With what seems like the weight of the world on his shoulders, Drake still strolls into a room with the confidence a newly crowned winner. HipHollywood caught up with the rap phenom in Atlanta at the Sprite Step Off competition and he revealed that he can’t quite step, but he can cut a few moves. “I can’t step, but I can slow dance…if I find the right slow dancing partner.”

Drake spends quite a bit of time in Atlanta and reveals that it reminds him a lot of his hometown. “I love everything about Atlanta. I just shot a Complex cover here. I love lights, and Atlanta at night is beautiful. The women are beautiful, the food is good. The condos are nice. It’s a great place.  I’m always looking for elements of Toronto whenever I go somewhere because that’s my favorite city.”

With Canada’s musical presence practically taking over the U.S. music charts, Drake is nothing less than excited about his fellow musicians staking their claim in the industry. “Me and Melanie [Fiona] used to play at a restaurant back in the day. We used to be in a band together. I used to rap over piano with no drums and she used to sing. We used to entertain people having dinner.”

He lights up like a proud papa when asked about Melanie Fiona’s Grammy nominations. “For me to see her nominated for a Grammy, hear her single all the time and hear her album, I’m extremely proud. I’m always proud to see Canadians – Michael Buble, Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, everybody’s doing so great.”

With such overwhelming success, some forget that superstars weren’t always stars. Nor is it an easy road to conquer. Drake’s often considered a “rich kid from Canada,” referring to his upbringing and long stint as a child actor on Degrassi: The Next Generation, but he reveals that money was running out near the end of the his acting gig and options were low. “I love seeing young people do anything productive.  I’m a guy from Toronto, who at one point in my life was lost and didn’t quite know what I would do with life. I was acting, and it was sort of coming to an end on this particular show. I was just trying to figure my own life out.”

Drake credits Lil Wayne with helping him find his way. He recounts several naysayers claiming that he should have taken a different route, possibly signing with Jay Z, but Drake insists that he too loyal for that. “No one would have even known who I was if it wasn’t for Lil Wayne showing that initial interest in me. I’m a Young Money soldier.”