DRAKE VS. EVERYBODY
WHETHER YOU CALL HIM DRIZZY DRAKE, THE BOY, 6 GOD, DO RIGHT AND KILL EVERYTHING, OR ONE OF THE SEVERAL ADOPTED NAMES HE’S COOKED UP, Drake has adopted, adapted and carried Toronto culture on his back for a decade. Whether it’s his vocal respect for veterans who came before him, shaping Toronto’s newfound moody and ambient sound with his inhouse OVO Sound producers, or his insistence on highlighting new talents like Majid Jordan, PartyNextDoor or Halal Gang, the 29-year-old actor-turned-rapper has carved out his own lane in Toronto’s music industry and is inviting the city to ride along.
It hasn’t always been smooth, and wellwishes didn’t come from everyone along the way, but his perseverance and dedication took him from Wheelchair Jimmy to hometown hero and global icon. Most importantly, the October’s Very Own leader has transformed Toronto’s hip-hop scene from archaic clutter and isolated infrastructure into an entertainment hub where the world seeks new talent, new sounds and of course,
new Views From the 6.
1986 to 1999 Aubrey Drake Graham is born on October 24, 1986 in Toronto to Sandi (a white Jewish Canadian) and Dennis Graham (a black man from Memphis, TN who helped Al Green write “Let’s Stay Together” and “Love and Happiness”); they divorce in 1990. His mother raises him in Toronto’s west end while he spends summers in Memphis.
2000 to 2005 Through a high school friend, 15-year-old Aubrey meets an entertainment agent, who lands him the role as Jimmy Brooks on long-standing Canadian TV series Degrassi: The Next Generation. Shortly after the show premieres on October 14, 2001, Aubrey drops out of high school. After his father is incarcerated, Aubrey takes an interest in rap music when Dennis Graham’s cellmate, Poverty, raps for him over the phone. During this time, Aubrey also meets Oliver El-Khatib, who is a part of DJ collective Lebanon Dons with Noah ‘40’ Shebib; he takes on a managerial role in Aubrey’s newfound rap career. When his Degrassi character is paralyzed from a school shooting, he becomes known to fans as “Wheelchair Jimmy” — a name that will carry over to Drake’s newfound identity. Drake will be let go from the series in 2009.
2006 On February 14, Drake releases his debut mixtape Room for Improvement, which totals 22 tracks, including 17 original songs; it includes production from Boi-1da, Frank Dukes and guest features from Slakah the Beatchild, Nickelus F and Voyce, the latter with whom he abruptly parts ways shortly after the mixtape’s release. A diss track toward Voyce entitled “Exposed” surfaces, as well as an additional diss track toward Halifax artist Aristo entitled “Good Riddance,” which features JD Era, Jonny Roxx, Ken Masters, Bishop Brigante and Young Tony (aka OVO Hush). The dust settles on both disagreements, and Room for Improvement sells 6,000 copies.
2007 Drake releases the video for the Trey Songz-assisted “Replacement Girl” on April 30, and it becomes a “Joint of the Day” on BET’s influential music show 106 & Park — Drake is the first unsigned Canadian rapper to be featured on the American network. On October 24, a 23-track version of the Comeback Season mixtape is released on the unofficial October’s Very Own label. It contains features from Phonte, Elzhi and Little Brother, as well as local veteran Kardinal Offishall, with whom Drake previously had a disagreement over his lyrics dissing a former Black Jays-affiliated artist on the remix “City Is Mine.” Ultimately, “The Last Hope,” produced by Rich Kidd and also featuring Andreena Mill, becomes the peace bridge between the pair. Kardinal suggests Drake should sign to Akon’s label, as he has, but no further movement is initiated.
2008 Jas Fly, son of Rap-A-Lot founder James Prince, introduces Drake’s music to Lil Wayne. Drake receives a call from Lil Wayne while sitting in the barbershop chair, inviting him to Houston, and on November 18, they meet and establish a bond. They record several songs, including “Ignorant Shit,” “Ransom,” “I Want This Forever” and a remixed version of “Brand New.” During Lil Wayne’s performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, instead of performing his own lyrics to “Misunderstood,” he performs lyrics written by Drake and shouts him out, launching him from obscurity into a whirlwind of media attention. Drake also stars in a 14-minute short video titled “Us & Them” by the production company By Any Means Necessary, who’ll eventually direct videos for “Marvin’s Room,” “Headlines” and “The Motto.”
2009 Drake’s third project, So Far Gone, is digitally released on February 13; it peaks at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, led by the single “Best I Ever Had.” Drake becomes the first artist to appear on both the Hot R&B/ Hip-hop Songs and Hot Rap Tracks charts simultaneously, and sells over 300,000 units by June. In May, Drake finds himself in the infamous “Blackberry” scandal, where it’s alleged that during a freestyle on New York’s Hot 97 radio station, his freestyle was actually read off a Blackberry, drawing negative press and fuelling authenticity debates.
Drake’s bad luck continues — he’s robbed at gunpoint later that month, which he asserts was a setup, and he files a police report. With tensions already high between local rapper Big Page and Drake following the unauthorized release of Page’s song “I’m Still Fly” earlier in the year, Page turns to Twitter to denounce Drake as a “snitch” — having already called him out for being from Forest Hill and not “hood” — igniting a feud and ending the friendship between the two. Drake denies all label-signing rumours, but shares with Complex magazine that he’s signed to Hip Hop Since 1978’s management. On June 29, following a concert in New York, Young Money Entertainment confirms Drake as their newest signing. The two-million-dollar deal serves as a joint venture between Young Money Entertainment and Cash Money Records, and also includes a distribution deal with Universal Republic. It becomes known as one of the last best deals in the rap industry, as he retains full ownership of his masters, and will only share 25 percent of sales with the label. In July, while performing with Lil Wayne in Camden, NJ, Drake falls and injures his knee; he undergoes surgery two months later. On September 15, So Far Gone is rereleased as a seven-track EP that debuts at #6 on the Billboard 200.
2010 Drake releases moody mid-tempo single “Over” in March, followed by “Find Your Love” in May. Both singles are immediately compared to Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak, and while he praises Kanye’s talent, Drake shuts down comparisons, insisting he’s in his own lane. Despite losing his first Grammy nominations for “Best I Ever Had,” Drake wins Best Rap Recording of the Year for So Far Gone at the Juno Awards on April 18, followed by Canadian Hip-Hop Single of the Year at the Stylus Awards. During his acceptance speech, Drake says, “If you’re not here in this room, you’re doing something wrong,” igniting more rumours of his disdain for Big Page.
Drake embarks on the 78-date Away From Home North American tour in April, which features k-os, Francis & the Lights, Clipse and Tyga, as well as P. Reign on Canadian dates. While on tour, MTV follows Drake for two months leading up to the release of his debut album, Thank Me Later. In the Juneaired documentary, Drake: Better Than Good Enough, Drake reveals that his mother is suffering from health issues, and he postpones the European leg of the tour when she undergoes surgery in July. Drake also reveals that producer Noah ‘40’ Shebib suffers from multiple sclerosis. Introspective coming-ofage tale Thank Me Later is released on July 15. It debuts at #1 on the Billboard 200, sells 446,680 copies and will be certified platinum in Canada. By summer, “Best I Ever Had” and YMCMB ( Young Money Cash Money Billionaires) collaborative single “Every Girl” hit the Billboard Hot 100 at #3 and #10, making Drake only the second artist to ever have his first two top ten hits in the same week. Although technically launched in 2009, Drake introduces the world to the “first”