Drake thrills at Vandy
Jaida McKie
Arts & Culture Editor
Issue date: 5/5/10 Section: Arts & Culture
Despite a day dampened with several pockets of rain and dark clouds threatening a downpour, fans filled Vanderbilt University's Alumni Lawn anxiously awaiting the man of the hour to take the stage.
Canadian-born rap phenom Aubrey "Drake" Graham paid the Nashville campus a visit April 23 to headline its annual Rites of Spring Music festival.
Just minutes before he took the stage, the antsy crowd began chanting, 'We want Drake!' while waiting for the lights to dim.
As the stage darkened, the bright lights beamed above the stage while the drummer and guitarist set the mood. An entire lawn roared with applause.
Graham is traveling from city to city on his "Away From Home" tour promoting his highly anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later, which is slated for a June 15 release.
Soon, those shouts of anticipation turned into an all-out sing-along of the lyrics to his radio hit Forever - the first song of his set.
"It may not mean nothing to ya'll, but understand nothin was done for me," the crowd yelled in unison. "So I don't plan on stoppin at all, I want this forever man, ever man, ever man."
The actor/rapper, who got his start as Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian hit show Degrassi, gained his hip-hop following after releasing two mixtapes - Comeback Season and Room For Improvement.
Drake later topped the Billboard charts with his unofficial single Best I Ever Had and earned two Grammy nominations after releasing his EP, So Far Gone.
Wowing the crowd with a live band, Drake commanded the stage like a seasoned veteran, giving patrons a sneak preview of Fireworks, a new single from his major label debut.
He took it a step further by bringing a female fan on stage before winning the women over with a serenade of bedroom tune A Night Off.
"I really enjoyed the concert. It was like it wasn't even raining out there," said Chevon Whiteside, a senior social work major from Knoxville, Tenn. "Drake's humble attitude and polished performance makes him an even bigger star."
Canadian-born rap phenom Aubrey "Drake" Graham paid the Nashville campus a visit April 23 to headline its annual Rites of Spring Music festival.
Just minutes before he took the stage, the antsy crowd began chanting, 'We want Drake!' while waiting for the lights to dim.
As the stage darkened, the bright lights beamed above the stage while the drummer and guitarist set the mood. An entire lawn roared with applause.
Graham is traveling from city to city on his "Away From Home" tour promoting his highly anticipated debut album, Thank Me Later, which is slated for a June 15 release.
Soon, those shouts of anticipation turned into an all-out sing-along of the lyrics to his radio hit Forever - the first song of his set.
"It may not mean nothing to ya'll, but understand nothin was done for me," the crowd yelled in unison. "So I don't plan on stoppin at all, I want this forever man, ever man, ever man."
The actor/rapper, who got his start as Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian hit show Degrassi, gained his hip-hop following after releasing two mixtapes - Comeback Season and Room For Improvement.
Drake later topped the Billboard charts with his unofficial single Best I Ever Had and earned two Grammy nominations after releasing his EP, So Far Gone.
Wowing the crowd with a live band, Drake commanded the stage like a seasoned veteran, giving patrons a sneak preview of Fireworks, a new single from his major label debut.
He took it a step further by bringing a female fan on stage before winning the women over with a serenade of bedroom tune A Night Off.
"I really enjoyed the concert. It was like it wasn't even raining out there," said Chevon Whiteside, a senior social work major from Knoxville, Tenn. "Drake's humble attitude and polished performance makes him an even bigger star."
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