Drake has confessed he has taken drugs to cope with the pressures of fame. The rapper was catapulted to stardom in 2010 after his debut album Thank Me Later went to number one in America, but he has revealed his career comes at a price as he feels an '"overwhelming stress" as an artist and he has taken substances "in moderation" to relax.

"Have I sipped codeine before? Yeah, of course. Have I smoked weed? Yes. Do I drink wine? Yes. But do I do it excessively? No. I'm not a reckless guy. I do it all within moderation," he told The Guardian.

Although he is completely in control of his life, the 25-year-old musician - who has collaborated with the likes of Rihanna, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne - can understand why lots of stars do go off the rails: "You get artists who go crazy and don't know how to handle it. There are people who have killed themselves. There's the overwhelming stress, how tired you are, the weight on your shoulders of going out and giving 18,000 people entertainment ... It's a lot of pressure."

The Grammy-nominated rapper - who is currently touring the UK - admits he does get affected by criticism. If he reads negative comments about himself or his music it makes him unhappy. "It's scary for me to say this on record, but artists are only human, and we seek validation like everyone else. 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."