If you type in the search bar of Google “The Drake Effect” and hit enter, the first definition you will encounter is “when one rapper makes it big out of the thousands that try to” (Urban Dictionary). This is the common notion many have when mentioning the Drake Effect. Yes, Drake is lucky to make it to the top 10 of Billboard and stirs up great attention from the public in a short amount of time and with less effort than any other rap artists, or even celebrities, trying to make it to the spotlight. However, in this post I am going to talk about a different concept of “The Drake Effects” that contradicts the common belief mentioned above.
His father is an African-American Catholic. His mom is a Canadian Jew. He was born with a very unique background: a race and an ethnic that are distinctive enough to outcast him from the rest of the kids at school. Throughout his years at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, his all-white high school, he struggled to blend in. Nobody comprehended the isolation of having a mixed identity of black and Jew. Drake mentioned in one of his recent interviews that tough moments like these built up his strength.
His family accounts were no fairytales. At the age of five, Drake faced one of the biggest difficulties any five-year-old kid can bear – his parents’ divorce. His father got arrested twice, and their discord relationship made up to the fact that Drake never considered himself having a dad. He was raised solely by his mother in the city’s working-class west end. Later on, they moved to an affluent Jew community in Toronto, which his mom thought was the best for his upraising. They lived in the basement of a shared house. It was not a wealthy life; it was one in which they could afford. Because of her great importance in his life, Drake has dedicated many powerful songs to his mom in his later on career.
At the age of 15, Drake got an offer from a classmate’s dad to star in a Canadian TV show “Degrassi: The Next Generation”. Since his mom was very sick at that time, the money he earned from the show was all he got. “A season of Canadian is under a teacher’s salary,” said Drake in his interview. While starring on “Degrassi”, he made a transition into the rap culture. His first released mixtape “Room for Improvement” was released in 2006, achieving a modest sale of 6,000 copies.
In 2008, the producers of “Degrassi” overhauled the casts and eliminated Drake’s character. This placed a great burden on the financial issue in his family. Drake was on the verge of looking for a day job at a restaurant when he received a call from Lil Wayne inviting to join his tour in Houston. His reputation embraced a rapid ascent after the tour. He later on dropped his third mixtape “So Far Gone” and his catchy track “Best I Ever Had” quickly climbed to top 2 of Billboard chart.
Even though Drake was lucky enough to receive the call from Lil Wayne, his road to fame was not an easy one. He started off with a rough childhood and started his career from scratch. Drake captured millions of hearts across the world when he reached the peak of his fame. Many of his songs are well-known for their meaningful lyrics and powerful emotions. He frequently raps about the struggles he faced in his life and how he built his career with bare hands in such tracks as “Started from the Bottom” and “All Me”. Drake is also an influential artist whose songs echo positive impacts in the society. “Make Me Proud”, “Fancy” and “You & The 6” are songs that carry strong feminist meanings and glorify the importance of females. Drake never fails to melt his fans’ hearts through a myriad of love songs with sincere feelings such as “Hotline Bling”, Marvin’s Room” and “Doing It Wrong”.
His rough start and his influential rap songs inspire many. This is the meaning of Drake Effects I want the readers to embrace when reading this blog. Such rappers like Drake introduce the positive effects of rap culture to the society.
Recent Comments