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Drake is a Canadian rapper and singer who has been an influential figure in contemporary popular music. He has been credited with popularizing singing and R&B sensibilities in hip hop artists, and has also explored various genres, such as dancehall, pop, and trap. He has sold over 170 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time1
Drake was born Aubrey Drake Graham on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario. He is of Jewish and African-American descent, and has dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. He started his career as an actor, playing Jimmy Brooks on the teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 to 2008. He then pursued a recording career, releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement in 2006. He followed up with two more mixtapes, Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009), before signing with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment2
Drake’s first studio album, Thank Me Later, was released in 2010, and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the Canadian Albums Chart. The album featured the hit singles “Over”, “Find Your Love”, and “Fancy”, and received positive reviews from critics. Drake’s second album, Take Care, was released in 2011, and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. The album featured the hit singles “Headlines”, “Make Me Proud”, “The Motto”, and “Take Care”, and showcased Drake’s versatility and creativity. Drake’s third album, Nothing Was the Same, was released in 2013, and also debuted at number one on the US and Canadian charts. The album featured the hit singles “Started from the Bottom”, “Hold On, We’re Going Home”, and “All Me”, and received critical acclaim3
Drake’s fourth album, Views, was released in 2016, and marked a departure from his previous rap-oriented style. The album was influenced by dancehall and Afrobeats, and featured the international hit singles “Hotline Bling”, “One Dance”, and “Too Good”. The album broke several records, such as the most streamed album on Spotify in its first week, and the longest-running number one album by a male solo artist on the Billboard 200. Drake’s fifth album, Scorpion, was released in 2018, and was a double album that consisted of a rap side and an R&B side. The album featured the number one singles “God’s Plan”, “Nice for What”, and “In My Feelings”, and became the first album to surpass one billion streams in a week4
Drake’s sixth album, Certified Lover Boy, was released in 2021, and achieved nine top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, briefly setting the record for the most US top-ten hits from one album. The album featured the number one single “Way 2 Sexy”, and received mixed reviews from critics. Drake also released two collaborative albums, What a Time to Be Alive (2015) with Future, and Her Loss (2022) with 21 Savage. He also released several mixtapes and EPs, such as If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late (2015), More Life (2017), and Dark Lane Demo Tapes (2020)5
Drake is one of the most successful and influential artists in the music industry today. He has won four Grammy Awards, six American Music Awards, 27 Billboard Music Awards, and two Brit Awards. He has also been nominated for 44 Grammy Awards, the most by any rap artist. He has also been involved in various business ventures, such as his clothing line OVO, his record label OVO Sound, his whiskey brand Virginia Black, and his esports team 100 Thieves. He is also a philanthropist, donating to various causes and organizations, such as the University of Toronto, the Union Gospel Mission, and the Lotus House6
