“If I die, I’m a legend,” 28-year-old Aubrey “Drake” Graham raps on his track “Legend.” When most people think of Drake they think of Toronto. Ask anyone to name three Canadian hip-hop artists and Drake is most likely going to be one of those three. It’s interesting to see that he’s always buzzing in the news and sometimes he doesn’t even have to put out music. He’s dipped his hands in everything and Drake is more than rapper, he’s become a movement.
Last weekend’s OVO Fest was evidence if anyone needed it. What other rapper invites celebrities and fans from all over the globe to their hometown to show “this is where it started.” OVO Fest showcases some new and old artists. Drake seems to have crowned himself the king of Toronto. He has a solid relationship with the Toronto Raptors and even the city councilor got in on the recent Meek Mill and Drake beef. Councilman Norm Kelly sided with Drake and tweeted Meek Mill “You’re no longer welcome in Toronto.”
No one really thought of Drake as anything more than wheelchair Jimmy from Degrassi until he dropped his “Room for Improvement” mixtape in 2006 and followed that with “Comeback Season.” Drake became the first Canadian to get his video featured on BET without a music deal. That turned a lot of heads specifically Young Money’s Lil’Wayne. One more mixtape later and the rest seemed like music history. “So Far Gone,” had over 2,000 downloads in the first two hours. That was unheard at the time especially for someone without a deal. It took Drake three mixtapes before he broke barriers and dropped his first official album.
With the kind of clout that he has, the former Degrassi star is helping out his fellow Canadians who won’t have to start as low as he did. It’s more than just his music that makes Drake. It’s his movement, his confidence and his power. Drake has quite the influence in his hometown and just looking at the attendance rate of OVO Fest is enough to know that. He has a sneaker line, he can sing, rap and he’s not into receiving Grammy’s he likes to give out “Hood Grammy’s” on his Instagram. Drake’s a breath of fresh air and when he finds a fellow Canadian with just as much talent as him, he’s not afraid to look out. His OVO label receives credit for the discovery of alternative R&B star The Weeknd and PartyNextDoor. No one seems to be questioning “What is Drake doing?” because he knows what he’s doing. He didn’t release an album last year but he always has a feature or two to keep him relevant or a shoe line or a mixtape. Everyone should just be questioning “What can’t Drake do?”
