Drake Was Once A Background Vocalist On A Nelly Furtado Tour

Drake is the biggest thing in music right now, but the Canadian chart-topper has come a long way and a quick rerun of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" is all the proof you need. Still, his path to super-stardom was a lengthy one and we just learned a brief tid-bit about the hip-hop heavyweight that might surprise some folks. He was once a background vocalist on a Nelly Furtado tour.

In a new interview with Nylon, the pop star spoke about her take on the current state of music. "I'm excited that its urban scene is on the map right now, because I’ve been holding it down for 20 years," she said, before naming a few of her favorite new acts. It was a response that prompted the interviewer to mention how Nelly did it all long before Drizzy Drake arrived on the scene.

"Drake knows," Nelly replied, before revealing that the rapper was on the road with her for her 2007 "Get Loose Tour." "He did background vocals for Socrates, my opening act," she added.

Socrates is a Toronto-based singer/rapper, who joined the star for plenty of promotional performances as well as the aforementioned trek. He was most visible during her performances of "Promiscuous" when he would take over Timbaland's vocal responsibilities. 

Now, go ahead and add that tid-bit to your internal musical encyclopedia. Expect some new (Drake-less) Nelly Furtado music when her forthcoming LP, The Ride, drops on Friday, (March 31).

Photo: Getty Images