Drake | |
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Drake performing at OVO Fest in 2016
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Born |
Aubrey Drake Graham October 24, 1986 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Occupation |
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Years active | 2001–present |
Website | drakeofficial |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instruments | Vocals |
Labels | |
Associated acts |
Drake's cover on Fader Magazine's 100th Issue from January 2015 |
Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Drake initially gained recognition as an actor on the teen drama television series Degrassi: The Next Generation in the early 2000s. Intent on pursuing a career as a rapper, he departed the series in 2007 following the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement. He released two further independent projects, Comeback Season and So Far Gone, before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.
Drake released his debut studio album Thank Me Later in 2010, which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was soon certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His next two releases were 2011's Take Care and 2013's Nothing Was the Same, with certifications of quadruple and triple platinum respectively in the U.S., with the former also earning him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Album. They were followed by two mixtapes, with the trap-influenced If You're Reading This It's Too Late, and a collaboration with Future for What a Time to Be Alive, in 2015. The former was certified double platinum in the U.S.