DRAKE PERFORMS AT RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL!

Hip Hop's star of the moment cut a rare figure at Radio City last night.

Drake boasts a different character, sound and homeland than most of those so anointed.

Born in Toronto to a white Jewish mother and an African-American father - and first known for his acting on the Canadian TV show "Degrassi: The Next Generation" - Drake renders the old hip-hop mandate of hard-core "street cred" laughably antique.

The 23-year-old, whose name is Aubrey Drake Graham, has also broken the mold by proving as fluid a singer as he is a rapper, a rarity in a world where stars primarily known for speaking in rhythm cough up singsong vocals at best.

Live, however, Drake didn't sing that much, outsourcing most of that work to backing tracks. That's a shame, considering that when he did croon, he proved as silky and emotive as on CD.

Luckily, Drake's rapping proved commanding enough on its own, aided by his sure presence. His confidence has beguiled both young men and women, evidenced by the equal split in genders at last night's event.

Such lures have not only helped Drake sell more than 1 million copies of his debut CD, "Thank Me Later," they've landed him in the news. An appearance at the South Street Seaport in June drew so many more fans than promoters expected that it caused a riot.

Nothing so theatrical took place last night. Then again, a smooth run makes sense for a star whose style proves uncommonly sensitive for rap. In the tradition of more recent Kanye West, or younger stars like Kid Cudi, there's a melancholic side to Drake's sound. That came through most strongly last night in the soft electric keyboards, which gave the songs a supple underlay. In numbers like "Successful," Drake delivered his dense verse with conversational ease.

He re-created the best hooks from his CD, like the one in "Fireworks," which literalizes the title phrase with soft, evocative pops. Though he didn't have a singer as strong as Alicia Keys to back him on the song (as he does on CD), a joyful array of guest rappers turned up, including Birdman and J. Cole.

Naturally, Drake took time out to salute the man who first sponsored him, Lil Wayne, encouraging a shoutout from the crowd loud enough for the incarcerated rapper to hear at Rikers.

Then again, Drake needed no such tough-guy alignments to make his music real. If anything, the night proved suburban dreams have a truth in them, too.