Microsoft has announced that Grammy nominated recording artist “Drake” will be voicing Jace Stratton in Gears of War 3. Drake’s debut album “Thank Me Later” is released on June 14. His in-game character in Gears 3 is playable as part of the four player co-op campaign.

“Jace is a central character in the comic books, so he was an obvious choice as a character we wanted to bring into the third game,” said Epic Executive Producer Rod Fergusson. “When we began casting for the role, ‘So Far Gone’ had just released and Drake’s combination of heart and grit was just what we were looking for. Rather than search for somebody who sounded like him, it was clear that we should approach him directly… fortunately he turned out to be a huge fan.”

“When Epic came to me with the role, I couldn’t pass it up,” said Drake. “They’ve created an amazing character in Jace, and I’m looking forward to my tour in Delta Squad.”

Gears of War 3 will be released April 2011 on the Xbox 360.