Fader Magazine Looks At Drake’s Rise To Success
The differences only get starker if you compare Drake’s bio to his project-raised, tattooed and codeine-addicted mentor. Though born in Memphis, Aubrey Drake Graham was raised in Forest Hills, an affluent enclave of Toronto that is about as far in mood and geography from New Orleans as you could get without a land bridge. Before he ever considered being a rapper, Drake was a child actor, portraying athlete Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation. His father, Dennis Graham, was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis, and he is nephew to both legendary bassist Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges—a guitarist best known for co-writing some of Al Green’s ’70s classics who’s played with everyone from Talking Heads to Cat Power.
The more you know about him, in fact, the harder it seems to know exactly who Drake is. There is something almost chameleon-like about his talent. If his appeal can’t be contained to a one-liner like “Wayne protégé,” it’s only because he invites a whole series of comparisons: to Wayne’s inventiveness, Kanye’s art-school eclecticism, Jay-Z’s braggadocio and Lloyd’s post-Kelly singsong. Though he reps Toronto, in interviews Drake has even said that a childhood split between his father’s base in Memphis and his mother’s house in Canada has allowed him to escape the territorial matrix of rap. He’s parlayed this “from everywhere” quality into a burgeoning career as a guest verse specialist, always adjusting his approach to the demands of the host organism, a strategy that makes you wonder which Drake will step out on his own debut LP—slated to drop before the end of the year—a project that’s not recorded yet but already titled Thank Me Later.
Full Story: The Fader
Fader magazine takes an in depth look at the evolution of Drake.
Tags: Drake
Suggestion Box
September 1st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
WHAT’S THERE TO LOOK INTO?HE’S A GOOD RAPPER WHO GAINED MAINSTREAM ATTENTION DUE TO HIS ASSOCIATION WITH ONE OF THE BIGGEST ACTS IN HIPHOP RIGHT NOW AND ALSO DUE TO A MAJOR LABEL SPENDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BUILDING AND FUELING THE HYPE SURROUNDING HIM.
SO LONG AS HE’S RAPPING MORE THAN SINGING ON HIS ALBUM,’THANK ME LATER’ WILL BE IN MY CD COLLECTION.
September 1st, 2009 at 1:47 pm
OVERRATED
September 1st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
wow..Piggy said something non abrasive.
Thats a good look.
September 1st, 2009 at 2:15 pm
T.DOT STAND THE FUCK UP. agreed, dudes a threat, hooks and bars, deadly
September 1st, 2009 at 3:03 pm
wow his album aint even out yet.
September 1st, 2009 at 5:22 pm
good article but this author thinks Toronto is all candy and nobody is poor and there is no violence. You cant honestly think that the 4th biggest city in North America doesn’t have any ghettos?
September 1st, 2009 at 5:40 pm
@M
The author never said Toronto is all candy, everywhere in the world there is ghetto…some actually more thorough than others…and it doesn’t get any realer than a 3rd world country ghetto..believe me I know..(I’m from DR, and try going into Guachupita, no US hood will dare come close…I don’t care if you’re in LA, NY or mid west…in Guachupita u’ll go in and if you happen not come out trust me no one would know…lol..in any event…the author is simply saying…that…he’s from a nice family, never sold drugs…or been thugging…like Kanye…that’s all..I’m sure Toronto has it’s hoods…
September 1st, 2009 at 5:56 pm
FUCK this overrated corney ass nigga!!!!
September 1st, 2009 at 6:24 pm
i see, you know i hope drake dont get stale.
September 1st, 2009 at 6:39 pm
the evolution of drake?
let the nigga drop some albums b4 all this xtra bullshit
September 1st, 2009 at 8:27 pm
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<-
September 1st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I would neeeeeeeever doubt him!
September 2nd, 2009 at 1:16 am
drake is the greatest