Drake has revealed that he’s learned to cope with his detractors after he initially found criticism hard to deal with at the start of his career.

The Canadian hip-hop star, currently in the middle of the UK leg of his Club Paradise tour, told The Guardian that he struggled to understand at first why some people were so hostile towards him:

"I can't lie to you. I read what they have to say and it's ... character-building. There have been times when a negative comment about me would be the be all and end all, and I'd wonder, Why do you hate me so much? Why would you tell me that you want to kill my mom or see me dead?

"It's scary for me to say this on record, but artists are only human, and we seek validation like everyone else.”

However, the 25-year-old admits that he now refuses to let any negative comments affect him so much: “You just have to come to the conclusion that it's OK, there are going to be people who like you and people who don't. Luckily there are millions of people who love me and a few who don't."

The 'Find Your Love' star even claimed that he can now take some of the put-downs in good humour: "No one ever says anything to me in person. I mean, I've had it happen to me before but it's just silly, like, 'Oh Drake, you're a pussy!' and then they drive off really fast. But I get it, man. It's being young. It's funny. If I wasn't in this position, would I do dumb shit? Maybe."