Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake began his recording career in 2006 with the release of his debut mixtape, Room for Improvement (2006).

[6] His fourth album Views (2016) lead the Billboard 200 for 13 non-consecutive weeks and contained the singles "Hotline Bling" and the US number one "One Dance" (featuring WizKid and Kyla), which has been credited for helping popularize dancehall and Afrobeats in contemporary American music.

In 2024, Drake was involved in a high-profile rap feud with Kendrick Lamar, producing the diss songs "Push Ups", "Taylor Made Freestyle",[a] "Family Matters", and "The Heart Part 6".

[31][35] Drake was a promising right winger, reaching the Upper Canada College hockey camp, but left at the behest of his mother following a vicious cross-check to his neck during a game by an opposing player.

"[39] At age 10, Drake appeared in a comedic sketch which aired during the 1997 NHL Awards, featuring a riff of Martin Brodeur and Ron Hextall and their record as being the only goalies to have scored multiple goals.

[70] Upon the album's release, 25,000 fans gathered at New York City's South Street Seaport for a free concert hosted by Drake and Hanson, which was later cancelled by the police after a near-riot ensued due to overflowing crowds.

[82] In January 2011, Drake was in negotiations to join Eva Green and Susan Sarandon as a member of the cast in Nicholas Jarecki's Arbitrage,[83] before ultimately deciding against starring in the movie to focus on the album.

Acting as promotional singles for Take Care, the former was eventually unincluded on the album's final track listing, while "Marvins Room" gained 3× Multi-Platinum certification by the RIAA,[85] as well as peaking at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Despite debate on whether it was an album[120] or a mixtape,[121] its commercial stance quantifies it as his fourth retail project with Cash Money Records, a scheme that was rumoured to allow Drake to leave the label.

[186] A legal representative for the academy released a statement stating "a natural pause [led] the producers [to] assume that he was done and cut to commercial," and added the organization offered him an opportunity to return to stage, but he declined.

[197] On May 1, 2020, Drake released the commercial mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, with guest appearances from Chris Brown, Future, Young Thug, Fivio Foreign, Playboi Carti, and Sosa Geek.

[202] On August 14, "Laugh Now Cry Later" featuring Lil Durk was released, which was intended as the lead single from the upcoming album Certified Lover Boy,[203] but not included on the final track listing.

[207] On March 5, Drake released an EP titled Scary Hours 2, which includes three songs: "What's Next", "Wants and Needs" with Lil Baby, and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" with Rick Ross.

[272] However, Drake is often revered for incorporating "degrading" themes of money, drug use, and women into newer, idealized contexts, often achieving this through his augmentation of the typical meaning of phrases in which he combines an objective and subjective perspective into one vocal delivery.

[279] He cultivated a reputation as a successful gambler; between December 2021 and February 2022, he was reported to have made bets of over $1 billion, which included winnings ranging between $354,000 and $7 million,[280] however some of the forms of gambling he promotes, such as roulette, have negative expected values.

[293][294] He was labeled by GQ magazine as "[one of] the most stylish men alive";[295] during promotion for Certified Lover Boy, Drake debuted a "heart haircut", which became popular and widely imitated.

[296] Writing for GQ, Anish Patel noted Drake's consistent incorporation of styles and themes not typically associated with hip-hop, such as wearing gorpcore in the music video for his song "Sticky".

[298][299] In 2016, Drake discussed the shooting of Alton Sterling, publishing an open letter expressing his concern for the safety of ethnic minorities against police brutality in the United States.

[301] He also campaigned for the expansion of a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) franchise in Toronto,[302] and headlined a benefit concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum with Kanye West on December 9, 2021, to raise clemency for Larry Hoover,[303] although his solo performance was later removed from the Prime Video replay.

"[308] Commenting on Drake's Take Care, Elias Leight of Rolling Stone noticed in 2020 that "now nearly every singer raps, and nearly every rapper sings", as many artists "have borrowed or copied the template of [the album] that the boldness of the original is easily forgotten", according to the writer.

[318] Aaron Williams of Uproxx added "jump-starting the sad boy rapper craze alongside Kid Cudi" and "helping to renew stateside interest in UK grime and Caribbean dancehall with Skepta, PartyNextDoor, and Rihanna" to the modern trends Drake assisted.

[322] Justin Charity of The Ringer noted Drake's signature of producing "half-hearted" performances on songs to create a "natural and off-the-cuff" effect has become the "obvious touchpoint for [subsequent] male R&B singers".

[210] Billboard editor Ernest Baker stated "Drake managed to rule hip-hop in 2014", adding "the best rapper in 2014 didn't need a new album or hit single to prove his dominance".

[343] Despite Drake's legal team countering by claiming that Lee simply requested a credit in the liner notes of the album, the matter was resolved in February 2013, with both parties agreeing to an out-of-court settlement.

On September 30, 2013, at a press conference with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke,[439] Drake was announced as the new "global ambassador" of the Toronto Raptors, joining the executive committee of the NBA franchise.

[463] On August 30, 2022, it was reported that Drake and LeBron James, as part of the investment fund Main Street Advisors, would partner with U.S. private equity group RedBird Capital and Yankee Global Enterprises to purchase Italian soccer club AC Milan for a rumored $1.2 billion.

[478] In 2019, Drake began collaborating with Hocking on Mod Sélection, a luxury range of champagne,[479] and in May 2021, formed part of a $40 million series B investment funding round led by D1 Capital Partners in Daring Foods Inc., a vegan meat analogue corporation.

[498] In conjunction with Spotify's 12-year, $540 million sponsorship deal with FC Barcelona, the club wore special edition OVO owl silhouette branded jerseys in their El Clásico match against Real Madrid CF on October 16, 2022.

[515][516] He has portraits of Lil Wayne, Sade, Aaliyah, Jesús Malverde, Denzel Washington, 40, his parents, grandmother, maternal uncle, and son; and several related to Toronto, including the CN Tower and the number "416".

"[528] On his relationship with her, he said on the talk show The Shop: As life takes shape and teaches you your own lessons, I end up in this situation where I don't have the fairy tale [of] 'Drake started a family with Rihanna, [it's] so perfect.'