A decade ago, no one could have speculated that a young artist from Canada would be taking over the music industry the way Drake has. His album Views spent 13 non-consecutive weeks at the number one spot—making him the first male solo artist to do that in the last decade. His mixtape More Life is the highest-streamed album in 24 hours on Apple Music and Spotify. He broke The Beatles’ record of having seven singles on the top 10 simultaneously. These are just a few of his many record-breaking achievements.
To celebrate Drake’s historic Artist Of The Decade award from the Billboard Music Awards 2021, let’s relive the highlights that have led him here:
Early TV career
Drake has been involved in the entertainment industry from a young age, but he didn’t get his first break from music. He appeared as Jimmy Brooks in Degrassi, a basketball star that is left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in season four (an iconic moment in the show). Degrassi was ahead of its time; praised for having a diverse cast and covering issues that were taboo then, such as drug abuse, mental disorders, and abortion.
In the music video for ‘I’m Upset’, Drake reunites his Degrassi cast:
Coined the term YOLO
If you didn’t know, now you know. Drake takes credit for popularising the term YOLO in 2011 with his song ‘The Motto’. In it, he raps: “Now she want a photo, you already know, though/You only live once: that’s the motto, n***a, YOLO”. In 2012, Drake wanted to obtain royalties for the use of “YOLO”, which many brands were putting on their merchandise.
The motto is YOLO:
Toronto Raptors championship
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The Toronto native proudly reps his city and is a diehard fan of his hometown’s NBA team, the Raptors. In May 2019, Drake’s support for his team finally paid off when the Raptors won the NBA finals. During the seven-game series, Drake definitely took up some of the spotlight with his antics against opposing team players. According to sources, he actually has an official role on the team as a global ambassador.
Executive producer of TV Shows
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As mentioned earlier, Drake is no stranger to showbiz. He’s extremely versatile when it comes to his involvement in the many facets of the entertainment industry. He took on the role of executive producer for notable TV shows such as the previously cancelled British crime drama Top Boy, and the American teen drama Euphoria. Drake has been vocal about his obsession with both shows on social media. Life works in funny ways: His career started with him acting in a teen drama and now, he’s a producer of one.
‘God’s Plan’ music video
‘God’s Plan’ broke the first-day streaming records of both Apple Music and Spotify, but bragging rights is not what makes this track great. In the music video, Drake is seen being charitable, going around Miami and handing money to people. He ended up giving away the whole budget of the music video, which was one million dollars. It wasn’t an act: A recent college graduate, who is seen in the video receiving a scholarship from the artist himself, has dedicated a social media shoutout to Drake.
how it started how it’s going pic.twitter.com/fsXBNdCULE
— ment nelson (@mentnelson) May 12, 2021
Famous co-signs
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Being the founder of record label OVO, Drake is always on the lookout for new and emerging artists. Throughout his career, he has co-signed many artists who have credited him for their successes; notably artists like Asap Rocky, PartyNextDoor, and The Weeknd. In an interview, Asap Rocky said: “I forever, forever owe Drake.”
Drake as a father
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