Drake: "Kanye West Changed Rap Music"

19 November 2011, 17:34 | Updated: 19 November 2011, 17:38

The 'Make Me Proud' rapper says Kanye West paved the way for a different type of rap artist.

Drake has credited both Kanye West and Outkast's Andre 3000 with helping the rap industry shake off its thuggish image.

The 'Miss Me' rapper says two made it possible for artists like himself to release material that didn't fit in with the stereotypical image of rap music.

"I think Kanye deserves a lot of credit and Andre 3000 deserves a lot of credit for the shift in what you have to be a rapper and what your music has to sound like," Drake told The Daily Beast this week.

"Those guys made it OK for melody to be introduced," Drake explained. "They made it OK to not necessarily be the most street dude.

"For me, I started to believe more in myself when I saw those two guys. I thought, 'I’m good at rapping , so if they just respect the talent and don't crucify you for what your past is or who you are, then I should be OK'."

Drake released his second studio album 'Take Care' to critical acclaim earlier this week.