Ally Azzarelli - Drake!. Hip-Hop Celebrity

Drake!

Despite performing with such stars as Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber, Drake tries to stay true to his roots. It is hard to believe that he went from posting songs on a do-it-yourself MySpace page to topping the charts. Read this book and find out exactly how Drake has propelled himself into rap musics best of the best.

Quotes, personal stories, and accessible features such as an index and further reading section will make this a book everyone will want to read.

Aubrey Graham, aka Drake, has created a sensation in the rap music genre. Find out more about this new rapper and why his fans adore him.

About the Author

Ally Azzarelli began writing about celebrities at age twelve for Long Island Newsdays Kidsday column. She has interviewed Justin Timberlake, Beyonc, and Britney Spears.

Drake gestures during a performance at the Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards on June 27, 2010, in Los Angeles.

Drakes start in showbiz came in an unlikely place. A classroom! There was a kid in my class. [His] father was an agent. His dad would say, If theres anyone in the class that makes you laugh, have them audition for me. After the audition he became my agent. At fifteen, Drake got a role on the teen drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation. Life was about to change.

Grammy-nominated Aubrey Drake Graham isnt the typical rapper. Hes Canadian. Hes biracial. And hes Jewish. I dont want to limit my music to people based on their race and/or age, Drake admitted to Hip Hop Canada reporters. I want everybody to be able to enjoy it. Being biracial and young, along with being American and Canadian [allows me to] try and cover all the bases I think with the right person and the right music, people from all walks of life can come together. I know thats what my life was about. Ive seen it all, so thats what I want to bring to the table.

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Drakes father, Dennis Graham was a drummer. His mom, Sandi, was a teacher. Drakes mom is Jewish, and his father is African American. Drakes dad lived in Memphis, Tennessee, before he moved to Canada.

At just three, Drake would make up his own words to songs. He was also outgoing and loved to act and sing. When he was five, his mom got him an agent. She knew he had talent. As a youngster, he trained with Young Peoples Theatre and the Showtime summer workshop. He began modeling. Soon he landed commercials for Sears, GMC, and Toys R Us.

Drakes folks split up when he was five years old. This divorce wasnt easy for the rapper. I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother, he said in an ABC interview.

Like many children of divorce, Drake lived with his mom. Since he was an only child, his mother didnt want him to get lonely. She kept him busy. He was involved in many activities. Drakes mom signed him up for hockey and summer camp. She felt that sports would help make him a team player.

Drake studied at a Jewish day school. He practiced these teachings throughout his youth. Jewish boys turning thirteen, have a Bar Mitzvah. I had a Bar Mitzvah in an Italian restaurant, Drake told a reporter for a Jewish publication. For Drake, having a Bar Mitzvah meant he was now responsible for his actions. This was a very special day in his lifea Jewish boy becomes a man at age thirteen.

Growing up, Drake would spend summers visiting his dad in Memphis. I use to hold him in my lap, Drakes dad told TV reporters. I use to hold him in my office while I played the piano, so this is how it got started. He went on to say, Thats why his metaphors are so phenomenal now because hes been in Memphis.

Sun Studio is just one of the musical places in Memphis, Tennessee.

Al Green was one of the musicians that Drake admired when he was growing up.

Drake comes from a long line of musicians. His dad, Dennis, played drums for Jerry Lee Lewis, a famous rock and roll musician. Drakes uncles, Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges, are also musicians. Drakes uncle Larry was a bass player. Larry played in the funk band Sly and the Family Stone. Uncle Teenie played lead guitar for Al Green. Al Green was a popular singer in the 1970s.

Life in the music biz isnt always easy. Musicians spend a lot of time on the road. Sadly, Drakes dad wasnt always there for him. He chose to not be a dad at times. Thats something Ill never be able to respect that much, Drake told TheHipHopUpdate.

However, Drake credits his dad for giving him his gift of music. My dad is a great writer. [He is] naturally talented and naturally charming. He embodies that back-in-the-day cool. In Drakes song, The Winner, Drake gives his mom, uncle, and grandma sweet shout-outs. He then adds, And to my dad even though we was apart. I couldnt leave you out, you forever in my heart.

Looking back at his early acting career, Drake can laugh. I grew up through the awkward phases on television. The worst haircuts and the worst outfits are documented, Drake told radio station B96 about his days growing up on Degrassi.

Today Drake is a hip, famous rapper. However, he didnt always fit in. I always felt like an outsider, Drake told reporter Katie Couric. I went to an all Jewish school and being biracial and being Jewish, I was kind of connected to the kids, but like sort of distant. When kids are young, they dont understand everything. It can get a little cruel and a little mean. I got [teased].

It is hard to picture someone as cool as Drake being teased. Kids in class made fun of me all the time. I was never popular. confessed Drake to RedAlertLive.com. Success is sweet revenge on those bullies. Today Drake is selling out concerts. He has tens of thousands of adoring fans. I wasnt cool. Im cool now though. Things change. I really just want to be something positive for this generation, the singer added.

Most rappers dont start off as TV stars. Drakes career is sometimes compared to Will Smiths. Smith had some hit songs and starred on the 1990s show The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Though flattered, Drake told ABC, I just want to be Drake. I just want to be me.

From 2001 to 2009, Drake played Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation. The Canadian drama filmed at schools near his home. This helped him get an audition and land the part. The show is about the ups and downs of being a teen. In a way, Drake is as unique as his TV character, Jimmy.

Jimmy was a high school basketball star. Sadly Jimmys life took a shocking turn. A classmate shot Jimmy near his locker. The scene was very real and very scary. This event changed the basketball players life. From then on, Jimmy could no longer use his legs. He had to find new skills. This role helped Drake score five Young Artist Award nominations. In 2002, he and the