Drake's Progress

On his track "The Lounge," upstart Asher Roth asks, "What's a rapper look like?" The Toronto-born MC nee Aubrey Graham, bka Drake, went from a wheelchair-bound highschooler caught up in a Columbine-style shooting on The N's "Degrassi: The Next Generation" to a rap boy wonder surfing the crest of a wave of mixtape success, that positively crashed with his acclaimed So Far Gone. So what does a rapper look like these days, and if he can be a former child actor, what separates him from, say, Will Smith's "Yo homes, to Bel Air!" antics? For one thing, an air-tight affiliation with Lil Wayne and his Young Money Entertainment underscores that his rap credentials have been checked and scanned at the door. But the wavy-coiffed 22-year-old also more than earns his "Heartbreak" Drake moniker. Download "Best I Ever Had" or check Drake's melodic stylings on "Brand New" and try to remember when the Fresh Prince ever set your grade-school heart aflutter.