could [finish it]. And then the other night I had a moment and I finished the song. That’s gonna be the last song on the retail [version of] So Far Gone. And the third verse transitions into Thank Me Later. So the last line of the third verse is gonna be the first line on my album.”

Seems like the label wants to test Drake’s commercial success, the issue is will people buy the re-release that they already downloaded for free just for one new song?

The recently injured Drake makes a comeback on America’s Most Wanted Tour. He couldn’t resist when the tour made a stop at his hometown in Toronto. Drake with Trey Songz performed “Successful” video of which is below. “You know I could never let my city down,” Drake said after his performance. Drake’s been considered a heart throb now could he be the come back that Hip Hop needs.

Props: MTV

While performing “Best I Ever Had” with Lil Wayne, Drake after making a spin move collapses on stage at a concert in New Jersey. Members of his crew carried him off stage, Wayne jokingly said “I’m going to have to get extra insurance on this n****a.”

In a recent MTV interview Drake admitted to disregarding doctors warnings,

“I didn’t really get any approval from my doctor, but I made a personal decision 48 hours ago that I’d be letting a lot of people down if I didn’t show up and at least show them I’m there for them…”
“I’m not doing my own set. That’s one thing I have to apologize to my fans about. It’s too much of a risk, if I hit that wrong turn [doing] 30 minutes every night. If I tear my ACL again, the doctors say I might not be able to walk again. I have to be cautious.”

Drake later said on his Twitter account @drakkardnoir “All is well…on bus laying down..getting surgery this week but I’m walking. Thank my whole YM family for the help! Lion Hearts!”

Props: MissInfo

The L.A. Times disclose the details regarding Drake’s record deal.

Under the unusually lucrative agreement he struck with Aspire/Young Money/Cash Money Records distributed through Universal, Drake received a $2-million advance. He retains the publishing rights to his songs and cedes only around 25% of his music sales revenues to the label as a “distribution fee,” his managers said. By contrast, the overwhelming majority of new artists sign financially restrictive “360 deals” that sap their touring and merchandise income and offer much more restrictive profit-sharing.

“The record company doesn’t have any ownership of Drake,” Bryant said. “The label does not have participation on profits. They don’t have ownership of his masters. We control his entire career. Those deals don’t happen anymore.”

There hasn’t been an upcoming artist with such a big buzz since 50 Cents debut in 2003. Drake has sold out concerts from his So Far So Gone Mixtape. The leading single ‚ÄúBest I Ever Had‚Äù has been receiving more then 1300 spins on radio, and has sold 600,000 digital downloads. He’s been featured on records with Jay-Z, Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna and Fabolous. He‚Äôs currently working on his debut album ‚Äú Thank Me Later‚Äù and will embark a 22-city tour starting July 27th with Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, and Soulja Boy in ‚ÄúYoung Money Presents: America’s Most Wanted Music Festival‚Äù.

Drakes manager,  Cortez Bryant teamed with firm Hip Hop Since 1978 whose marketing has resulted in first week releases of 1 million copies sold in Kayne West’s “Graduation”and Lil Wayne’s “The Carter III”.

Could Drake be the next artist to sell 1 million copies with all the hype he has generated?

Drake x Strapped Condoms. This looks to be the first of many endorsement deals for Drake. He is now the new face of Strapped Condoms taking over for Lil Wayne….must be a Young Money thing. Here is the new Drake Strapped Condoms ad. Via: Rap-Up and In My State of Mind

Kanye West for once will be BEHIND the camera as he will be directing Drake’s video to “Best I Ever Had.” Drake talks about the experience here to MTV including saying that Kanye “oozes creativity.”

Drake x L-R-G. L-R-G knows how to pick em. Ad is currently running in urban lifestyle magazines.