Rapper Drake has paid tribute to a British teenager who passed away on Sunday (19Jul15) after the boy's friends urged the star to honour their late pal.

The Best I Ever Had hitmaker took to Instagram.com to offer a tribute to Jamal Ottun, a 17 year old who drowned in a lake on Vancouver Island while on a school rugby tour in Drake's native Canada.

After his death, Ottun's friends launched a social media campaign using the hashtag '#DrakeNoticeJamal', calling on Drake to honour the teen, who idolised the rapper.

The musician used the photosharing site to post an image of Ottun and added the caption, "Heard this young man was a big fan. Rest in peace Jamal. Watch over me from way up above!"