Name: Aubrey Drake Graham Birth Date: 10/24/1986 Videos: 328 Interviews: 35 Featured in: 357 Playlists: 1941 Twitts: 20 Comments: ? Fans: 10 Pictures: 0 | Upload picture »
Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986) is a Canadian actor and recording artist. He originally became known for playing character Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. As a rapper, he performs under the mononym Drake. Drake continued to recognize a close affiliation with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, before officially signing with the record label in June 2009. His first studio album, Thank Me Later, is expected to be released on the label sometime in 2010.Aubrey Drake Graham was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis; he is the nephew of musicians Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges. Graham's father is an African American from Memphis, Tennessee, while Graham's mother, an educator, is a white Jewish Canadian. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighbourhood, attending elementary school at Forest Hill Public School, and high school at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where he began acting, but did not graduate. He also spent many summers with his father in Memphis, Tennessee.In 2001, Graham began his acting career, playing the role of Jimmy Brooks, a character on Degrassi: The Next Generation. In the show, Brooks is a basketball star who became physically disabled after he was shot by a classmate. His role on the show ended in 2009, when producers cut the entire Degrassi staff for a new group of actors.In February 2006, Drake released his first mixtape Room for Improvement. It was made available via his website and official MySpace page. From the success of his first mixtape, he later began releasing more, capitalizing from the buzz. In 2007, he released Comeback Season to much critical acclaim and praise. Which produced a single and a music video for Replacement Girl featuring Trey Songz. It also contained a freestyle over a song with Lil Wayne, a remix of the already popular song "Man of the Year" originally by Brisco and Flo-Rida. Also in 2007, Drake became the first unsigned Canadian rapper to have his music video featured on BET when his first single, "Replacement Girl" was featured as the "New Joint of the Day" on April 30, 2007. In 2008, Lil Wayne was given some of Drake's music from Rap-A-Lot founder, J. Prince's son and he called Drake immediately to fly to Houston to come and tour with him. Drake and Wayne had recorded a couple of songs during the time including, 'Ransom', The original version of 'I Want This Forever' and the remix to Drake's song, 'Brand New'. Although after becoming apart of Lil Wayne's crew, Young Money, Drake was still not signed.
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