Drake (Aubrey Drake Graham) is a Toronto-born rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur.
Drake’s parents divorced when he was five. He lived with his Ashkenazi Jewish-Canadian mother, first in a working-class Toronto neighbourhood and later in an upscale area, while his Catholic African-American father moved back to the US. In his teens, Drake went to a “tough” multicultural school and was bullied about his racial and religious background. He dropped out to pursue a burgeoning acting career, landing a role in 2000 on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later went back to finish school, graduating in 2012.
Inspired by Jay Z, Kanye West and others, Drake pursued a music career with the release of a self-mixed tape in 2006. A few years later he was topping the charts and became well-known all over the world for his gentle style of music and his kindness.
In 2018 he released a song called God’s Plan, debuting at number one in Canada, and breaking various streaming records as it debuted at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The video documents Drake giving away thousands of dollars to people in need. He says it was “the most important thing he’s ever done in his career.”
To think about – or discuss with a friend
- Many of the people in the video cry when Drake gives them money. Why?
- What do you think Drake got out of giving that much money away to strangers? Why?
- The dream of suddenly “winning” a large sum of money is fundamental to gambling for many people. What’s the difference between winning, earning or being given money?
- If Drake had given you money, how would you have spent it? Would you spend the money differently if you’d won it while gambling? Explain.
- In the song, Drake says “I only love my mom/and my bed/I’m sorry.” At the end of the video he says “we’d be nothing without our moms” and encourages a young man to take care of his mom. Clearly his mom is a big influence on how he thinks about life, including the place and value of money. Who/what are your main influences when it comes to life and money?