Drake hit the stage for the MTV Video Music Awards with a mass of pyrotechnics and his newsingle, Started From The Bottom.

The rapper started his performance alone, revving up the audience with his electrifying energy. Then, in a flurry of lights and pyrotechnics, Drake awed the crowd with his vocals, eventually garnering a standing ovation form Will Smith.

The track comes from the artist's upcoming album, Nothing Was the Same. As the first single off his self-produced album, the song hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has already been certified platinum.

With Started From the Bottom nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video at this year's awards, Drake dished on the song's live TV debut.

"I'm doing Hold On, We're Going Home into Started From the Bottom, so [it's] really just an exciting performance to show the range and also show the diversity of music on [Nothing Was the Same]," the 26-year-old rapper told Hot New Hip-Hop.

The musician also warned that pyrotechnics would be a big part of his performance.

"We're blowing the stage up, I got things going off, I had to test with the fire marshal and it's gonna be good," Drake said, according to Hot New Hip-Hop. "I've been doing this for a while, pyro doesn't scare me."

Due to hit stores on Sept. 24, the Young Money backed record marks Drake's third full-length studio album.

Tags
Drake, 2013 MTV VMAs