Drake addresses his meme-ification and Canadian rap on SNL, all while beardless

Drake gave shout-outs to Canadian rap, his internet memes and collaborator Rihanna as he pulled double-duty for a second time as both host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live.

The Canadian rapper, whose beard-shaving for the comedy appearance sparked a mixed reaction from fans online, opened his monologue with a quick reference to his Canadian roots and a joke about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

• Canucks who have appeared on Saturday Night Live

"I'm from Canada and I know what you're thinking, but no, you cannot move in with me if Trump wins," he said.

• Trump to celebrities threatening to emigrate to Canada: Go

The hometown prodding continued with sketches that showed the rapper's comedy chops.

In a Black Jeopardy skit, Drake played a contestant from Toronto named Jared who mentioned Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall and the Juno awards in his answers, getting them all wrong and confusing the game show host.

"Look, no good rap comes from Canada, OK?" host Darnell Hayes, played by Kenan Thompson, responded.

The former Degrassi star performed his latest hit One Dance with that signature jig from 2015's Hotline Bling, a song that sparked a flurry of parodies about his dancing style in the music video. But that didn't stop him from busting a move during the musical interludes. 

• Drake dancing in Hotline Bling sparks online sensation

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night came from a brief appearance by comedian and SNL alum Chris Rock, who dropped by just to introduce the musical performance. It was so quick that you could have missed it if you blinked.

Drake wasn't afraid to make fun of himself throughout the show, bursting into song during his monologue and crooning melancholic about how he is more than the sum of the memes that make use of his famously expressive face. 

"I just wanna scream that I'm more than a meme," he sang. "You don't love me for me, you just love me for memes."

Here are a few more choice rhymes from the surprise jam.

"Trynna' say you really care about me, but then you put my picture on ET."

"Catch me lookin' with those bedroom eyes, asking if you're gonna' finish those fries."

"I do not complain, I'm not a whiner, but why am I sitting on the Seinfeld diner?'

When the song was over, Drake finished the scene by donning a wig and pretending to be Rihanna, his friend and frequent collaborator, while singing a "meme" rendition of their song Work.

This was Drake's third appearance on Saturday Night Live. He first appeared as musical guest back in 2011 and was the host/musical guest in 2014.