News of actor-turned-rapper Drake's highly-anticipated first single 'Shut It Down' featuring R&B singer The-Dream hit the net several weeks back via an interview with the song's producer, Omen, who called the collaboration a "Prince-like, powerful song," aimed at "empowering females."

Now Drake has confirmed the collaboration will be the lead single from his as-yet-unfinished and forthcoming debut full-length set, the tentatively titled 'Thank Me Later.'

"It's sexy. It's slow, but there's an energy to it. I rap on it. Me and Dream both sing on it. It's cool," Drake said in a conversation with Billboard, in which he claims 'Shut It Down' is really "an R&B song."

The Canadian MC, who picked up the Rookie of the Year award at the BET Hip-Hop Awards over the weekend, claims the single is unique because it has a "message that's never really been explored by male singers. This song is sort of like an anthem for women, like pre-the club. It's like an anthem for you to be at your house with your girlfriends getting ready, what you listen to before you get there. It's a song for the non-famous woman to make her feel special and just to let you know that even though I'm up here and have the option to mingle with these 'upper-echelon' women, if you will, that sometimes I'd rather be with the girl from back home or a student or a girl that works at Wal-Mart. They don't have to be a star or rich or anything like that; that's kind of the gist of the song. It's an empowering song for all women."

According to Omen, a Hype Williams-directed video for 'Shut It Down' is in the works, so look out for that shortly.

Drake's album, 'Thank Me Later' is slated for an early 2010 release.

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