Drake Explains His Absence on Jay-Z's First Single

It was in early June when the news first broke that rap superstar-in-the-making Drake would appear on the first single of Jay-Z's much-anticipated album 'The Blueprint 3'. So it came as a complete shock for hip hop followers this week when Jigga's official opening salvo 'Run This Town' -- a track featuring R&B-pop fashionista Rihanna and super producer turned MC Kanye West -- premiered nationwide on radio stations. Yet one person wasn't shocked: Drake.

"I don't know who came up with that rumor to be honest, but I always knew what Jay's first single was going to be," the hype-building Toronto MC told the BoomBox this afternoon. "Me and Jay did a lot of work together. Maybe at one point he was considering doing it and someone got over-excited and put out a press release that I was going to be on the first single."

So what does Drake, who is working on his Young Money/Universal Republic studio debut 'Thank Me Later' following the rousing success of his mixtape 'So Far Gone,' think about the chest-beating track? "I think Jay made a great choice," he says. "I think the 'Run This Town' song is phenomenal. I think Kanye kills that s---. I actually heard that song when it was a Rihanna track."

As for now, Drake is optimistic that he will still appear on Mr. Carter's upcoming September 11 release. "I had a conversation about it a couple of days ago," Drake says of his studio work with the Jigga man. "We have more than one record to pick from. Jay-Z is one of those guys that's just too good. I would be definitely disappointed if I wasn't on it. I think it's going to be a legendary project. I have my fingers crossed."