Drake

Artist Bio

Drake needs little introduction. In the last decade, the Canadian-born rapper became a ubiquitous force in pop culture, surpassing many of his idols and influences to become one of the most successful rappers of all time. Breaking out in 2009 with the release of So Far Gone, he has since released nine studio albums, including his collaborative effort with 21 Savage, Her Loss. A protegé of Lil Wayne, Drake's ascended into rap royalty throughout his decade-plus long run at the top of the rap game.

Early Life

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on Oct. 24th, 1986 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Sandra Graham and Dennis Graham, a musician from Memphis. The rapper entered the entertainment industry at a young age, having appeared on the teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation as Jimmy Brooks, a student who became physically disabled after getting shot during a school shooting. He expressed his reluctance about his portrayal of Jimmy Brooks due to the fact that he was among the only Black characters on the show and its potential impact on his rap career. However, organizations like Wheelchair 4 Kids proclaimed that Drake brought representation to disabled groups on television. Eventually, he left the cast of Degrassi to pursue his musical career.

Breakout

In 2006, Drake released his debut mixtape, Room For Improvement, including production from Boi-1da and Frank Dukes, as well as features from Lupe Fiasco and Trey Songz. Although the project failed to make a significant impact, it laid the foundation for his prosperous career. The following year, he released Room For Improvement as the first project under his imprint, October's Very Own. The mixtape produced the single, "Replacement Girl" with Trey Songz. The video for the record helped Drake become the first unsigned act from Canada to have his music video played on BET.

Signing To Young Money

Jas Prince, the son of Rap-A-Lot founder J. Prince, introduced Drake's music to Lil Wayne, who immediately gravitated to the sound and invited the Toronto rapper to meet him in Houston. As they developed a rapport, Drake eventually began performing during Lil Wayne's tour in support of Tha Carter III, which eventually led to his deal with Young Money Records. Plus, Drake's ability to easily shift between singing and rapping further convinced Lil Wayne the budding star onIt was after he signed with Young Money that he released his mixtape, So Far Gone -- a modern-day classic that shifted the sound of hip-hop in the decade that followed.

Since then, Drake's sound has evolved heavily, expanding into the worlds of pop music with songs like "Hotline Bling" and "One Dance." The latter of which has been widely credited for helping establish the prominence of Afrobeats sounds that are prevalent in modern music.

Discography

Within the first few years of his career, Drake became a massive commercial success. He became the second artist to have two top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 early in his carer with "Best I Ever Had" and "Every Girl" -- a premonition of his dominance in the years to come. Following the success of albums like Thank Me Later and Take Care, he cemented his name as a fixture in hip-hop and upheld the standard he created with subsequent projects like 2013's Nothing Was The Same, 2015's If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and of course, 2016's Views.

Since 2016, Drake has been on a prolific run in his career that included the release of his double-disc album, Scorpion, which spurred his ongoing conflict with Kanye West and Pusha T. Additionally, between 2021 and 2022, he released three projects: Certified Lover Boy, Honestly, Nevermind, and Her Loss with 21 Savage, who he will be embarking on the It's All A Blur tour with.

Billboard Records

Coming off of a strong 10-year run between 2010 and 2020, it only made sense that Billboard named him the Artist Of The Decade, a title that came as a result of numerous chart-topping singles and an undeniable presence on radio, even when he was dissing his enemies.

Drake currently holds the title for the most #1 debuts (7), most top 5 hits (35+), and most consecutive weeks spent on the Hot 100 (431 weeks between 2009-2017), among others. Additionally, he broke a number of streaming records on Spotify and Apple Music.

Accolades & Business Ventures

Drake's undoubtedly one of the most decorated artists when it comes to award shows. He's won 5 Grammy Awards, 6 Juno Awards, and 34 Billboard Music Awards, including Artist Of The Decade. His latest Grammy came as a result of his latest collaboration with Future, who he worked with on What A Time To Be Alive.

Besides his accolades, Drake's developed an incredible entrepreneurial spirit over the last decade that has resulted in lucrative partnerships, brand deals, and collaborations. The OVO brand remains a leader in streetwear while he recently launched his own Nike sub-line called NOCTA. Additionally, he serves as the brand ambassador for the Toronto Raptors. He also serves as the executive producer on shows like Euphoria and Top Boy.