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'."