Drake, born Aubrey Graham, is a highly successful Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and actor.
He initially gained fame for his role on the television show Degrassi: The Next Generation. After departing from the show, he pursued a career in music and signed with Young Money Entertainment.
Since then, Drake has become one of the most prominent figures in the music industry, selling over 200 million units.
He has achieved thirteen number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been honored with five Grammy Awards.
Parents
Drake was raised primarily by his mother, Sandi Graham, an English teacher and florist. His parents separated when he was five years old.
His father, Dennis Graham, is an African-American drummer from Memphis who played with Jerry Lee Lewis. Dennis met Sandi in a Toronto nightclub where he was performing.
Following the separation, Drake and his mother remained in Toronto, while his father returned to Memphis. Drake has mentioned that his parents could have done a better job co-parenting.
Despite any past difficulties, Drake has expressed unconditional love for both his parents, often referencing them in his music and interviews.
Drake and his father appear to be on good terms, despite some disagreements. Drake even joked about a tattoo his father got of his face.
In January 2024, Drake shared a photo of his parents together in Canada, noting it was the first time in over 15 years his father had been allowed back into the country.
Career
Drake began his career as a child actor before transitioning to music.
Drake’s career includes acting in Degrassi: The Next Generation and becoming a Grammy-winning rapper known for songs like Take Care, One Dance and Hotline Bling.
Drake released his first mixtape in 2006 and left Degrassi in 2008 to pursue music full time. He was “kicked off” the show because he was juggling two professions.
In 2009, Drake released his third mixtape, So Far Gone, which became very popular online and made him a well-known name.
The mixtape’s most successful track, Best I Ever Had, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Kanye West directed the music video for Best I Ever Had.
Drake’s first three albums, Thank Me Later (2010), Take Care (2011) and Nothing Was the Same (2013) each debuted atop the Billboard 200.
On September 20, Drake released a collaborative mixtape with Future, What a Time to Be Alive.
It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Drake the first hip-hop artist to have two projects reach number one in the same year since 2004.
In 2016, Drake released his fourth studio album Views, which was originally titled Views from the 6.
The lead single, One Dance, became Drake’s first number-one single in Canada, the US, and the UK as a leading artist.
By 2025, Drake had won five Grammys and broken several chart records. In February 2019, he received his fourth Grammy Award for Best Rap Song, for God’s Plan.
