Drake
The Boy from the Basement Who Conquered Pop
Born Aubrey Drake Graham on 24 October 1986 in Toronto, Drake went from teen actor on Degrassi to the most-streamed artist of the 2010s on Spotify — merging rap and R&B with producer Noah "40" Shebib into a moody, confessional sound that dominated charts for fifteen years.
- 18 min listen
- Rapper
- Singer-songwriter
- Former Degrassi actor
Drake’s full 18 min audio biography, The Boy from the Basement Who Conquered Pop, is available on Lyfestori for iOS. Listen to a free preview below.
A life in brief
Drake: life and timeline.
He grew up in a rented house in Toronto's Forest Hill, sleeping in the basement while his mother, Sandi, struggled with her health upstairs. His father, a Memphis drummer, drifted in and out. At fifteen Aubrey Graham was playing Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi, and the paycheque helped keep the household afloat. A free 2009 mixtape, So Far Gone, reached Lil Wayne. Fifteen number-one albums later, Drake is the defining hitmaker of the streaming era — and the loser, by popular verdict, of hip-hop's most public feud.
- 1986
Born in Toronto
Born Aubrey Drake Graham on 24 October to Sandi Graham, a Jewish-Canadian teacher, and Dennis Graham, a Black drummer from Memphis who had played with Jerry Lee Lewis. His parents separate when he is about five.
- 2001
Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi
Cast in Degrassi: The Next Generation as a star basketball player who is later shot at school and uses a wheelchair. He plays the role until 2009.
- 2006
Room for Improvement
Releases his first mixtape while still on Degrassi. Sales are small, but it shows he is serious about rap.
- 2009
So Far Gone and Young Money
The free mixtape, made with producer Noah "40" Shebib, reaches Lil Wayne through Jas Prince. After a major-label bidding war he signs with Young Money, via Cash Money and Universal Motown.
- 2010
Thank Me Later
His debut studio album enters the Billboard 200 at number one.
- 2011
Take Care
His second album, released in November and shaped with 40 into a darker, more intimate sound, goes on to win the Grammy for Best Rap Album.
- 2016
Views and "One Dance"
Views opens with about 1.04 million equivalent units and spends thirteen weeks at number one. "One Dance" becomes the first song to pass one billion streams on Spotify.
- 2018
Scorpion and the Pusha T battle
Pusha T's "The Story of Adidon" reveals that Drake has a son, Adonis, with the French artist Sophie Brussaux. Drake confirms it on Scorpion, which becomes the first album to pass one billion global streams in a single week.
- 2024
The Kendrick Lamar feud
After Kendrick's verse on "Like That" in March, the two trade diss records into May. Kendrick's "Not Like Us" debuts at number one on the Hot 100; Drake denies its allegations, which have never been proven in court.
- 2025
Lawsuit against UMG
In January he sues his own label, Universal Music Group, for defamation over "Not Like Us". A federal judge dismisses the case in October 2025, finding the lyrics non-actionable opinion; Drake appeals.
- 2026
Iceman
Released on 15 May alongside two surprise albums, Habibti and Maid of Honour, Iceman becomes his fifteenth number-one album, tying Taylor Swift's record for a solo act. The three albums occupy the top three spots of the Billboard 200 at once.
Major achievements
Drake: major achievements.
- 01
Spotify's artist of the decade
Spotify named him its most-streamed artist of the 2010s. "One Dance" was the first song to reach one billion streams on the platform.
- 02
Fifteen number-one albums
From Thank Me Later in 2010 to Iceman in 2026, fifteen of his albums have topped the Billboard 200 — tying Taylor Swift for the most by a solo artist.
- 03
Streaming-era records
Scorpion was the first album to pass one billion global streams in a week, and all twenty-five of its tracks charted on the Hot 100 at once. In 2026 he became the first artist to hold the top three spots of the Billboard 200 simultaneously.
- 04
The sound of Toronto
With Noah "40" Shebib he made a slow, nocturnal, emotionally exposed hybrid of rap and R&B the commercial default, and put Toronto — "the 6" — at the centre of global pop.
- 05
OVO
October's Very Own grew into a record label, a clothing brand and an annual festival, alongside his role as global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors and his Nike line NOCTA.
Turning points
Drake: defining moments.
- 2001
The Degrassi audition
At fourteen he landed the role of Jimmy Brooks. For eight years the show gave him public exposure and an income that helped support him and his mother, whose health made steady work difficult. It also made him a hard sell as a rapper — a former teen actor best known for playing a character in a wheelchair.
- 2009
So Far Gone reaches Lil Wayne
Houston executive Jas Prince passed the free mixtape to Lil Wayne, then one of the biggest rappers alive. Wayne flew Drake out and brought him into Young Money. Within a year his debut album was number one.
- 2018
"The Story of Adidon"
Pusha T used a private fact — Drake's infant son — as ammunition. Drake chose not to release a reply and folded the news into Scorpion. He later acknowledged it as a rare public defeat.
- 2024–2025
"Not Like Us"
Kendrick Lamar's diss track topped the Hot 100, won all five Grammys it was nominated for and anchored his Super Bowl LIX halftime show in February 2025. Drake denied its allegations and took Universal Music Group to court; the suit was dismissed in October 2025 and his appeal was pending in the Second Circuit as of October 2026.
What you’ll take away
Lessons from Drake’s life.
- 01
Openness is an asset with a cost
Turning loneliness, jealousy and an absent father into hits made him relatable to millions. In 2018 and again in 2024, rivals used the same openness as material against him.
- 02
Find the collaborator who completes you
Noah "40" Shebib's quiet, atmospheric production gave Drake's singing-rapping hybrid its shape. The sound that conquered the 2010s was built by two people, not one.
- 03
Keep working through the side door
Degrassi was not the dream, but it paid the bills and bought time for mixtapes nobody bought. The long route was the one that existed.
- 04
Commercial strength survives cultural defeat
He lost the 2024 feud in the court of public opinion, then posted his fastest-selling run in years with Iceman in 2026. Popularity and prestige are measured on different scales.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Drake.
What is Drake's real name?
Aubrey Drake Graham. He performs under his middle name, and was credited as Aubrey Graham during his years on Degrassi.
What is Drake's net worth?
Published estimates cluster around one figure: celebrity-wealth sites put Drake's net worth at about $400 million (CelebrityNetWorth, 2026, a figure Parade repeats). Bloomberg doesn't track him and Forbes hasn't published a net-worth estimate since 2019, so treat it as a rough guess that leaves plenty of room for error. What is documented: Forbes valued his fortune at $150 million in 2019, and estimated his 2025 pre-tax earnings at $78 million, seventh among musicians.
How did Drake make his money?
From music and touring. Forbes ranked him seventh on its list of the highest-paid musicians of 2025, with estimated pre-tax earnings of $78 million, much of it from streaming his catalogue and the rest from more than 40 tour dates. He also co-founded OVO, the Toronto-based record label and clothing brand, in 2008.
Where did Drake grow up?
In Toronto. After his parents split up when he was about five, he was raised mostly by his mother in a rented home — first in the West End, then in the Forest Hill neighbourhood — and spent summers with his father's family in Memphis.
Who did Drake play on Degrassi?
Jimmy Brooks. He played the basketball star — who is shot at school and afterwards uses a wheelchair — on Degrassi: The Next Generation from 2001 to 2009.
Did Drake go to college?
No. He left high school as his acting and music careers took off, and completed his diploma in 2012, at twenty-five.
How did Drake get famous?
Through Degrassi first, then the 2009 mixtape So Far Gone. Jas Prince passed it to Lil Wayne, who signed him to Young Money; his debut album, Thank Me Later, went to number one in 2010.
When did Drake start making music?
In the mid-2000s, while still acting. His first mixtape, Room for Improvement, came out in 2006, followed by Comeback Season in 2007 and So Far Gone in 2009.
Is Drake Canadian?
Yes. He was born in Toronto and has made the city central to his music and brand. His mother is Jewish-Canadian and his father is African American, from Memphis.
Why did Drake sue UMG?
Over Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us". In January 2025 he sued Universal Music Group — his own label — alleging it knowingly promoted defamatory claims. A federal judge dismissed the case in October 2025, and his appeal was pending as of October 2026.
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