Happy Birthday Drake
Drake has grown up before our very eyes — from hairless cornball to Champagne Papi: the man you either want to be, or want to be with. He grew a lil’ facial hair, built up a a lil’ muscle, got that Caribbean sun glow, and suddenly he’s the man responsible for your summer jams, your late-night jams, your kick-back jams — all your jams, basically.
It’s the R&B lover man and hip-hop thug, Toronto homeboy – Drake’s birthday today and let’s take a look back at his prominent achievements that made him the global magpie that he is today!
THE MAKING OF THE MODERN SUPERSTAR
The multi-Grammy-award-winning rapper Drake has had two shots at fame — and nailed them both. He first came to prominence in the teen soap ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ in the role of Jimmy Brooks, a wheelchair – bound character he played for seven years. After leaving the show he became one of the biggest rappers on the planet after signing a deal with Lil Wayne’s label ‘Young Money Entertainment.’ He is rarely out of the headlines, whether it’s for dating Rihanna or Jennifer Lopez, founding his own label – OVO Sound, or fronting the NBA’s Toronto Raptors as the team’s global ambassador. It’s no surprise that Jay-Z labelled him as the ‘Kobe Byrant’ of hip hop.
THE VOICE OF DRAKE
On June 15, 2010, Drake released his first full studio album, ‘Thank Me Later’, which debuted at No. 1 on both American and Canadian album charts and was certified platinum. His new persona as the prince of hip-hop (“Last name ever, first name greatest,” he brags on “Forever”) seemed to clash with his middle-class Jewish upbringing and former career as a teenage soap star.
In November 2011, he released his second studio album, ‘Take Care’, which included the songs “Headlines,” “Make Me Proud” and “The Motto.” The album was universally acclaimed, winning the 2013 Grammy award for best rap album, among several other honors.
PAPI ISN’T IMPRESSED
Although his career was flying high, Drake hit a few rough patches in his personal life. He and fellow entertainer Chris Brown became rivals for the affections of singer Rihanna, and the pair’s bitter feud erupted in violence during the summer of 2012 at a New York nightclub, resulting in injuries to several onlookers.
Personal obstacles never seemed to side-track Drake for long. The 2013 song “Started From the Bottom,” from his critically acclaimed 2013 album ‘Nothing Was the Same’, reflected his personal struggle for success. After releasing a pair of mixtapes in 2015, including a collaboration with Future, Drake followed with his fourth studio album, ’Views’, in the spring of 2016. The album was an instant success, debuting at No. 1 and spending 13 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts. Among its hit singles was the sultry “Hotline Bling,” which earned the artist Grammy wins for best rap song and best rap/sung performance in early 2017 (and sparked countless memes due to its memorable video inspired by the artist James Turrell).
TUNNEL VISION
Drake went on to claim the 2019 Best Rap Song Grammy for “God’s Plan,” which appeared on both ‘Scorpion and Scary Hours’, though the win was somewhat eclipsed by the controversy of being cut off during his acceptance speech, in which he downplayed the importance of being honored at the Grammys.
As his rap career moves forward, Drake hopes that his unconventional rise to hip-hop fame will continue to be an asset, not a hindrance. “This whole thing is unusual at this point,” he has said, “so we’re just rolling with the fairytale vibe.”
In the meantime, Happiest Birthday to our Champagne Papi! YOLO!
