Grammy Hype: Who is Drake?
Aubrey Graham, also known as Drake, arrives at the BET Awards in Los Angeles. (June 27, 2010) Credit: AP
It’s Day 3 of our best new artist rundown. This artist is Drake, one of the Young Money All Stars. The Canandian native busted onto the scene in 2009 and took the rap game by storm. Drake was indeed an unexpected shock. Many of us only knew him as the Jimmy Brooks character from the hit show, “Degrassi: The Next Generation.”
He has appeared on songs with some of the biggest names in the business and was one of the most in demand rappers before he even dropped his first album in 2010, “Thank Me Later.”
The hype that surrounded this lyrical beast was crazy. Here are some things you should know about Drake, in case you missed the buzz:
Full Name. Aubrey Drake Graham
Birthday. Oct. 24, 1986
Reviews about his first album. Newsday music critic Glenn Gamboa said this about “Thank Me Later:" “There are appearances from Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, T.I. and Young Jeezy. Producers include Kanye West, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz. So how could this fail? Well, it can't really. Drake . . . handles himself pretty well on 'Thank Me Later,' positioning himself as a middle-of-the-road alternative to the edgier antics of his co-signers.”
First hit single before the album dropped. “Best I Ever Had.”
First hit single off debut album. “Over”
Why he should be a Grammy nominee for best new artist. Drake literally stepped into this game and put a choke hold on it with his lyrical ability and cocky arrogance that rivaled some of the biggest rappers in the game. In addition, he reached platinum status with his mixtape, “So Far Gone.” This was done without being signed or putting out an official album.
He is one of the few rappers who can sing and rap on his album and make it sound like he knows what he is doing. He was on tracks with veterans in the music industry, including Timbaland, Mary J. Blidge and Jay-Z, while still deciding who he wanted to sign with because so many labels were approaching him.
Drake brought a tornado of fresh air to the rap game and his appeal is worldwide. He has proved that he is much more than just “wheelchair Jimmy,” from "Degrassi."
Check out the videos for his hit singles "Best I Ever Had" and "Over."
