Who is Drake?

Early Life and Rise to Fame

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, to Dennis Graham, a drummer who played with soul legend Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sandi Graham, an educator. This bicultural background exposed him early to the creative world and intellectual curiosity alike. Drake grew up in the diverse communities of Toronto, a city that would later figure heavily in his artistic mythos – most overtly on Views (2016) with imagery of the iconic CN Tower and Toronto bridges.

His first taste of fame came as an actor: he played Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 to 2009. While acting placed him in the public eye, it was his transition to music – beginning with early mixtapes like Room for Improvement (2006) – that truly catalyzed his path toward global superstardom. His early efforts showcased a blend of rap, introspective lyricism, and melodic hooks that would become his trademark.

Breakthrough and Musical Style

Drake’s breakthrough came with So Far Gone (2009), a mixtape that featured hits like “Best I Ever Had” — a track that blurred the boundaries between rap and R&B, appealing to hip‑hop purists and pop audiences alike. From there, his rise was rapid: he signed with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment, and each successive project further cemented his star status.

Drake’s music is characterized by vulnerability in traditionally masculine genres like rap. Songs like “Marvins Room” and “Take Care” delve into heartache and self–reflection, while tracks like “Started from the Bottom” celebrate personal triumph. This duality — emotional honesty paired with assured swagger — helped redefine what mainstream hip‑hop could express.

Commercial Dominance and Chart History

Over the last decade, Drake has broken countless records. Hits like “One Dance,” “God’s Plan,” and “Hotline Bling” dominated streaming platforms worldwide, helping him become one of the most streamed artists in history. His ability to consistently generate hits across musical styles — from dancehall‑influenced rhythms to trap beats and introspective ballads — is a rare talent.

A 2025 report indicated Drake shattered the record for total Spotify streams, reaching a staggering milestone that underscored both his longevity and adaptability in the streaming era. His catalog includes dozens of billion‑stream tracks, showing not just momentary bursts of popularity but enduring global resonance.

Albums and Artistic Growth: A Timeline

Drake’s discography charts both his personal and artistic evolution:

For All the Dogs (2023): A deeply personal project blending braggadocio with vulnerability.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U (2025): A collaborative album with PARTYNEXTDOOR, blending Drake’s introspective style with eclectic production and danceable beats.
Iceman (expected 2026): Announced as his ninth studio album, Iceman was highly anticipated due to its timing following years of speculation and delay. Produced with familiar collaborators like Tay Keith and Oz, the project represents a return to solo focus after collaborative endeavors.

Singles tied to Iceman — such as “Dog House” featuring Yeat and Julia Wolf — demonstrated his ongoing relevance and willingness to work across contemporary styles.

Drake’s willingness to evolve is one of his defining traits: he resists repeating the same formula, instead incorporating elements of new sounds, producers, and cultural moments into each project.

2025–2026: Tours, Festivals, and Live Performances

While Drake’s studio work continues to define his legacy, his live decisions reflect a shifting approach to global performance. In early 2025, he launched the Anita Max Win Tour in Australia, though some scheduled shows were postponed and later canceled.

2025 also saw Drake announce European tour dates, including two major performances at Amsterdam’s Ziggo Dome — his first European appearances in years. That same year, he confirmed the return of OVO Fest, his Toronto–based celebration of music and culture, promising further engagement with fans and collaborators.

As 2026 unfolds, rumors of a world tour tied to Iceman continue to excite fans, suggesting a massive global presence on the horizon — though details remain fluid with ongoing legal and personal matters.

Awards, Recognition, and Industry Standing

Drake’s Grammy presence remained notable in 2026, with nominations for his work alongside peers like The Weeknd — a fellow Canadian who also represents the global mainstream of contemporary R&B and pop inflected hip‑hop. These nominations reflect not only streaming success but peer recognition.

Over his career, he has amassed multiple Grammy wins and untold numbers of other awards, including Billboard Music Awards and BET Awards. His records for chart longevity, streaming milestones, and cultural imprint place him firmly among the top musical artists of his generation.

Cultural Impact Beyond the Charts

Drake’s influence extends far beyond record sales. He helped normalize the emotional vulnerability in hip‑hop that younger artists now embrace without hesitation. Songs that grapple with love, heartbreak, and introspection — once seen as uncool in rap circles — are now central to modern hip‑hop and R&B, in part due to his massive platform.

Language and slang from his lyrics seep into popular culture, and his references to cities like Toronto have put them on the global map. “The 6” — his affectionate nickname for Toronto — is now a mainstream label recognized worldwide, a testament to his impact on cultural geography.

Feuds, Controversies, and Public Battles

Drake’s career has not been without conflict. He has been involved in high‑profile rap feuds, most notably with Kendrick Lamar. Their rivalry — which included diss tracks, public back‑and‑forth, and intense media coverage — became one of the defining hip‑hop narratives of recent years. At times it spilled into legal action and public complaints, including lawsuits surrounding performances and defamation claims tied to lyrics and diss tracks.

Despite these frictions, parts of the feud took on the feel of spectacle as both artists pushed each other creatively while media and fans dissected every move. In 2025, Lamar even surpassed Drake’s record for the highest‑certified rap song, eclipsing Drake’s “God’s Plan” as the top certified track in history – a symbolic moment in hip‑hop’s competitive landscape.

In 2026, legal controversies surfaced again with a class‑action lawsuit alleging Drake used online gambling money to fund automated music streams, a claim he and his collaborators have faced in public forums. These legal entanglements highlight the complex intersection of digital streaming culture and modern music business practices, especially for artists as prolific as Drake.