Drake: How a boy from Toronto became a global superstar?

Imagine the kid who lived next door, or the kid you used to have lunch with in school become a superstar that the world loves. Well, that's what happened to everyone who knew Drake. The one and only Champagne Papi, Aubrey Drake Graham, was born October 24, 1986, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Dennis Graham, an African-American musician born in Memphis, Tennessee, and Sandi (Sher) Graham, a Canadian Jewish educator.

But How did a boy from Toronto blow up to become the most successful commercial artist of all time? Just an ordinary kid with bushy brows, grew up to become an ultrarich musical sensation. How fascinating is that, isn’t it?

As a young man, Drake appeared in several commercials, for retailers such as Sears and GMC. He became known as an actor in the hit television series “Degrassi: The Next Generation” (2001) playing the role of Jimmy Brooks, a basketball star who was confined to a wheelchair after being shot by a teammate. class.

In 2006, Drake launched his music career with his first album, "Room for Improvement." Three years later with “So Far Gone,” he surprised with his talent for singing and rapping, with hits like “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful,” and, the following year, he released his official debut album, “Thank Me Later.”, with generally positive reviews.

In addition to his work in music, he has also ventured into film by providing the voice of a teenage mammoth in the animated film Ice Age 4: Continental Drift (2012). He has returned to television as a guest host on the television show Saturday Night Live and executive producer of the HBO series Euphoria . He is also the founder of OVO Sound, a record label and creative collective. There is no doubt that Drake is one of the most successful and influential artists of his generation.

Drake is a prolific musician who has been releasing an album, or two, a year. And a whole lot of singles that go viral every now and then. Now that we’re talking about his music, here are some of the notable mentions of Drake’s musical endeavours.

Talk Me Up, with Jay Z, in which he sounds closer to a combative rap to attack Donald Trump; After Dark, with Static Major and Ty Dolla Sign, the classic elegant r&b song with a soul touch that has made Drake the king of the "cocktail party" and the bomb: Don't Matter to Me , in which the MC rescues a recording of Michael Jackson with Paul Anka from 1983 to mark an anthological duet on a song that is a bit reminiscent of The Weeknd. The best thing about Drake's albums is that they could be heard perfectly without the voice because if there is one thing he is good at, it is creating bases with playful and seductive musical textures. By listening to tracks like Survival or God's Plan you understand why today the musician shines so brightly on the international scene.

A lot of credit for his success also goes to TikTok and Instagram, I believe. The series of Drake songs that went viral on social media platforms gave Drake a whole different level of recognition, and also the riches. Drake is a brilliant artist with remarkable ability to write down hard-hitting lyrics. Apart from music, the controversies also helped him stay relevant. Be it beef with Kanye West, or dating Rihanna, or dropping subliminal disses for other rappers, everything that has happened can be attributed to Drake’s massive career. So there you have it. Making genuinely good music that tends to go viral, controversies, getting signed by Young Money, launching a luxury apparel brand is all it takes to buy a 99 million dollar mansion. Quite easy, isn’t it?