Lil Wayne knew Drake was a superstar at first meeting

Lil Wayne knew Drake would be a superstar as soon as he met him.

'6 Foot 7 Foot' hitmaker Wayne knew as soon as he was introduced to his Canadian protege, he had the right qualities to become a chart topping star.

He told MTV: "The first thing I said was, 'this kid's a superstar'

"I can't sing. I can make a song, but this kid has the actual R 'n' B presence. Then he's one of the dopest lyricists. That right there, he has a welcoming appearance.

"I knew he was something bigger than something I had envisioned for my company when I ran into this kid."

Wayne proved right, and Drake's debut album 'Thank Me Later' has sold over a million copies and was one of the most critically acclaimed records of last year.

Wayne also praised female rapper Nicki Minaj - also signed to his Young Money Entertainment record label - saying she has grown out of needing his advice before laying down her rhymes.

He added: "I can't front, I just thought she was going to be the new female MC that none of these other female MCs can touch. But now, she's blossomed into a megastar

"I used to be able to go into the studio and say, 'Nah, don't say that, don't say that'. You know, 'That was better'. Now, 'Do what you do, baby. I don't have a clue about what you're doing right now, but it's working - do it'."