Drake (rapper)

Drake

Drake at the Sound Academy, in Toronto in 2011
Born Aubrey Drake Graham
(1986-10-24) October 24, 1986
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation
  • Rapper
  • singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
  • actor
Years active 2001–present
Net worth $60 million (Forbes)

Musical career

Genres
Instruments Vocals
Labels
Associated acts
Website drakeofficial.com

Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986),[1] known professionally as Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario.[2] He first garnered recognition for his role as Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later rose to prominence as a rapper, releasing several independent mixtapes before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.[3] Drake's EP, So Far Gone (2009), spawned the singles "Best I Ever Had", "Successful", and "I'm Goin' In", all peaking in the top ten of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The album sold over 600,000 records, peaked at number two on the U.S. US Billboard Top Rap Albums and was certified Gold.

His first studio album, Thank Me Later (2010), debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the singles "Find Your Love", "Over", "Miss Me", "Fancy", It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Take Care (2011), is his most successful to date, topping charts in the United States and Canada and producing the singles "Take Care", "Headlines" and "The Motto", the last of which is also credited for popularizing the widely used acronym YOLO. In promotion of his second album, Drake embarked on the international Club Paradise Tour, which became the most successful hip-hop tour of 2012, grossing over $42 million.[4] His album would go on to represent his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album, and sell over 2 million records, subsequently being certified 4x Platinum. His third studio album, Nothing Was the Same (2013), was supported by the singles "Started from the Bottom" and "Hold On, We're Going Home". The album was a commercial success, topped the charts in multiple countries, and sold 658,000 copies in its first week of release. In 2015, Drake debuted two mixtapes, If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and What a Time to Be Alive. The two records were critically acclaimed, nominated for Grammy and Billboard Awards, and finished the year as one of the best selling hip/hop records of the year, the former being certified 2x Platinum. His fourth studio album, Views, was released in 2016. The album was supported with the singles, "Hotline Bling", "One Dance", and "Pop Style", and has been credited with popularizing the reference to Toronto as "The Six." He is set to headline the Summer Sixteen Tour, with rapper Future in promotion of his latest album and mixtape.

Drake is known for his soft melody and emotional lyrics. Most of his songs contain R&B and Canadian hip hop elements, and he combines rapping with singing.[5] His work has earned him a Grammy Award, three Juno Awards, six BET Awards, and set several significant Billboard charts records. Drake has the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart with 12 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 14.[6] He is one of two artists (the other being 50 Cent) to have simultaneously occupied the top three positions on both charts. All of Drake's commercial albums and mixtapes are certified Diamond in Canada. He along with producer Noah "40" Shebib formed a record label named OVO Sound in early 2012. He produces records under the pseudonym Champagne Papi. Drake is a member of the Forbes Five, which ranks Hip Hop's Wealthiest Artists; listed fifth, he follows rappers Birdman, Jay Z, Dr. Dre, and Diddy.[7] He is currently the global ambassador for the Toronto Rapters, his hometown NBA team.

Early life

Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where Drake attended high school.

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario to parents Sandi Graham (née Sher), an educator, and Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis. On his father's side, he is related to American musicians Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges, who are his uncles.[8][9][10][11][12] Drake's father is an African-American from Memphis, Tennessee, and Drake's mother is a caucasian Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah.[13][14][15] His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in two Toronto neighbourhoods; he lived on Weston Road in the city's working-class west end,[16] until the sixth grade, when he moved to the affluent Forest Hill.[17][18] In his youth, he played minor hockey with the Weston Red Wings.[19] Drake has commented on the move to Forest Hill and his mother's struggle, saying that "She wanted the best for her family. She found us a half of a house we could live in. The other people had the top half, we had the bottom half. I lived in the basement, my mom lived on the first floor. It was not big, it was not luxurious. It was what we could afford." Drake then began attending Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where he began acting,[20] but did not graduate.[21] It was the first of two high schools he would attend, as he later went to Vaughan Road Academy, describing it as "not by any means the easiest school to go to. It's a tough school."[16] Despite dropping out of high school, years later, he graduated in October 2012.[22]

Looking back on his early life, Drake had to essentially live two different lives because of his parents' divorce; he lived in an upper-class part of Toronto, and, when in Memphis, was told he was "the furthest thing from hood." He witnessed many life-changing experiences because of this, one being his father's arrest, which he describes by saying: "The fact that I didn't have a father, because he was in jail two separate times. He did a two-year bid and a three-year bid, I was there when he got taken down. We had just gotten back from Memphis." However, Drake comments on his childhood experiences by saying "I've seen things that didn't make me happy. They were character building. That's why I think people in the hood can still connect with what I'm saying even though I'm not saying 'yeah I got crack in my pocket' 'cause that wasn't my struggle necessarily, [but] I speak from a place that's just human emotion." Drake stated that his parents' divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying, "I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother." At the age of 24, Drake commented on his early life by saying "I've seen a lot, man. I've seen a lot of life, put it that way. I've been with the most blessed kids in the world. I've been with people whose life is right at the bottom of the barrel. I was on a TV show, I went to art school, I went to hood schools. I've lived. I've lived a full 24 years, man."[16][23]

Career

2001–05: Degrassi: The Next Generation

At the age of 15, Drake met an agent, the father of a high school friend.[24] The agent found Drake a role on the Canadian TV show Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy Brooks.[25] In the show, Brooks is a basketball star who became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate. Drake describes how his early acting career affected his family, "My mother was very sick. We were very poor, like broke. The only money I had coming in was off of Canadian TV, which isn't that much money when you break it down. A season of Canadian television is under a teacher's salary, I'll tell you that much. It's definitely not something to go fucking get."[16] He would continue his acting career on Degrassi: The Next Generation until 2009, when his character graduated from Degrassi. Overall, he appeared in a total of 138 episodes.

2006–09: Mixtapes and So Far Gone

In 2006, Drake self-released his first mixtape Room for Improvement. The mixtape features artists Trey Songz and Lupe Fiasco. He described it as "pretty straightforward, radio friendly, not much content to it." In a TeenNick interview from that time, he cited his influences as rappers Jay Z, Clipse, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and singers Anthony Hamilton and Maxwell.[25] In 2007, he released another mixtape, Comeback Season, spawning a single and a music video for "Replacement Girl" featuring Trey Songz. Also in 2007, Drake became the first unsigned Canadian rapper to have his music video featured on BET when his first single, "Replacement Girl" was featured as the "New Joint of the Day" on April 30, 2007.[26] It also contained a freestyle over a song with Lil Wayne, a remix of "Man of the Year" originally by Brisco and Flo Rida. In 2008, Lil Wayne was given some of Drake's music from Rap-A-Lot founder, J. Prince's son, Jas Prince, and he immediately called Drake to invite him to fly to Houston and tour with him. Drake and Wayne recorded a couple of songs during this time, including "Ransom", the original version of "I Want This Forever", and the remix to Drake's song, "Brand New". Though now part of Lil Wayne's crew, Young Money, Drake was not signed. On February 13, 2009, Drake released his third official mixtape, So Far Gone, for free download on his blog site, which included Drake's mentor Lil Wayne, Bun B, Omarion, Lloyd and his friend, Trey Songz. It received over 2,000 downloads in the first 2 hours of release. It was extremely successful in the underground and eventually made its way to radio. Due to the success of the mixtape's two singles, "Best I Ever Had" and "Successful", it was released as an EP featuring only five songs from the mix tape and one new song. MTV named it "The Hottest Mixtape of 2009 (So Far)".[27] Since So Far Gone, Drake worked with Rihanna, DJ Khaled, Young Money, Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem, Young Jeezy, Mary J. Blige, Timbaland, Birdman, Trey Songz, and Jamie Foxx. Drake has also written for Alicia Keys, and Dr. Dre. So Far Gone is credited as being his commercial and critical breakthrough as it was much more critically acclaimed and commercially successful than his previous two releases.

He achieved success before signing to a major record label, according to his management Hip Hop Since 1978.[28] In June 2009, it was revealed that an unauthorized album entitled The Girls Love Drake and credited to Drake was up for sale on iTunes. A lawsuit was planned against the label.[29] On the Billboard Hot 100 chart of July 4, 2009, both "Best I Ever Had", and "Every Girl" by Young Money Entertainment entered the top ten at positions 3 and 10 respectively. Drake is only the second artist to have his first two top-ten entries in the same week. The first was fellow Canadian Nelly Furtado who entered the top ten in 2001 with "I'm Like A Bird" the same week as Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On", a remix of which included a credited contribution from Furtado. On June 29, 2009, it was confirmed, that Drake signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment.[30] This followed what Billboard purported to be "one of the biggest bidding wars ever".[31] Drake toured with Wayne and other rap artists on the America's Most Wanted Tour. On July 31, 2009, Drake, who was performing on an already injured knee, fell on stage while performing "Best I Ever Had", with Lil Wayne in Camden, New Jersey.[32] Drake underwent surgery on September 8, 2009 for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee. He underwent rehabilitation and was soon able to walk.[33] On September 15, 2009, So Far Gone was released as a seven-track EP in which five of the tracks were from the original mixtape. It debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200. Since then the album was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold in the United States. On April 18, 2010, the album won Rap Recording of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards.[34]

2010–11: Thank Me Later

Drake performing at the Fox Theater in 2010

Drake planned to release his official debut album, Thank Me Later, in late 2008, but the album's release date was postponed, first to March 2010,[35] then May 25, 2010.[36] Universal Motown then stated the album had been pushed back three weeks for a June 15, 2010, release.[35][37] Thank Me Later was finally released on June 15, 2010. On that day, 25,000 fans gathered at New York's South Street Seaport for a free concert by Drake and Hanson. A near-riot ensued after police cancelled the show due to overflowing crowds.[38] The week of the album's release, the album sold 447,000 copies and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.[39] Due to his first week sales, Drake had sold the most records for any hip hop artist in one week in 2010.[40] Eminem surpassed that accomplishment a week later.[41] The album has collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Jay Z[42] and Lil Wayne while forgoing planned duets with Trey Songz[43] and Danny!.[43] On March 9, 2010, Drake released the first single from his Thank Me Later album, titled "Over".[44] The song was well-received and performed well both commercially and critically. The song reached a peak of No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Rap Songs chart. The song also received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Grammy Awards.[45] On March 12, 2010, a version of K'naan's "Wavin' Flag" recorded by a collective of Canadian musicians known as Young Artists for Haiti was released. Drake is featured in the song, performing a solo verse near the end of the song. In June 2010, it was announced that Drake would have a prominent role in the video game Gears of War 3. He was scheduled to play the part of Jace Stratton, but a scheduling conflict meant it went to someone else.[46] On April 29, 2010, it was announced that Drake had finished Thank Me Later. According to reports, Drake announced the completion of the album to a crowd during his April 26, 2010, show at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.

"Find Your Love" was released as the second single on May 5, 2010. Critics commended Drake's attempt to move into the singing lane on the song, and compared it to Kanye West's work on 808s & Heartbreak. The single became the most successful single from the album, peaking at number 5 on the Hot 100 and receiving a Platinum certification by the RIAA.[47] "Find Your Love" also performed well internationally and was Drake's first top 40 appearance in the United Kingdom and Italy. To date it also remains Drake's only solo top 10 appearance in his home country of Canada. The music video for the single was shot in Kingston, Jamaica and tells the story of Drake being involved in a fateful encounter with a gang-affiliated woman. The video was criticized by Jamaica's minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett who said "We just have to say that care has to be taken by all, including our creative artists, in portraying images of our destination and people, Gun culture, while not unique to Jamaica, is not enhancing [the island's image]"[48] The third single from the album, "Miss Me", featuring Lil Wayne, was released on June 1, 2010.[49] The single proved to be moderately successful, and reached No. 15 on the Hot 100.[50] The fourth and final single released from the album was "Fancy". The song was performed at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2010 with appearances by Swizz Beatz and Mary J. Blige in the performance. The song proved to be his least successful single of the era, peaking at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, it managed to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Rap Songs chart and received a nomination at the 53rd Grammy Awards for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group. Drake hosted the first annual OVO (October's Very Own) Festival. In that festival he brought out the VIP list of rap stars including Jay Z, Eminem, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Bun B and Fabolous.[51] Drake kicked off his "Lights Dreams and Nightmares Tour" on September 20, 2010 in Miami, Florida.[52] The tour travelled to major cities in the United States, winding down on November 6 in Las Vegas.[53]

2011–12: Take Care

Drake performing on his Club Paradise Tour in support of his second studio album Take Care.

Drake's second studio album, Take Care, was announced on November 17, 2010.[54] It was originally scheduled to be released on October 24, 2011,[55] though it was later delayed to November 15, 2011.[56] In late January 2011, Indiewire announced that Drake was in negotiations to join Eva Green and Susan Sarandon in the cast of Nicholas Jarecki's forthcoming feature-film Arbitrage.[57] In April 2011, it was announced that he would no longer star in the movie to focus on the album. "Dreams Money Can Buy" and "Marvins Room" were released on Drake's October's Very Own Blog on May 20[58] and June 9,[55] respectively. The former was not featured on the official tracklisting, while the latter was released as a promotional single through iTunes on July 22 after it gained considerable airplay on Urban radio.[59] The song was certified Gold by the RIAA,[60] peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100,[61] and reached the top 10 of the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.[62] On June 28, the music video for "Marvins Room" was released, featuring him feeling depressed in a club.[63]

"Headlines" was released as Take Care's lead single on August 9, 2011. It was met with positive critical and commercial responses, reaching number 13 on the Hot 100 and was eventually certified Platinum in the United States and Canada.[64] The song also became his tenth single to reach the summit of the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart, which led him to be the artist with the most number one singles on the chart, a record that he still presently holds with 12 number one singles.[65] The music video for the single was released on October 2, 2011, depicting Drake rapping in various locations around Toronto such as Guild Park and Rogers Centre. He performed "Headlines" on ice during the second intermission of the NHL All Star Game in his home country of Canada in January 2012.[66]

"Make Me Proud" was released as the second single from the album on October 16, 2011, and features Trinidadian rapper Nicki Minaj.[67] The single was commercially successful, reaching a peak position of number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[61] It ties the record for largest jump on the Billboard Hot 100 for a male artist (with Akon's "Smack That"), when the song vaulted from number 97 to number 9 in an 88 position jump.[68] The song also reached the peak of both the Billboard Rap Songs chart and the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, marking Drake's eleventh and eighth number ones on both charts respectively.[69] "Make Me Proud" became Drake's fourth consecutive single to receive a Platinum certification by the RIAA.[70]

"The Motto" was released as Take Care's third single on November 29, 2011, and features American rapper Lil Wayne. It peaked at number 14 on the Hot 100 and topped the Rap and R&B/Hip-Hop songs charts, further extending his lead for most number one singles on the rap chart and matching a record set by fellow rapper Jay Z, for most chart-topping singles on Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a Rap artist.[61][71] It is credited for popularizing the phrase "YOLO" in the United States, with the song's hook stating, "You only live once: that's the motto, nigga, YOLO."[72][73] The song's music video was released on February 10, 2012, and features appearances by fellow Young Money rapper Tyga, E-40, and Mistah F.A.B..[74]

The album's title track was released as the fourth single on February 21, 2012, and features Barbadian recording artist Rihanna. The song became his first top 10 single in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.[75] The single was certified 2× Platinum in the United States for sales of over 2,000,000 units, being the second single after "The Motto" to do so.[60] The music video for the single was released after many delays on April 6, 2012, simultaneously with the music video for the fifth single "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)".[76] The video for "Take Care" depicts various scenes of both Drake and Rihanna embracing along with various scenes of natural landscapes and wildlife. Critically, the video was praised, with MTV stating, "None of his contemporaries — not even the ever-obtuse Kanye [West] - make videos like this, mostly because no one else can get away with it."[77] The music video received four nominations at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards for Best Male Video, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, and Video of the Year.[78] The fifth single from Take Care, "HYFR (Hell Ya Fucking Right)" was released on April 24, 2012 and was the least successful single from the album, peaking at No. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100.[79] It was certified Gold by the RIAA, indicating sales of over half a million units.[60] The video for the song won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Hip-Hop Video. In December 2012, FUSE TV named "HYFR" one of the top 40 songs of 2012.[80] In 2012, MTV also ranked Drake as No. 2 on the MTV's Hottest MCs in the Game VII list in 2011.[81] In 2012, he also featured as a voice actor in Ice Age: Continental Drift as the mammoth Ethan.[82]

2012–15: OVO Sound, Nothing Was the Same and other releases

Main article: Nothing Was the Same

Drake and producer Noah "40" Shebib formed a record label named OVO Sound in early 2012. Drake and 40 represented OVO (October's Very Own) since his previous mixtapes were released. The label is currently distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The label signed its first artist who goes by PartyNextDoor and also signed producers Boi-1da, T-Minus, and Mike Zombie. In the event, the previously unissued "Enough Said" by Aaliyah featuring verses added by Drake was released instead on the day of the concert.[83] While touring in the UK in support of Take Care, Drake announced in an interview that he had begun work on his third studio album. He had recently worked with 40, and was hoping to work with Jamie xx, who produced the title track for Take Care, while in the UK, stating that he wants him to "have a bigger presence on my third record".[84] Drake has stated that the album will have a different style than that of Take Care.[85] With the OVO Sound label, features with acts like Roy Woods and Majid Jordan collabed with Drake. Along with underground artist like ILoveMakonnen and WizKid.[86]

In January 2013, Drake was seen filming the music video for a new song titled "Started from the Bottom" and was being directed by Director X.[87] Drake later announced that he will release the song as the first single off his third studio album on the night of the 55th Grammy Awards.[88] The single was instead premiered on February 1, 2013 and released to iTunes five days later. At the 55th Grammy Awards, he won the award for Best Rap Album for Take Care and announced his third studio album would be titled Nothing Was the Same.[89] Many rappers such as Kap G have remixed the song.[90][91] In March 2013 he would premiere a song off the album titled "5 AM in Toronto", a sequel to the Thank Me Later track "9 AM in Dallas". Later in the month he would film a music video for the song and it would be released on April 1, 2013. Drake also would release two more songs on April 15, 2013.[92][93] On September 14, 2013, Drake performed an unreleased song from his upcoming album Nothing Was the Same, titled "Too Much", featuring London singer Sampha on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.[94] He also announced that his "Would You like a Tour?" tour will begin in October 2013.[95]

Drake made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on January 19, 2014; also serving as the musical guest. The episode received acclaim from critics who praised Drake's acting ability and comedic timing.[96][97][98] Drake will host and perform again on May 14, 2016.

Nothing Was the Same is a shortlisted nominee for the 2014 Polaris Music Prize.[99] Drake collaborated with bachata singer Romeo Santos on his song "Odio".[100] On February 12, 2015, Drake released If You're Reading This It's Too Late onto iTunes, with no prior announcement, making it his fourth retail project with Cash Money.[101][102][103][104] As of August 11, 2015, the If You're Reading This It's Too Late mixtape had sold over 1 million copies, making Drake the first artist with a platinum album in 2015. It also marks the rapper's fourth platinum album.[105]

In July 2015, rapper Meek Mill dissed Drake on Twitter, calling him out for not tweeting his album out.[106] On July 25, 2015, Drake premiered a track, titled "Charged Up" that is seen as a response to Meek Mill's allegations.[107] On July 28, 2015, Drake dropped yet another diss track about Meek Mill called "Back to Back" in which he addressed ghostwriting accusations, among other topics.[108] The lyrics of "Back to Back" went viral, especially the phrases "Trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers" (calling Meek out for hiding behind Twitter) and "Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?" (calling Meek out for being overshadowed by his girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, while on tour).[109] Meek Mill responded to Drake's diss with a track of his own titled "Wanna Know", in which he poked fun at some of his rival's embarrassing moments in the public eye, as well as revealing the ghostwritten verse Drake sampled for his song "Know Yourself".[110] Funkmaster Flex released multiple audio recordings of reference tracks featuring Quentin Miller performing the soon-to-be Drake songs, "10 Bands", "Used To" and his guest verse on "R.I.C.O."[111]

On September 20, 2015, Drake released a joint-mixtape with Atlanta rapper Future, What a Time to Be Alive.[112][113] The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, marking the first time a rapper was able to score two number 1's in a year in 11 years, since Jay Z back in 2004.[114] As of January 27, 2016, What a Time to Be Alive has sold 519,000 copies in the United States.[115] The same month, Drake appeared on Fader's 100th issue,[116] and was interviewed by Nardwuar the Human Serviette[116] along with Noah "40" Shebib.

As of 2016, Drake has three consecutive platinum albums and the most number one singles in the Billboard Rap chart history. At times even a mild association with his "brand" has helped to promote events and the careers of his fellow artists.[117]

2016: Views

On January 30, 2016, Drake released a promotional single called "Summer Sixteen", to promote his upcoming fourth studio album Views. The album was originally titled Views from the 6, but it was renamed to simply Views.[118][119] The single debuted at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and contains several lines which reference the likes of Barack Obama, Jay Z, and Kanye West.[120][121][122] In addition, the song also throws a jab at rival Meek Mill and allegedly, fellow Toronto native Tory Lanez.[123][124] On April 5, 2016, Drake released two leading singles from Views "Pop Style" and "One Dance", which debuted within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.[125] During Episode 19 of OVO Sound Radio, Drake had announced that Views would be released on April 29, 2016. Drake later the confirmed the release date himself with a tweet and promotional video.[126] In 2016, Drake became a member of the Forbes Five, which ranks Hip Hop's Wealthiest Artists; listed fifth, he follows rappers Birdman, Jay Z, Dr. Dre, and Diddy.[7]

Views premiered on Apple Music's OVO Sound Radio on April 28, 2016, following an interview with Beats 1 host Zane Lowe, and was released the same night exclusively on Apple Music and iTunes.[127][128]

Toronto Raptors

On September 30, 2013, Drake was announced as the new "global ambassador" for the Toronto Raptors, thereby joining the executive committee of his hometown's National Basketball Association (NBA) team, in conjunction with the announcement of the 2016 NBA All-Star Game being awarded to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.[129][130][131] In this role, he will help promote and serve as a host of festivities for the 2016 NBA All-Star Game, to be held in Toronto, as well as provide consulting services to rebrand the team and redesign its image and clothing line, in honour of its upcoming 20th anniversary, in the 2014–15 season.[132][133] The job includes his own staff, located in an office next to that of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke.[133] In announcing the position, Drake noted that, "obviously, I won't be able to be in the building every day but I am extremely dedicated to it ... I do take it very seriously as a new job and a new chapter in my life."[134] During the 2013–14 season Drake along with the Toronto Raptors organization began hosting "Drake Nights" which started January 11, 2014.[135] On February 12, 2016, at the 2016 NBA All-Stars in his home town of Toronto, Drake was given The Key to the City by mayor John Tory.[136]

Artistry

Drake is known for his soft melody and emotional lyrics. Most of his songs contain R&B and Canadian hip hop elements, and he combines rapping with singing.[5]

Drake has stated that Kanye West, Jay Z, Aaliyah and his mentor Lil Wayne are his biggest influences.[137][138][139] In an interview with SoulCulture TV, Drake revealed that R&B singer Aaliyah has had the biggest influence on his career.[140]

Controversies and feuds

Legal issues

In 2012, an ex-girlfriend sued Drake for using her voice without permission in his song "Marvins Room".[141] In 2014, Drake was charged $300,000 for sampling a 1982 song called "Jimmy Smith Rap", on one of his songs for not properly licensing it.[142][143] Later that year, Drake was again sued for $100,000 by rapper Rappin' 4-Tay for misusing his lyrics on the song "Who Do You Love?".[144]

Feud with Meek Mill

In July 2015, rapper Meek Mill dissed Drake on Twitter, calling him out for not tweeting his album out.[106] On July 25, 2015, Drake premiered a track, titled "Charged Up" that is seen as a response to Meek Mill's allegations.[107] On July 28, 2015, Drake dropped yet another diss track about Meek Mill called "Back to Back" in which he addressed ghostwriting accusations, among other topics.[108] The lyrics of "Back to Back" went viral. In particular, the phrases "Trigger fingers turn to Twitter fingers" (calling Meek out for hiding behind Twitter) and "Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?" (calling Meek out for being overshadowed by his girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, while on tour) were praised heavily.[109] Meek Mill responded to Drake's diss with a track of his own titled "Wanna Know", in which he poked fun at some of his rival's embarrassing moments in the public eye, as well as revealing the ghostwritten verse Drake sampled for his song "Know Yourself".[110] Funkmaster Flex released multiple audio recordings of reference tracks featuring Quentin Miller performing the soon-to-be Drake songs, "10 Bands", "Used To" and his guest verse on "R.I.C.O."[111]

On January 30, 2016, Drake released "Summer Sixteen", his third diss track directed at Mill.[118][124] Mill had said in October that he would not entertain his beef with Drake anymore and that the feud was over.[145][146] However, just 15 minutes after the release of "Summer Sixteen", Mill released a response track, "War Pain."[147] On February 12, Drake, while taking part in NBA All-Star Weekend in his hometown of Toronto as a celebrity coach, mentioned to opposing coach Kevin Hart that 2015 had been a bad year for Philadelphia compared to Toronto. This references both the success of the Toronto Raptors in comparison to the Philadelphia 76ers' struggles, as well as Drake's disses of Meek Mill, who, like Hart, is a Philadelphia native.[148][149]

Other feuds

The first artist to publicly disparage Drake in song was Pusha T.[150] He remixed Drake's "Dream Money Can Buy" and released a single called "Exodus 23:1" on Kanye West's GOOD Music label.[151] Lil Wayne and Drake both responded to the track.[152][153] Pusha T stated that he did not respond to Lil Wayne's insults as he felt they were unworthy of response, but opined that there are "some cool joints" in Nothing Was the Same.[154][155]

During the Take Care era, Common released a song titled "Sweet", which included lyrics critical of rappers who sing and called out a rapper who dressed as Frank Sinatra which many publications identified as a directed at Drake given a recent MTV publicity stunt where Drake imitated Sinatra. Although Common initially avoided specifying that he was targeting Drake on "Sweet" in subsequent interviews, Common later admitted it was, in fact, a dis directed at Drake. Drake responded in the release of "Stay Schemin'" with Rick Ross and French Montana.[156][157] Common's only subsequent public comment was that the feud is over and he wishes Drake well.[158][159]

Drake and Chris Brown were allegedly involved in a physical altercation in June 2012, when Drake and his entourage threw glass bottles at Brown in a SoHo nightclub in Manhattan, New York City.[160] Chris Brown tweeted about the incident and released a diss record weeks later.[161][162] However, Brown and Drake both appeared in a comedic skit for the 2014 ESPY Awards, and rehearsed the skit together prior to the televised airing.[163]

Tyga called Drake "fake" in an interview and said he "doesn't like him as a person".[164][165] Drake later then responded to him on his mixtape If You're Reading This It's Too Late and made jabs about his relationship with then underage Kylie Jenner.[166]

Discography

Main article: Drake discography
Studio albums
Commercial mixtapes

Concert tours

Headlining
Co-headlining

Filmography

 Film[169]
Year Film Role Notes
2008 Charlie Bartlett A/V Jones
2008 Mookie's Law Chet Walters Short film
2011 Breakaway[170][171] Himself Cameo
2012 Ice Age: Continental Drift Ethan Voice
2013 Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues Ron Burgundy fan Cameo
2014 Think Like a Man Too Himself Cameo
 Television
Year Title Role Notes
2001 Blue Murder Joey Tamarin Episode: "Out-of-Towners: Part 1"
2001–2009 Degrassi: The Next Generation Jimmy Brooks 139 episodes
2002 Soul Food Fredrick Episode: "From Dreams to Nightmares"
2002 Conviction Teen Fish Television movie
2005 Best Friend's Date Dater Episode: "Season Finale"
2005 Instant Star Himself Episode: "Personality Crisis"
2008 The Border PFC Gordon Harvey Episode: "Stop Loss"
2009 Being Erica Ken Episode: "What I Am Is What I Am"
2009 Sophie Ken Episode: "An Outing with Sophie"
2009 Beyond the Break Himself Episode: "One 'Elle' of a Party"
2011 Saturday Night Live Himself (musical guest) Episode: "Anna Faris/Drake"
2012 Punk'd Himself Episode: "Ashton Kutcher"
2014 Saturday Night Live Himself (host/musical guest) Episode: "Drake"[172]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Drake - Music Biography, Credits and Discography". AllMusic.com.
  2. ↑ Caramanca, Jon (November 16, 2011). "Drake Pushes Rap Toward the Gothic". The New York Times. Retrieved February 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ Brown, Charley (June 29, 2009). "Drake Signs To Young Money / Universal Motown". WeLiveThis.com.
  4. ↑ Pollstar (July 16, 2012). "Top 50 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). Pollstar. Pollstar. Retrieved July 16, 2012.
  5. 1 2 "Drake Crowns himself as the first successful rap-singer". Vibe.com. July 27, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Rihanna & Drake Rise to No. 1 on Hot 100 With 'Work'". Billboard. Retrieved March 11, 2016.
  7. 1 2 "The Forbes Five". Forbes. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
  8. ↑ "Larry Graham Talks about his family ties to Drake with Lenny Green". YouTube. 2011-06-17. Retrieved 2016-04-16.
  9. ↑ Deziel, Shanda (June 22, 2009). "Drake superior". Maclean's. Retrieved June 22, 2009.
  10. ↑ Mervis, Scott (May 24, 2012). "Preview: Drake rises from the rap pack with a moody, sensual style". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2013-07-29. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
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  13. ↑ Barshad, Amos (June 2010). "Drake: The Heeb Interview". Heeb. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
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  42. ↑ Drake: Artist Profile The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved on June 24, 2009. In the late 2009 Drake dated Rihanna and broke up in 2012. The two are not dating but they said they will remain friends.
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