drake bio

Drake Bio

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In an era where rappers can achieve commercial success through so many platforms, Drake has conquered the hip-hop landscape like no rapper ever has. Outselling the competition has become second nature to the Canadian prodigy, as evidenced by his staggering record sales, long list of accolades, and utmost dominance on the charts.

The mainstream supremacy is no front, though: Drake’s songs showcase a mastery of rap elements like rhyme, flow, and imagery. Throughout his prolific career, Drake has crafted a sound that the industry has never heard before. As a result, he has opened the hip-hop door wider than ever before, bringing in scores of new fans to appreciate the genre.

Quick Facts

Birth Date October 24, 1986
Birth Place Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Nick Name Drizzy

 

Champagne Papi

Nationality Canadian
Zodiac Sign Scorpio
Children Adonis Graham (b. 2017)
Most Successful Songs “Forever” (feat. Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Eminem)

 

“Hotline Bling”

“Headlines”

“Hold On, We’re Going Home”

“In My Feelings”

“One Dance”

“God’s Plan”

Net Worth Estimated value of $250 million
Social Media twitter.com/Drake

 

instagram.com/champagnepapi

facebook.com/Drake

Major Awards 4x Grammy Award winner

 

6x winner at the American Music Awards

20x winner at the BET Hip Hop Awards

29x winner at the Billboard Music Awards

Last updated June 17, 2022

Early Years

The man fondly known as Drizzy was born Aubrey Drake Graham on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Canada. Drake comes from mixed heritage: his father, Dennis Graham, was an African-American musician with roots in Memphis, while his mother, Sandra Graham, was a Canadian Jew who worked as a schoolteacher.

When Drake was five years old, his parents divorced; he ended up staying with his mother while his father dealt with legal issues in the U.S.

Drake Early Years
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Musical connections in Drake’s family foreshadowed his future career. His father, Dennis, was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis, and his uncle Larry was a bassist for the San Francisco-based band Sly and the Family Stone. For what it’s worth, his maternal grandmother Evelyn Sher was reportedly a babysitter for the legendary Aretha Franklin.

Acting Career

Drake’s first foray into the world of entertainment came by way of an acting career. He first displayed his acting chops as a student of Toronto’s Forest Hill Collegiate Institute. At the age of 15, he dropped out of school altogether to pursue acting.

Through the help of an agent, Drake secured a main role in the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. As disabled basketball star Jimmy Brooks, Drake appeared in 100 episodes across seven seasons of Degrassi. His final appearance on the series was in 2008.

Drake Like Jimmy Brooks In TV Show Degrassi
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Aside from Degrassi, Drake appeared in various other television programs during the 2000s. These include the Showtime series Soul Food, the musical series Instant Star, and the CBC sitcom Sophie. He also had a bit part in the 2007 film Charlie Bartlett (which had a cast that included Robert Downey, Jr. and Kat Dennings).

The Jump to Hip Hop

Though Degrassi was a highly successful television venture, Drake’s acting career would soon take a permanent backseat to his ambitions in the music industry.

As a matter of fact, the producers of the show took notice of Drake’s frequent tardiness and lack of focus during his final year on the set. This was because his music career was already starting in earnest. In no time at all, it would become Drake’s entire life.

In 2006, he had already released his first mixtape, Room for Improvement, via self-distribution. Featuring production work from Frank Dukes and Boi-1da (who would go on to be a frequent Drake collaborator, Room for Improvement sold exactly 6,000 copies.

Drake Comeback Season
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The following year, Drake put out his second mixtape, Comeback Season, which would lead to his big break in the hip-hop world.

Impressed by Drake’s rapping and singing abilities on the mixtape, music executive Jas Prince played songs from Comeback Season for Lil Wayne during a car ride in Houston. According to Prince, Lil Wayne decided right there and then to fly Drake to Texas, as Houston was going to be one of the first stops of his Tha Carter III tour.

While touring, Drake and Lil Wayne recorded several songs, including the track “Forever.” Initially a collaboration with Lil Wayne and Kidd Kidd, “Forever” would go on to be a popular cut from the soundtrack of More than a Game, a 2009 LeBron James documentary.

The soundtrack version featured cutthroat verses from Drake, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, and Eminem. “Forever” ended up being one of Drake’s early successes, as the track was certified 6x platinum.

Signing with Young Money

The hits just kept coming for Drake. Through his own record label October’s Very Own (OVO) website, he released his third mixtape, So Far Gone, in February 2009. Featuring appearances from Lil Wayne, Trey Songz, and Bun BSo Far Gone was a smash hit in terms of volume of digital downloads. Because of this, the mixtape was re-issued as an EP in October 2009; the EP went on to be certified gold.

Drake Signing With Young Money
Image from Fandom

That same year, various record labels were in the running to sign the red-hot Drake. There were no surprises, however, when his signing with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment was confirmed. As a member of Young Money, Drake joined the America’s Most Wanted Tour, which kicked off in July 2009.

On this tour, he performed alongside other Young Money talents such as Nicki Minaj, Young Jeezy, and Soulja Boy. However, disaster struck when he suffered an ACL injury during an on-stage accident in New Jersey. After undergoing surgery and rehab, Drake picked up steam once more as he resumed work on his very first studio album (which he had begun putting together earlier in 2009).

A Terrific Trifecta

On June 15, 2010, Drake released his debut album, Thank Me Later. This initial full-length outing showcased the full extent of Drake’s abilities at that point: infectious dance tracks, romantic beats, and sensual tunes.

In addition, the album featured several big names in hip hop: Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and T.I. (along with Timbaland and Swizz Beatz on the production end). Thank Me Later became Drake’s first platinum-certified album, while the single “Best I Ever Had” received two Grammy nominations in 2010.

Drake Debut Album Thank Me Later Cover
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The gap between Drake’s first and second albums can be attributed to one of his defining traits: his highly prolific work as a recording artist. Barely a year and a half after the release of Thank Me Later, Take Care took the hip hop industry by storm.

On Take Care, Drake achieved an even smoother sound, thanks to the impeccable fusion of R&B and pop-rap. The title track (a collaboration with his on-again, off-again love interest Rihanna) exemplifies his beautiful downbeat approach, while singles such as “Headlines” and the Nicki Minaj-assisted “Make Me Proud” spice up the album with well-placed hip hop swagger. As such, Take Care was certified 6x platinum and was named Best Rap Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

Drake Third Album Cover Nothing Was The Same
Image from Fandom

Then, less than two years later, Drake released his third studio album, Nothing Was The Same. Once again, he brought out the big guns: Jay-Z, Big Sean, and Jhené Aiko contributed verses and vocals, while his long-time OVO producer Noah “40” Shebib handled the bulk of production duties.

With Drake’s bravado at an all-time high, Nothing Was The Same asserted his supremacy in the rap game. “Started from the Bottom,” the album’s first single, celebrates his journey to the summit of hip hop; while his other singles (such as “Hold On, We’re Going Home” and “Pound Cake/Paris Morton Music 2”) are likewise oozing with supreme confidence.

Certified 4x platinum, Nothing Was The Same was named 2014 Album of the Year at the BET Hip Hop Awards and Rap Recording of the Year at the 2014 Juno Awards.

Feuds, Feuds, Feuds

The early 2010s established two major themes that would follow Drake throughout his career: massive success and animosity from peers.

As Drake was reveling in the accomplishments of the first two albums, he was also engaging in beefs with fellow rappers. In 2010, right around the release of Thank Me Later, Drake claimed in an interview that he had mastered the punchline style of flow prevalent in rap at that point.

To prove his point, he used a Ludacris lyric—something that the Atlanta-based rapper didn’t appreciate. Ludacris would then respond with the diss track “Bada Boom.”

The following year, Common took aim at Drake on his song “Sweet,” to which Drake responded by delivering scathing liens of his own on the Rick Ross single “Stay Schemin’.” Then, in 2012, tensions rose between Drake and Chris Brown, presumably due to their love triangle with Rihanna.

Their respective groups even got involved in a physical altercation between their respective camps at a Manhattan nightclub. (Brown later posted a picture of a chin injury that he supposedly sustained in that melee.)

Drake And Rihanna
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For what it’s worth, Drake has buried the hatchet with all three of these hip-hop artists. Drake and Chris Brown even went on to collaborate on the 2019 song “No Guidance,” which was nominated for Best R&B Song at the 2020 Grammy Awards.

In addition, the intense beef between Drake and Meek Mill (which started in 2015) has also come to an end, with the two teaming up on the song “Going Bad,” which was released in 2019. (However, there seems to be no such peace pact between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, whose competitive back-and-forth started in the early 2010s as well.)

Memes Made, Records Broken

For the rest of the 2010s, Drake’s music career remained extremely productive, as seen in his high volume of singles and mixtapes released (along with two studio albums).

In February 2015, with no marketing or announcement beforehand, he dropped the mixtape If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late on iTunes. As if to punctuate Drake’s commercial power, the surprise project would go on to break Spotify’s first-week streaming record. The mixtape also got a Grammy nod for Best Rap Album in 2016 (among other nominations in the same category that year).

Five months after the release of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, Drake put out four singles, including the wildly popular “Hotline Bling.” While the pop/R&B-influenced track is a sensational listening experience in and of itself, the music video for “Hotline Bling” took on a life of its own.

Inspired by the work of artist James Turrell and helmed by Director X, the “Hotline Bling” video inspired hundreds of memes around the Internet. As such, “Hotline Bling” underscores Drake’s immense influence in the digital age of the music industry.

In September 2015, Drake released his second mixtape of the year: the aptly titled What a Time to Be Alive. Just like If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, this collaborative project with Future reached the number one spot on the Billboard 200.

As such, Drake became the first rapper since Jay-Z to have two projects take the number one spot in the same year. In addition, these projects marked the beginning of a four-year pattern for Drake: from 2015 to 2018, he released at least one mixtape and at least one studio album in alternating years.

Drake Fourth Album Cover
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In 2016, his fourth album (which went from being named Views from the 6 to simply Views) came out. Views was a bold experiment regarding musical style, as it fused genres as varied as dancehall, West African music, and trap.

Though Views was one of Drake’s weaker projects in terms of critical reception, its nevertheless attained commercial success as it was certified 6x platinum. In 2017, Drake released the mixtape More Life (which featured his father, Dennis Graham, on the cover).

Doubling down on the dancehall flavor that characterized Views, More Life was certified 2x platinum. That same year, Drake also set a record for most wins at the Billboard Music Awards (13) in a single year.

Scorpion and the Secret Son

2018 was marked by the release of his fifth studio album, Scorpion. This double album deconstructs the primary elements of Drake’s signature style: its first disc is essentially a hip-hop project, while its second disc underscores his mastery of pop and R&B.

While critics took aim at the length of the project (all in all, it contains 25 tracks), Scorpion conquered major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. This led to another record for Drake: he became the first artist to amass more than a billion streams within a week of his album’s release.

Scorpion Studio album by Drake
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As if Scorpion‘s sensational performance wasn’t headline-grabbing enough, one of the songs on the tracklist delivered a bombshell heard ’round the world. Prior to the album’s release, Drake’s heated rival Pusha T claimed (via the diss track “The Story of Adidon”) that the Canadian icon had a secret son.

On “Emotionless,” the fourth track of Scorpion, Drake confirmed the child’s existence. (In March 2020, Drake posted the first public photos of his son, two-year-old Adonis Graham, on Instagram.)

Staying Busy

Entering the 2020s, Drake showed no signs of slowing down. After putting out an EP, a compilation album, and a mixtape between 2019 and 2020, he launched his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy, in 2021. Though the album earned distinctions that are to be expected of Drake—number one on the Billboard 200, impressive streaming numbers—it became the subject of controversy as well.

In December 2021, Drake asked the Recording Academy to withdraw the album’s Grammy nominations: Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance for the Young Thug- and Future-assisted “Way 2 Sexy.”

Drake Album Certified Lover Boy
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His motivation for this request is unclear, though he had been at odds for quite some time with the Academy due to their questionable categorization of his music (as well as other dubious decisions, such as The Weeknd’s snubs in 2021).

No matter what his intentions were in these circumstances, Drake remained focused on maintaining a high level of productivity. On June 16, 2022, he gave the world a single-day notice for an album drop. Sure enough, his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, was released the day after. The album’s foray into house music indicates that Canada’s biggest hip-hop icon is far from finished in terms of finding new ways to make worldwide hits.

Legacy

In a 2017 YouTube video for HipHopDX, rapper Murs neatly laid out the niches occupied by the three biggest rappers in the game today: Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and J. Cole. According to the 3 Lane Theory outlined by Murs, Drake is the king of the hip hop industry’s “pop lane.”

This means that, when it comes to chart-toppers and commercial blockbusters, Drake’s music is second to none. The “pop lane” appears to be the polar opposite of the “hip hop lane” occupied by J. Cole, whose opus “2014 Forest Hills Drive” prioritized pure lyricism and artistic vision over mainstream appeal. (For what it’s worth, Kendrick Lamar was categorized in the “hip-pop lane,” which aspires to merge a strong hip-hop aesthetic with a radio-friendly approach.)

Drake Legacy
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This framework is arguably the most eloquent way of explaining Drake’s legacy in hip-hop history. While he has taken plenty of flak for hollow lyrics and a pop-heavy style, he has essentially conquered a niche of the rap game that was previously bannered by the likes of Nelly and Flo Rida. Drake doesn’t just rightfully belong to the pantheon of hip hop greats.

Along with the likes of Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and his former flame Rihanna, Drake has become one of the most successful musicians of the 21st century.

Why is Drake influential?

Drake’s mastery of digital technology is a significant factor in the expansion of his influence. He and his creative team have an uncanny knack for coming up with lyrics, melodies, dance moves, and videos that take the Internet by storm.

The popularity of the “YOLO” (You Live Only Once) mantra can be traced to Drake’s song “The Motto,” a bonus track on his second album, Take Care. Drake also got countless fans dancing to “Hotline Bling” and “In My Feelings,” as evidenced by hundreds upon hundreds of clips on TikTok and YouTube. In short, when it comes to building a buzz and creating a worldwide trend on social media, Drake is a master like no other.

FAQs

Question: Is Drake married?

Answer: To date, there have been no reports of Drake tying the knot with anyone. His dating history, on the other hand, has been well-publicized. Drake has been romantically linked to Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez, Kat Dennings, Tyra Banks, Zoe Kravitz, and Serena Williams, among others. (To add: the mother of his child Adonis is painter and former model Sophie Brussaux.)

Question: Has Drake gotten involved in legal troubles?

Answer: In 2012, Drake was sued by singer (and alleged ex-girlfriend) Ericka Lee over co-writer royalties, supposedly stemming from her involvement in the production of the song “Marvin’s Room.” A settlement between Drake and Lee was reached the following year.

Drake has also been on the receiving end of lawsuits pertaining to fair use and copyright infringement, though he has mostly made it through unscathed. In one instance—wherein he supposedly failed to ask permission for sampling a song from jazz artist Jimmy Smith—Drake actually won the lawsuit.

Question: What are Drake’s ventures outside the hip hop industry?

Answer: In 2008, Drake co-founded the lifestyle brand October’s Very Own (OVO) with Oliver El-Khatib and Noah “40” Shebib. Aside from Drake’s music pursuits (his record label and radio station), OVO produces clothing, accessories, and art. In 2016, he launched Virginia Black Whiskey, a collaborative venture with entrepreneur Brent Hocking. Aside from these, Drake has had a host of endorsements (including Apple Music, Sprite, and Burger King); and he is a fervent supporter of the NBA team Toronto Raptors.

Bottom Line

Answer: If hip hop were a school community, Drake would be that charismatic classmate whose every move charms a horde of onlookers. Though his peers have outdone him in certain elements of the craft (particularly the art of lyricism), he has undoubtedly risen above all of them as the most popular representative of the rap genre.

Music fans can do anything with Drake’s work: they can sing and rap along, dance to the beat, or just soak in the heartfelt emotion conveyed by each smash hit. In this sense, Drake has achieved something far greater than any of his commercial triumphs: the satisfaction of an artist whose masterpieces are genuinely appreciated by the world.

Sources

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