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Drake (musician)

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Aubrey Drake Graham, known professionally as Drake, is a prominent Canadian rapper, singer, and actor.

Drake 2010
Drake 2010

He is widely credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities within hip-hop music through a technique known as rap-singing. This approach blends melodic singing with rhythmic rap delivery. Drake has become one of the world's best-selling music artists, with over 170 million units sold.

Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped)
Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped)

His influence extends into business, fashion, and sports, making him a major figure in modern global culture.

Drake's career began in acting on the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Drake July 2016
Drake July 2016

From 2001 to 2008, he portrayed Jimmy Brooks, a basketball player who became physically disabled. While acting, he independently released several mixtapes to build his music career. These included Room for Improvement in 2006 and Comeback Season in 2007. His third mixtape, So Far Gone, was released in 2009 via his OVO blog website. This project achieved mainstream success through singles like "Best I Ever Had," which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This success led to a major recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.

His transition to studio albums marked a period of massive commercial growth. His debut album, Thank Me Later, was released in June 2010 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It became the top-selling debut album of 2010. Following this, Drake released a series of successful albums including Take Care (2011) and Nothing Was the Same (2013). His fourth album, Views, held the number one spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks.

Drake July 2016
Drake July 2016

Other major releases include Scorpion (2018), Honestly, Nevermind (2022), and For All the Dogs (2023). Every one of these studio albums reached number one in the United States.

Drake holds numerous records regarding chart performance and digital sales. He has achieved 14 Billboard 200 number-one albums, which is a joint record for male soloists. He also holds a joint record for male solo artists with 13 Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles.

Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped)
Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped)

His sixth album, Certified Lover Boy, set a record for the most US top-ten songs from a single album, with nine tracks. Furthermore, he is ranked as the highest-certified digital singles artist in the United States. His massive presence is reflected in his 81 top 10 singles and 217 top 40 singles on the Hot 100.

His personal history is rooted in Toronto, Ontario, where he was born on October 24, 1986.

Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure
Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure

He is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. His father, Dennis Graham, is an African-American drummer from Memphis, Tennessee. His mother, Sandra Graham, is a Canadian Ashkenazi Jew who worked as a teacher and florist. Drake grew up in various Toronto neighborhoods, including the working-class Weston area and the affluent Forest Hill. He attended several schools, including Forest Hill Collegiate Institute and Vaughan Road Academy. He eventually received his high school diploma in October 2012 at age 25.

Beyond music, Drake is a prolific entrepreneur with diverse business interests. In 2012, he co-founded the OVO Sound record label with his collaborator Noah "40" Shebib.

OVO Sound
OVO Sound

He serves as a global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors basketball team and owns naming rights to their practice facility, the OVO Athletic Centre. His business ventures include the OVO fashion label, a Nike, Inc. collaboration called Nocta, and the fragrance house Better World. He also co-founded the production company DreamCrew. In 2016, he began collaborating on the bourbon whiskey brand Virginia Black.

Lil Wayne in Concert
Lil Wayne in Concert

His economic impact is significant, as he was reportedly responsible for 5% of Toronto's annual tourism income in 2018.

Throughout his career, Drake has received significant critical acclaim and awards. He has won five Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, and 41 Billboard Music Awards. He has also earned three Juno Awards and two Brit Awards.

Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure
Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure

Billboard recognized him as the Artist of the Decade for the 2010s. He is also noted as the highest-grossing hip-hop touring artist. While his popularity has led to widespread media coverage and high-profile rap feuds, his professional achievements remain central to his legacy in the music industry.

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🖼️ Images & Media (8)
File:Lil Wayne in Concert.jpg
Lil Wayne in Concert.jpg
File:Drake 2010.jpg
Drake 2010.jpg
File:Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped).jpg
Drake at Bun-B Concert 2011 (1) (cropped).jpg
File:Drake July 2016.jpg
Drake July 2016.jpg
File:KendrickSZASPurs230725-21 - 54683275585 (cropped).jpg
KendrickSZASPurs230725-21 - 54683275585...
File:Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure.jpg
Drake Madame Tussauds London Wax Figure.jpg
File:OVO Sound.png
OVO Sound.png
File:MidEast Jet Boeing 767-29NER - N767KS - ZRH (24004583063).jpg
MidEast Jet Boeing 767-29NER - N767KS -...
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