YOUR FAVORITE MTV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Drake 'Fought' For Intimate Campus Dates Over Stadium Tour

'I want to make sure I go see these people that supported me from day one,' Drizzy tells MTV News of upcoming Club Paradise Tour.

He may rap that all he cares about is money and the city that he's from, but Drake's fans also hold a special place in his heart. So rather than hit the stadium circuit for his upcoming Club Paradise Tour, Drizzy plans to keep it intimate with his base -- overriding pushback from his handlers.

"I fought for this tour, I fought really hard for this tour because, of course, they want me to go get the big bucks, go into the stadiums and cash out," Drake revealed to MTV News. "But I was just like, 'I really made this album for the same people that supported me since day one.' "

The tour -- which borrows its name from the "Club Paradise" track that Drake dropped last month -- will feature Kendrick Lamar and A$AP Rocky as opening acts. Unfortunately, the run has been pushed back partly because of the Toronto MC's delayed album (November 15) release, but also to optimize the number of schools that he'll be able to hit. "I'm moving it to January when everybody's back in school and so I can hit more places," he told us.

One school in particular that the Young Money star is looking forward to hitting is Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois, where he performed solo for the first time in the U.S. in 2009. "Things like that, I made sure I put on the schedule. I want to make sure I go see these people that supported me from day one," Drake said.

Drizzy conceivably could take just about any newcomer on tour with him, so the fact that he's riding with rap rookie A$AP Rocky speaks volumes. "He's in a position to where if he co-signs somebody, it's valid, and he's a real lyricist, and he's got good taste. I mean, look at his music," [article id="1672877"]A$AP told Mixtape Daily.[/article] "Therefore, when he comes to listen to people like me and he gets inspired and then wants to take us out on tour, it just shows you he's a real dude."

But some took the co-sign as a slight to Drake's Young Money labelmates, spawning rumors that the So Far Gone MC was unhappy with his label.

"I spent a lot of time out there [in Toronto]; that's what this album is about," Drake explained. "That's what I'm gonna showcase. It's the same thing with the tour: I wanna bring Kendrick, I wanna bring A$AP, those are guys that I love. It has nothing to do with people on my label," he added. "Tyga's out, Nicki's working on an album and everybody else is doing their thing on the road with Wayne or with Wayne in the studio, so I just sort of showcased the music that I happen to love right now, and those are the two guys that I'm bringing out."

As far as what fans can expect from his Club Paradise Tour (the reconfigured dates have yet to be announced), the OVO general didn't reveal much but promised to do it big. "I don't want to disclose too much but I know what people usually bring to colleges and I know that they usually try and scale it down when they go into college venues," he said. "I will probably do the opposite."

What do you think of Drake's opening acts? Tell us in the comments!

Latest News