DRAKE VMAs REHEARSAL PICS & PERFORMANCE PREVIEW!!!

During his Friday afternoon VMA rehearsal, Drake, in a TLC t-shirt and jeans, keeping it casual-Friday, sauntered around the stage, confident but with no trace of arrogance. Offstage, he was friendly, cool, and collected, making time to chat with all of the MTV staff there to interview him.

Mary J. Blige and Swizz Beatz will join Drake for his performance (expect "Fancy") -- she'll lend her signature bring-down-the-house belt and he'll step out from behind the boards to spew some of that spitfire flow. But Drake's VMA performance will be a very stylish, very slick, and of course, very smooth -- beginning of the end of his very big, super-smooth year.