Austin Mahone hangs out with a new group now thanks to his association with Cash Money Records and the 17-year-old hopes to get some great collaborations out it.

The singer was recently a part of a deal that partners up Chase Records - where Mahone has a record deal - with Cash Money Records. Both labels are affiliated with Universal Republic, which puts the What About Love singer on the same roster as Lil Wayne, Drake and The Game.

"It's really cool. Cash Money and Universal teamed up to help me and help me grow my career," he told MTV News on Oct. 11 in New York City. "Those guys are just amazing and super nice; very professional. It's really cool to be a part of it."

The MTV Video Music Awards winner is brand ambassador with Lil Wayne's Trukfit clothing line and hopes one of the Cash Money guys might make an appearance on his upcoming debut album.

"You know, [Cash Money] just told me to keep working hard," he said. "They keep telling me they believe in me, and it's really cool to hear that from them, 'cause, you know, I've been a fan of them for years and it's really cool to hear that. Plus, they give me encouragement and just tell me big things are coming, they got songs for me. A lot of things are happening and it's really a lot of fun."

There is one artist Mahone holds in high regard and admitted he would like to work with: "Probably Drake. He's one of my biggest inspirations for music. He's an amazing artist. He speaks his mind and he keeps it real, so I'd like to do a collaboration with Drake."

The Texas singer opened for Taylor Swift on select dates of her Red tour and dubbed Artist to Watch at the VMAs in August, where he also performing on the pre-show telecast. His single, What About Love, peaked at No. 66 on the Hot 100 and at No. 18 on the Pop Songs chart, according to Billboard.

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