drake's journey

The complete timeline of Drake's rise to stardom, from starring on 'Degrassi' to his record-breaking reign as a rapper

• Drake has one of the most unexpected and impressive careers in the music industry.
• The now-iconic rapper released his first-ever mixtape in 2006 and left "Degrassi" in 2008.
• He has won five Grammys, broken several chart records, and released 13 No. 1 albums.

These days, Drake is almost more myth than man.

The 36-year-old is rap music's unlikely sovereign; he lays claim to 10 No. 1 projects and has outsold all the classic "greats," including Tupac, Jay-Z, and Eminem.

Most recently, he released his eighth studio album "For All the Dogs" to massive commercial success.

So how did a former child actor from Canada manage to surpass his own mentors, date Rihanna , win five Grammys, and break several   records previously held by The Beatles?

Here's a complete timeline of Drake's major life events and his rise to global stardom.

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986.

Drake was raised by biracial parents who divorced when he was 5. His father, Dennis Graham, is Black and Catholic; his mother, Sandra, is white and Ashkenazi Jewish Canadian.

"We have a very deep musical background. My grandmother, who passed away in Memphis, used to babysit Louie Armstrong. And my dad was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis," Drake told Hip Hop Canada in 2006 . "On my mom's side, it's a white, Jewish, very structured and conservative family."

"There are a lot of accolades on that side of the family too," he added. "I am aware that I am not the first person [in the family to embrace music] but I would like to become the first one to be an icon."

Drake took his stage name from his middle name, which his father gave him.

"His reasoning behind it, I am not sure. My dad is a character so it could be anything. I just really loved the name and I embraced it my whole life," he told Hip Hop Canada. "Drake is me in my everyday life, Drake is who I am and Aubrey is more of a separate, sort of proper individual."

He grew up "very poor," raised by his mother in Toronto, Ontario.

Drake has described his teacher mother as "godlike," but she became bedridden from various health issues: "She smoked cigarettes and took her pain meds, deteriorating every day, essentially dying," Drake recalled to GQ .

Drake has also described growing up " very poor, like broke," despite spending some of his adolescence in the affluent neighborhood Forest Hill.

"I grew up on Weston Road. That's near the west end of the city. It's not the nicest area in the world. I grew up there," he told Complex in 2011. "I moved to Forest Hill in the sixth grade. So I didn't grow up in Forest Hill."

"My mother happens to be a Jewish woman. She wanted the best for her family. She found us a half of a house we could live in," he continued. "It was not big, it was not luxurious. It was what we could afford."

Drake has also spoken proudly of his Jewish heritage.

"I'm proud, a proud young Jewish boy," Drake said in  behind-the-scenes footage from his "HYFR" music video , which was conceived as a reenactment of his childhood Bar Mitzvah.

"When I had a Bar Mitzvah back in the day, my mom really didn't have that much money. We kinda just did it in the basement of an Italian restaurant, which I guess is kinda like a faux pas," he explained, as reported by Digital Spy . "I told myself that if I ever got rich, I'd throw myself a re-Bar Mitzvah. That's the concept for the video."

Drake even attended a Jewish day school as a child, "where nobody understood what it was like to be Black and Jewish," he told Heeb magazine in 2010 .

In 2001, at 14 years old, he landed a role on the famous Canadian teenage drama "Degrassi."

Drake — then still going by the name Aubrey Graham — was cast as Jimmy Brooks , a popular eighth grader, basketball star, and eventual paraplegic in the original cast of "Degrassi: The Next Generation." 

"I was in class, and I used to always crack jokes in class. I was a good liar and a good talker. And this kid in my class was like, 'Yo, my dad is an agent. You should go talk to him because you're good and you make people laugh,'" Drake explained to GQ in 2012 . "I was just good. I was my father's son. I was slick, you know? When it comes to knowing what to say, to charm, I always had it."

GQ reported in 2013 that Drake made $40,000 a year during his run on the show.

He started writing song lyrics as a teenager.

"17, 18, is when I was really getting into that hip hop phase, you know, and really studying the things that I needed to study as far as learning about flows and learning about lyrics," he told GQ.

In resurfaced footage for "Degrassi Unscripted," Drake gives a tour of his  home that he shared with his mom and grandma. He even shows the camera multiple notebooks filled with song lyrics .

"I write songs, I do music," he says. "These are full from front to back of just songs, pages and pages of lyrics and ideas — something that I'll probably never use, I mean, 'cause they're old. I just like to keep them around for nostalgia purposes."

Later in the video, he shows off the "studio" in his basement bedroom and even raps a verse, calling himself "the new version of fresh prince."

In one episode of "Degrassi," Drake's character even raps.

During the fourth episode in the seventh season , which originally aired in the US in October 2007,  Jimmy freestyles during a school talent show.

At the time, Drake was already working on his own music off-camera.

"How I got into rapping was, my dad was in jail for two years and he shared a cell with this dude who didn't really have anyone to speak to," Drake told Complex in 2009 . "So, he used to share his phone time with this dude and at the time I was probably 16 or 17, this dude was like 20 to 22, and he would always rap to me over the phone."

"After awhile I started to get into it and I started to write my own s--- down," he continued. "And after a while, he would call me and we would just rap to each other."

In 2008, Drake quit acting in order to pursue music full time.

Jimmy made his final appearance in the eighth season of "Degrassi."

Drake has said he was  "kicked off" the show due to his hectic schedule . The rapper had already released his debut mixtape, "Room for Improvement," in 2006 and his second mixtape, "Comeback Season," in 2007.

"Back then, I'd spend a full day on set and then go to the studio to make music until 4 or 5 a.m. I'd sleep in my dressing room and then be in front of the cameras again by 9 a.m.," he explained to W magazine in 2015. "Eventually, they realized I was juggling two professions and told me I had to choose. I chose this life."

On February 13, 2009, he released his third mixtape to critical acclaim.

Drake released "So Far Gone" under his self-created  October's Very Own  label.

Drake told Heeb magazine that just before its release, he was "teetering on getting a regular job."

"I was coming to terms with the fact that, okay, people know me from 'Degrassi,' but I might have to work at a restaurant or something just to keep things going," he explained. "The money from that show was very small. And it was dwindling."

The mixtape's most successful track, "Best I Ever Had," was released as its lead single. The song was nominated for two Grammy Awards — best rap solo performance and best rap song — and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

"Best I Ever Had" kicked off Drake's reign over the charts. He would later become the first-ever artist to log eight straight years  on the Hot 100, a run that eventually ended in 2017 with 431 consecutive weeks .

Drake was romantically linked to Rihanna for the first time in May 2009.

Following the "Rude Boy" singer's highly publicized breakup from Chris Brown,  Rihanna  and Drake were spotted getting close at Lucky Strike Lanes & Lounge in New York City. Page Six reported that  the two artists were "making out all night"  and seemed "really cute together."

While Rihanna went on to insist that  the two were just "friends,"  Drake would later open up about  his unrequited love for her .

"I was a pawn," Drake   said in  a 2010 interview with The New York Times . "You know what she was doing to me? She was doing exactly what I've done to so many women throughout my life, which is show them quality time, then disappear. I was like, 'Wow, this feels terrible.'" 

In an interview with MTV news, he added that  Rihanna is an "overwhelming and incredible person."

The two maintained a creatively fruitful relationship over the years, releasing  five chart-topping collaborations together .

In June 2009, Lil Wayne signed Drake to his new label, Young Money.

Sources told Billboard at the time that three major labels were dueling for Drake's loyalty in "one of the biggest bidding wars ever."

Eventually, Lil Wayne's label Young Money , distributed through Universal Republic, offered Drake a  a $2 million advance  and sealed the deal in June 2009. ( Entertainment Weekly asked "Is he worth it?"  in a now-hilarious headline.)

Drake has often been described as Lil Wayne's protege and the two have maintained a close friendship .

However, for  his feature in The Fader from September 2009 , Drake indicated that "putting a [Young Money] logo on the disc is more of a nod to his mentor than a structural reality."

"I respect the fact that Wayne put me in this position," he said. "But as an artist, I have to do my own thing at this point. I'm not sure if that's gonna be a struggle in the next couple months, to set myself apart. I don't want it to feel like a disrespectful thing, but I know it's a bridge that I'm going to have to cross as far as becoming my own person."

He teamed up with Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem to produce a song for the LeBron James documentary in August 2009.

"Forever," released as a single from the soundtrack to the LeBron James documentary "More Than a Game," was described as "the best 'posse' cut of the year" by none other than Jay-Z.

"Forever" rapidly became Drake's highest debut on the chart. It showcased Drake's bars as well as his smooth vocals, plus his ability to easily flow between the two styles — and the high-power collaboration put him on plenty of rap fans' radars, before he even released a studio album.

On June 15, 2010, Drake's debut studio album "Thank Me Later" dropped after much anticipation.

Following the success of "Best I Ever Had" and his massive record deal, "Thank Me Later" became one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2010.

"I'm not overwhelmed by what everyone else wants this first album to be — I'm overwhelmed by what I know I need it to be," Drake told Interview magazine before its release . "I just gotta keep going 'cause it's so easy to lose your grasp on the game if you're ever even blessed enough to get ahold of it. So I'm just kind of trying to keep things at the pace they're moving at now."

"Thank Me Later" — which featured contributions from big names like Jay-Z, Kanye West , Timbaland, Nicki Minaj , and his mentor Lil Wayne — debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, selling 447,000 copies in its first week.

It went platinum in Canada in less than one week. 

He hosted the first-ever OVO Fest in August 2010.

For the inaugural festival — what would soon become a Toronto summer staple — Drake pulled out all the stops, performing a 90-minute set and welcoming guests like Eminem and Jay-Z .

Drake changed the game with his 2011 sophomore album "Take Care."

Among other triumphs, "Take Care" features the fan-favorite song "Marvin's Room," as well as a Rihanna feature on its titular track. It's a moody, atmospheric record — that was panned by some rap fans as being too emotional.

"People are always like, 'Man, this isn't real rap,' but I don't know man. It's real to me, and a lot of other people apparently. That's all I have to say about that," Drake told Complex in response to the criticism . "To get those emotions through music is life to me. That's life to me. That's what real is to me."

The album was lauded by critics: NME called it an "affecting masterpiece,"  while Rolling Stone praised Drake's ability to "collapse many moods... into one vast, squish-souled emotion."

"'Take Care' isn't a hip-hop album or an R&B album so much as an album of eccentric black pop that takes those genres as starting points, asks what they can do but haven't been doing, then attempts those things," the New York Times wrote . "In the future an album like this will be commonplace; today, it's radical."

"Take Care" is now considered by many fans as Drake's best effort to date — and, indeed, it earned him his first Grammy for best rap album the following year.

On November 29, 2011, Drake released "The Motto" as a single, which is credited with popularizing the acronym "YOLO."

Drake's reputation for writing lyrics tailor-made for Instagram captions can largely be traced back to his "Take Care" singles.

"The Motto," for example — which earned Drake a nod for "Best Rap Song" at the 55th Grammy Awards — is massively responsible for the ubiquity of the phrase "YOLO." 

"You only live once: that's the motto, n----, YOLO," Drake raps in the hook .

"The abbreviation has been bouncing around Twitter for a while now, but it cemented its place in cultural conversation when it was written into the Drake song 'The Motto,'" wrote the Washington Post .

In July 2012, Drake returned to acting with a voice role in "Ice Age: Continental Drift."

Drake plays a teenage woolly mammoth named Ethan in the animated movie.

Drake retroactively earned his high school degree on October 18, 2012.

At 25 years old, Drake announced that he had officially graduated high school, describing it as "one of the greatest feelings in my entire life."

Drake attended two separate high schools in Toronto, but eventually dropped out  — thanks in large part to his hectic "Degrassi" schedule and burgeoning career.

Drake released "Hold On, We're Going Home" on August 7, 2013. It was the lead single from his new album and its most successful.

"Hold On, We're Going Home" gave fans their first taste of Drake's new musical direction.

"It's not a rap record... It's not 'Versace,' it's not 'Started from the Bottom.' In approaching this album I was like, man, it would be great if we had a record that was played at weddings in 10 years," Drake told MTV . "Something that just [has] timeless writing, timeless melody."

Pitchfork named "Hold On, We're Going Home" the best song of 2013 . Insider later ranked it at No. 36 on our list of the decade's best songs .

"Nothing Was the Same," Drake's third studio album, dropped on September 24, 2013. It was widely praised by critics and debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

"I've made a lot of music about love being the only thing I'm missing," he told GQ before the album's release . "I think this is the first album I've made saying, 'I'm okay. I'm enjoying it right now.' Maybe this is my time to grind it out, make a run for it and add some memories with my boys."

Drake hosted "Saturday Night Live" for the first time on January 18, 2014, and also served as the musical guest.

On his " Saturday Night Live " hosting debut, Drake showed off his impressions of Lil Wayne , comedian Katt Williams , and even Alex Rodriguez in the cold open .

MTV wrote that Drake "stole almost every scene"  and Billboard praised his comedic bits as "inspired."

In 2015, dubbed the "Year of Drake," he became the first hip-hop artist since 2004 to have two No. 1 projects in the same year.

On February 12, 2015, Drake surprised the world by dropping "If You're Reading This It's Too Late" without any prior rollout or announcement.

The 17-track mixtape quickly went platinum — even before Drake proceeded to drop a collaborative mixtape with Future, "What a Time to Be Alive," in September. The latter was also certified platinum later on.

2015 also saw Drake possibly date Serena Williams , debut "OVO Sound Radio" on Apple Music, and handily win his first high-profile rap beef with Meek Mill .

"After a quiet 2014 for Toronto's resident 6 God, Drake made sure to dole out more than enough material in 2015 to keep the Internet spinning in a perpetual Drizzy daze," Rolling Stone wrote in an article titled "2015: The Year in Drake."

The "Hotline Bling" music video was released in October 2015. It racked up over one billion views.

The music video for "Hotline Bling," Drake's most popular visual effort ever , embraced retro monochromatic color schemes and the rapper's own dad-like dance moves.

"It took what felt like milliseconds for millions of memes, GIFs, and parodies to flood the web, creating a surprisingly unifying trend," Rolling Stone wrote, affirming that the clip helped Drake reach "a new level of cultural saturation."

"Hotline Bling" shot to No. 2 on the chart and would go on to help Drake secure his  second and third Grammy Awards , winning for best rap/sung performance and best rap song.

"One Dance" took over the world on April 5, 2016 and became Drake's first solo No. 1 song.

After releasing the lackluster single "Summer Sixteen" in January, Drake pivoted and released two lead singles for his forthcoming album: "Pop Style" and "One Dance."

The dancehall-infused single "One Dance" became Drake's first No. 1 single as a lead artist in the US (on top of rocketing to the top spot in 10 other countries). 

Drake dropped his fourth studio album "Views" later that month. Despite its release as an Apple Music and iTunes exclusive, the album amassed almost 250 million streams in its first week without Spotify listeners. It more than doubled the streaming record set by Beyoncé with "Lemonade," and the album would go on to sit at No. 1 on the chart for ten nonconsecutive weeks.

"One Dance" continued its reign on the Hot 100 far beyond the release of "Views." On October 15, "One Dance" became Spotify's most-streamed song ever with over 882 million streams. (The record was later broken by The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights.")

He returned to host "SNL" on May 14, 2016 and spoofed his own rapping.

Once again, the media praised Drake's "natural comedic ability" during his second stint as "SNL" host — with most people in agreement that the spoof of his style and sensitivity was a highlight of the night .

Drake's "More Life" broke the single-day album streams record for every music service in March 2017.

Drake released "More Life," which he described as a  "playlist of original music," on March 18, 2017.

Just 24 hours later, it had been streamed  89.9 million times on Apple Music and 61.3 million times on Spotify , setting records for both platforms.

Two months later, Drake won 13 awards at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, which broke the record for the most wins in a single show.

In September 2017, Drake made his debut as a film producer with a documentary called "The Carter Effect."

"The Carter Effect," a documentary about eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. Drake, along with his longtime manager Adel "Future the Prince" Nur, acted as producers for the film.

In what The Hollywood Reporter dubbed his "ambitious push into film and TV," Drake also made plans with Nur  to executive produce a Netflix revival of the British series "Top Boy."

THR reported that Apple has even given Drake "the go-ahead to produce whatever he chooses... just as the cash-flush titan is poised to shake up the content space."

"I'm sure I'll stop [making music] one day," Drake told THR. "I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. But I do plan on expanding — to take six months or a year to myself and do some great films. Music's always there."

Nearly one year later, HBO  picked up the series "Euphoria" — a teen drama starring Zendaya  and produced by  indie film studio A24 — with both Drake and Nur joining as executive producers.

The show premiered in 2019 to critical and commercial success. After two seasons, it had won nine Emmy Awards out of 25 nominations.

Drake secretly became a father in October 2017.

TMZ initially broke the story in May 2017 that  Drake had fathered a child with former adult film actress  Sophie Brussaux . At the time, a rep for Drake denied the claim but noted, "if it is in fact Drake's child, which he does not believe, he would do the right thing by the child."

Drake later confirmed that he had a son on his 2018 album "Scorpion." On the closing track "March 14," he describes the day his paternity was confirmed, his desire to create a stable environment for his child, and how he struggles to see himself as a single father.

"She's not my lover like Billie Jean but the kid is mine / Sandi used to tell me all it takes is one time, and all it took was one time / Shit, we only met two times, two times," he rapped, referring to his mom Sandra.

Drake's son Adonis Graham was born on his father's birthday, October 24.

"God's Plan" broke Taylor Swift's record for the most streams in a single day in the US in January 2018.

" God's Plan ," one of two songs on Drake's mini EP "Scary Hours," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Drake's second solo record to do so . The second song, "Diplomatic Immunity," clocked in at No. 7 — making Drake  the first artist to twice debut two songs in the top 10 simultaneously .

Just two days later, Spotify announced that "God's Plan" had broken  Taylor Swift's record (" Look What You Made Me Do ") for the most streams in a single day in the US.

On April 6, Drake's next single "Nice For What" replaced "God's Plan" at the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first artist to have a new No. 1 debut replace their former No. 1 debut .

"God's Plan" went on to win a Grammy Award for best rap song and was certified diamond on September 25, 2019 . 

Drake traded barbs with Pusha-T in May 2018, culminating in the latter's devastating diss track "The Story of Adidon."

The two rappers have been  swapping barbs and diss tracks  for many years, but their feud was reignited in the spring when Pusha T's "Infrared" — found on his album "Daytona," which was produced by Kanye West — poked fun at speculation that Drake uses ghostwriters.

Drake quickly responded with "Duppy Freestyle," on which he rapped, "Tell Ye [Kanye] we got an invoice coming to you / Considering that we just sold another 20 for you." (He did, indeed, send an invoice later via social media .)

After a few days of anticipation, Pusha T released "The Story of Adidon," which featured Drake in blackface as the cover art.

In the song, Pusha T revealed that Drake is hiding a son he had with a "porn star" and accused him of being a "deadbeat" dad.

Drake never responded with his own diss track, which led many fans to declare Pusha T the winner. He has since said that  he'd had a response ready , in which he admittedly said "terrible things," but ultimately decided not to release it: "I got home, listened back to it, and I was like, 'Man, this is not something I ever want to be remembered for.'"

Drake released his longest-ever album "Scorpion" on June 29, 2018.

With 25 songs divided into a rap-centric A Side and a more R&B-focused B Side, "Scorpion" is nearly 90 minutes long  — his longest ever.

To Drake's credit, however, it seems the gambit paid off. Seven of those songs landed in the top 10 on the Hot 100 simultaneously , besting the Beatles' record (five) that had stood since 1964. 

"Scorpion" became Drake's eighth album to debut at No. 1 and was streamed over 170 million times in its first 24 hours , breaking (naturally) another Spotify record.

The album is another cultural touchstone: it spawned an internet craze with the "In My Feelings" challenge , addressed the feud with Pusha-T, and ended with an emotional open letter to Drake's son .

Drake then embarked on his "Aubrey & The Three Migos" tour, on which he blew Adele's mind and ended his longstanding feud with Meek Mill .

He dropped two compilation albums in 2019 and 2020.

On August 2, 2019, Drake released "Care Package," a compilation of cuts and demos made throughout his career that were never officially released. It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Nine months later, on May 1, 2020, he released another compilation. "Dark Lane Demo Tapes" was described by Drake as "some leaks and some joints from SoundCloud and some new vibes." It included the single "Toosie Slide," which had previously debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The latter was widely seen as a warm-up to Drake's sixth studio album, "Certified Lover Boy," which he announced at the same time. It was originally slated for release in summer 2020, but weathered several delays .

Drake made history in March 2021 by debuting three songs in the Billboard Hot 100 top three simultaneously.

On March 5, 2021, Drake released a short project titled "Scary Hours 2," billed as a sequel to his 2018 EP.

The new collection included three songs, all of which arrived in the top three of the Billboard Hot 100: "What's Next" debuted at No. 1 , "Wants and Needs" (featuring Lil Baby) at No. 2, and "Lemon Pepper Freestyle" (featuring Rick Ross) at No. 3.

Drake joined The Beatles and Ariana Grande as the only artists ever to chart songs at Nos. 1, 2, and 3 simultaneously — and the first artist in history to have all three songs debut in those positions.

He was honored as Billboard's artist of the decade the 2021 BBMAs.

Drake was ranked at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Artists of the 2010s chart , thanks to his decadelong dominance on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart and the Billboard 200 albums tally.

He accepted the honor at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards and dedicated the award to his friends, collaborators, peers, "beautiful family," and 3-year-old son Adonis, who he brought onstage.

"I'm really self-conscious about my music," Drake said onstage. "I rarely celebrate anything, and, just for anyone watching this that's wondering how this happened, that's really the answer. It's being so unsure how you're getting it done, that you just keep going in the hopes of figuring out the formula. Feeling so lucky and blessed that the fear of losing it keeps you up at night."

Drake released "Certified Lover Boy" on September 3, 2021. It instantly became one of the most successful albums of all time.

After nearly one year of anticipation , Drake's sixth studio album debuted atop the Billboard 200 , becoming his 10th No. 1 project.

"Certified Lover Boy" boasted the biggest release week of the year with 613,000 equivalent album units earned.

Although Drake didn't release any singles before the album's release, the seventh track "Way 2 Sexy" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Drake's fifth instant chart-topper .

In fact, "Certified Lover Boy" brought unprecedented chart domination , even for a commercial giant like Drake.

He became the first artist in history to occupy nine of the Billboard Hot 100's top 10 spots. In fact, he took the entire top five, becoming the first soloist to do so and the second artist ever, following The Beatles in 1964. (The feat was later surpassed by Swift, who took all 10 top spots with her album " Midnights ").

At the time, "Certified Lover Boy" was the only album to yield so many top 10 hits in its entire lifespan, let alone simultaneously. Four albums were previously tied for the record, having managed to produce seven top 10 hits: Michael Jackson's "Thriller," Bruce Springsteen, "Born in the U.S.A.," Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814," and Drake's own "Scorpion."

Drake easily boasts the most top 10 hits of any artist in history. "Certified Lover Boy" brought his grand total to 54. Trailing far behind in second place is Madonna with 38. 

He released "Honestly, Nevermind" and "Her Loss" in 2022. Both albums went to No. 1 on the chart.

Drake's seventh studio album "Honestly, Nevermind" was surprise-released on June 17, 2022. Predictably, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 .

Just five months later, Drake unveiled "Her Loss," a collaborative album with 21 Savage. It too debuted at No. 1 with the fourth-largest streaming week ever for any album, according to Billboard.

Drake won his fifth Grammy Award at the 2023 ceremony.

Back in 2020, Drake criticized the Grammys after his collaborator and fellow Toronto native, The Weeknd, failed to receive any nods  for his acclaimed album "After Hours."

"I think we should stop allowing ourselves to be shocked every year by the disconnect between impactful music and these awards and just accept that what once was the highest form of recognition may no longer matter to the artists that exist now and the ones that come after," he said.

Drake, who currently has 51 nominations to his name, decided to stop submitting his solo music to the nominations process. He even asked the Recording Academy to remove him from the ballot in 2022.

However, Drake still managed to win best melodic rap performance in 2023, thanks to his feature on Future's hit single "Wait For U."

Taking home his fifth Grammy Award may have inspired Drake to change his tune, because Billboard confirmed that he submitted "Her Loss" for consideration in a variety of categories at the 2024 ceremony.

Drake's eighth studio album, "For All the Dogs," arrived in October 2023. It quickly became another commercial juggernaut.

Despite mixed reviews , "For All the Dogs" became Drake's 13th No. 1 project (a grand total that includes solo studio albums, collabs, mixtapes, and compilations).

According to Billboard, "For All the Dogs" racked up more than a half-billion streams across 23 songs — the biggest streaming week of 2023 and the fourth-biggest ever, surpassing "Her Loss."

Two songs from the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the lead single, "Slime You Out" featuring SZA, and "First Person Shooter" featuring J. Cole — extending Drake's record for the most No. 1 song debuts of any artist in history, with nine instant chart-toppers to his name . BTS, Grande, and Swift are tied for second place with five apiece.

Including songs that climbed up the chart, Drake now has 13 No. 1 hits overall, tying Michael Jackson for the fourth-most in history. They trail Rihanna (14), Mariah Carey (19), and The Beatles (20).

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This Day In History : September 26

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Francis Drake circumnavigates the globe

English seaman Francis Drake returns to Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, becoming the first British navigator to sail the earth.

On December 13, 1577, Drake set out from England with five ships on a mission to raid Spanish holdings on the Pacific coast of the New World. After crossing the Atlantic, Drake abandoned two of his ships in South America and then sailed into the Straits of Magellan with the remaining three. A series of devastating storms besieged his expedition in the treacherous straits, wrecking one ship and forcing another to return to England. Only the Golden Hind reached the Pacific Ocean, but Drake continued undaunted up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing a rich Spanish treasure ship.

Drake then continued up the western coast of North America, searching for a possible northeast passage back to the Atlantic. Reaching as far north as present-day Washington before turning back, Drake paused near San Francisco Bay in June 1579 to repair his ship and prepare for a journey across the Pacific. Calling the land “Nova Albion,” Drake claimed the territory for Queen Elizabeth I .

In July, the expedition set off across the Pacific, visiting several islands before rounding Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and returning to the Atlantic Ocean. On September 26, 1580, the Golden Hind returned to Plymouth, England, bearing its rich captured treasure and valuable information about the world’s great oceans. In 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake during a visit to his ship. The most renowned of the Elizabethan seamen, he later played a crucial role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. The explorer died 1596 at the age of 56.

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Shannon Lucid returns to Earth

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The Ages of Exploration

Drake’s circumnavigation route, 1577-1580.

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Map showing the route Francis Drake took on his circumnavigation around the world. The Mariners’ Museum G175 B56 2003

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Sir Francis Drake Timeline

Sir Francis Drake (c. 1540–1596) was a renowned English sea captain and privateer during the Elizabethan era. He achieved fame through his circumnavigation of the world from 1577 to 1580, becoming the first Englishman to do so.

Drake’s daring privateering exploits and role in the defense against the Spanish Armada in 1588 made him a national hero, leading to his knighthood by Queen Elizabeth I in 1580.

Despite his contributions to England’s maritime history, his final expedition in 1595-1596 ended tragically when he died of dysentery off the coast of Panama. Sir Francis Drake remains a prominent figure in English naval history.

Timeline of Sir Francis Drake

Circa 1540 – birth of francis drake.

Francis Drake was born around 1540 in Tavistock, Devon, England. The exact date of his birth remains uncertain.

1567 – Gaining Maritime Experience

In 1567, Drake began gaining maritime experience as an apprentice on a trading voyage to the Caribbean and the Americas. This early exposure to seafaring and the New World laid the foundation for his future adventures.

1572 – First Major Privateering Expedition

In 1572, Francis Drake embarked on his first major privateering expedition. Privateering involved capturing and plundering Spanish ships and settlements in the Americas.

At the time, England and Spain were in a state of hostilities, and Drake saw these expeditions as a way to strike back at Spain, England’s powerful rival.

Also Read: Sir Francis Drake Accomplishments

During this expedition, Drake sailed under the command of his cousin John Hawkins. Unfortunately, the expedition took a disastrous turn when their fleet was attacked by the Spanish in the port of San Juan de Ulúa, Mexico, in 1568.

This event, known as the Battle of San Juan de Ulúa, resulted in the loss of several ships and many lives, and Drake narrowly escaped with his life. The experience left a lasting impression on him and fueled his desire for revenge against the Spanish.

1577-1580 – Drake’s Circumnavigation of the World

In 1577, Sir Francis Drake embarked on his most famous expedition, known as the “Circumnavigation of the World.” The primary objective of this journey was to explore new territories and disrupt Spanish dominance in the Americas.

Drake set sail from Plymouth, England, with a small fleet of ships, the most famous of which was the Golden Hind. The expedition was fraught with danger, as they sailed into unknown waters and encountered various challenges, including storms, hostile encounters with indigenous peoples, and navigational difficulties.

Also Read: Sir Francis Drake Facts

Drake’s voyage took him through the treacherous waters of the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America. His ship, the Golden Hind, was the only one to survive the passage, and he emerged into the Pacific Ocean.

Drake continued his journey by sailing up the western coast of South America, raiding Spanish settlements and capturing valuable Spanish treasure. He even went as far north as California, becoming the first Englishman to set foot on the western coast of North America.

In 1579, Drake reached the Pacific coast of North America, and there he claimed the land for England, calling it “Nova Albion.” This was a significant achievement as it established an English presence on the west coast of North America.

Drake then crossed the Pacific Ocean, making various stops along the way, including the Moluccas (Spice Islands), where he acquired valuable spices. He eventually rounded the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and returned to England in 1580.

Drake’s circumnavigation of the globe was a historic achievement and established him as a national hero in England. It also brought significant wealth and recognition to him and his crew.

1580 – Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth I

As a reward for his successful circumnavigation and his efforts to undermine Spanish dominance, Queen Elizabeth I personally knighted Francis Drake aboard the Golden Hind in 1580. This honor elevated him to the status of Sir Francis Drake.

1585-1586 – Expedition to the West Indies

Building on his reputation and royal favor, Drake led another expedition in 1585 to the West Indies. This expedition aimed to disrupt Spanish colonial interests, particularly in the Caribbean.

During this campaign, Drake captured and plundered several Spanish settlements, including Santo Domingo and Cartagena. His actions severely damaged Spanish colonial infrastructure and wealth accumulation in the region.

1587 – Participation in the Defense Against the Spanish Armada

In 1587, Sir Francis Drake played a pivotal role in the defense of England against the Spanish Armada. This was a critical moment in English history, as King Philip II of Spain sought to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and restore Catholicism in England.

Drake, serving as Vice Admiral of the English fleet, executed daring and effective tactics against the larger Spanish Armada. He used fire ships, which were vessels filled with flammable materials and set on fire, to create panic and disarray among the Spanish ships.

His strategic acumen and leadership contributed significantly to the English victory over the Spanish Armada in 1588. This victory marked a turning point in European history and established England as a formidable naval power.

1588 – Raid on Cádiz

In 1588, shortly after the defeat of the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake led another daring expedition. He conducted a raid on the Spanish port of Cádiz, which was a major base for Spanish naval operations.

This raid, known as the “Singeing of the King of Spain’s Beard,” severely disrupted Spanish naval preparations and inflicted significant damage on their fleet and harbor facilities.

The success of this operation further solidified Drake’s reputation as a daring and effective naval commander.

1595-1596 – Final Expedition and Death

In 1595, Sir Francis Drake embarked on his final expedition, this time to the West Indies and South America. The primary goal of this expedition was to disrupt Spanish settlements and seize treasure.

Unfortunately, during this voyage, Drake contracted dysentery, a serious and potentially fatal illness. His health rapidly deteriorated as the expedition continued.

On January 28, 1596, Sir Francis Drake died off the coast of Panama. He was buried at sea in a lead coffin, a gesture intended to keep his remains from falling into the hands of the Spanish.

1603 – Queen Elizabeth I’s Death

After Sir Francis Drake’s death, Queen Elizabeth I passed away in 1603. Her death marked the end of an era, as she had reigned for over 44 years. Drake’s contributions to England’s naval power and his exploits during her reign were remembered as important achievements during this period.

Sir Francis Drake’s life was marked by his remarkable exploits as a naval commander and privateer. His actions played a significant role in shaping England’s maritime and colonial history during the Elizabethan era, and his legacy endures as one of England’s greatest seafarers.

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Sir francis drake.

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During his time, Sir Francis Drake was known in England as an expert sailor, adventurer, privateer, navigator, and war hero. The Spanish, however, viewed him as an illegal trader of enslaved people and a ruthless pirate.

Francis Drake came of age during a time of empire building for England, which trailed the earlier explorations and colonial expansion of its chief rival, Spain. His early years among the ships of the Thames Estuary were marked by the intensely emotional turmoil of the Protestant Reformation, which governed not only Europe's spiritual life, but also its political life.

Drake's quest for new lands and riches took him on many voyages across the Atlantic. During his first three trans-Atlantic voyages, he sailed with John Hawkins, his second cousin and the man who is considered to have been the first English slave-trader. In 1568, during the third expedition, Hawkins' fleet was attacked by Spanish warships for engaging in illegal trade in the Caribbean Sea, including trading enslaved people. Hawkins lost four of six ships, and he and Drake narrowly escaped death. This event was a catalyst for Drake's hatred of Spain and preceded the many battles he waged against the Spanish.

It was during his fourth trans-Atlantic voyage, in 1572, that Drake is said to have climbed a tree on the Isthmus of Panama and first glimpsed the Pacific. Captivated by this view, he swore to sail an English ship to those waters.

Drake made good on this oath when he sailed from Plymouth in 1577 with a fleet of five ships and headed south and west amidst storms and mutiny. Passing through the Straights of Magellan, Drake reached the Pacific in September of 1578, and continued north, seeking the Northwest Passage. As he headed north, he continued striking at ships and ports along the western coast of South America, a significant source of Spain's colonial wealth. His ship, the Golden Hind (which had originally been named the Pelican ), was soon filled with gold and silver, chests of rare porcelains from China, spices, and silks.

He ultimately gave up his search for the Northwest Passage and is believed to have spent six weeks at a "convenient and fit harbourgh" in what is now Point Reyes National Seashore in California, repairing the Golden Hind and preparing for a long voyage west across the Pacific.

Drake continued across the Pacific to Indonesia and then around Africa's Cape of Good Hope, completing the last leg of "The Voyage of Circumnavigation" as he returned to England. The Golden Hind , bulging with treasures from the East Indies, arrived in Plymouth in September of 1580. On April 4, 1581, Queen Elizabeth I knighted Drake onboard the Golden Hind in recognition of this journey.

While "The Voyage of Circumnavigation," is one of Drake's most famous maritime exploits, after serving as Mayor of Plymouth and a Member of Parliament in the early 1580s, he returned to sea in 1585 to raid Spanish settlements in the Caribbean. Drake commanded a fleet of about 25 ships and 2,300 men. His most important targets during this expedition were Santo Domingo (in present day Dominican Republic) and Cartagena (in present-day Colombia); from both of those towns he wrung fat ransoms.

Having devastated Spanish colonies in the Caribbean through the spring of 1586, Drake set course for England, following the Gulf Stream Current along Florida's east coast. On May 28, his lookout sighted the coastal watchtower of the San Agustín (St. Augustine) settlement (in present-day northeast Florida). Only about 150 soldiers constituted the bulk of the town's population, so Drake's forces were easily able to raid and burn the town. This action should have made clear to the Spanish both the weakness of the struggling colony and the formidable character of the English opponent. Yet, despite both the English and pirates repeatedly harassing the Spanish colony over the next century, the Spanish government was slow in building fortifications to strengthen its control of the area. Construction of Castillo de San Marcos to guard the Saint Augustin Inlet didn't begin until 1672, and construction of Fort Matanzas , to control Matanzas Inlet, the "backdoor" to San Agustín, didn't begin until 1740. Both fortifications are now National Park Service sites.

As he continued his voyage home, he also rescued the English military colony that was established on Roanoke Island in 1585 at what is now Fort Raleigh National Historic Site . Drake arrived at Roanoke in June of 1586 in time to rescue the 115-man military detachment from starvation and impending Algonquian attack, transporting them and their leader, Ralph Lane, back to England.

He didn't get to stay home long before he was dispatched by Queen Elizabeth I to lead an attack on the Spanish fleet at Cadiz in 1587. The expedition was a military success, with over one hundred Spanish vessels destroyed or captured and delaying King Philip's plan to launch his armada to invade England by a year. When the Spanish Armada did launch in 1588, Drake, serving as vice admiral in command of the nimble English fleet of warships, was instrumental in the destruction of the mighty Spanish Armada off the coast of England, helping to pave the way for England to become a global superpower and helping Drake secure a reputation as one of the finest sailors in history.

However, the defeat of the Spanish Armada was among the last of Drake's successful ventures. An expedition to attack Spain failed in 1589. Six years later, he returned to the Caribbean, where he would suffer two significant defeats.

After crossing the Atlantic, Drake passed through a channel between what are now the British Virgin Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands, a channel which now bears his name. And while Virgin Islands National Park on the island of St. John borders the Sir Francis Drake Channel, there is currently no evidence that he set foot on the island of St. John on his way to Puerto Rico, where the Battle of San Juan was fought.

On November 22, 1595, Drake encountered the Castillo San Felipe del Morro (El Morro)—which gained a reputation for being unconquerable and which is now part of San Juan National Historic Site —defending the harbor of San Juan. Good fortune was on the side of the Spanish; a miscalculation by Drake, together with the bravery of the defenders of El Morro, led to a totally unexpected defeat for the English.

Drake sailed on with his injured fleet to attack the port of Panamá in early January 1596, but was, once again, defeated. A couple weeks later, Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship of dysentery on January 28, 1596, and was buried at sea near Portobelo on the Caribbean coast of Panamá.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument , Fort Matanzas National Monument , Fort Raleigh National Historic Site , Point Reyes National Seashore , San Juan National Historic Site , Virgin Islands National Park more »

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Last updated: November 16, 2023

The True Story Of Sir Francis Drake's Circumnavigation

Ferdinand Magellan gets all the credit for being the first human to circumnavigate the globe, but as National Geographic tells us, this isn't necessarily true. Sure, his expedition made it around the globe, but by the end, only 18 men were still alive, and the captain was no longer Magellan — who had died. Rather, it was Juan Sebastián Elcano who completed the journey, having assumed the captaincy in Magellan's stead. A few more Spanish expeditions and 60 years later, Sir Francis Drake became the first Englishman to make the voyage, and — unlike Magellan — he actually made it all the way.

The dissimilarities don't end there, however. Magellan has a very mixed legacy, mostly by way of how he treated the native peoples that he encountered. For the most part, Sir Francis Drake was the complete opposite, making his circumnavigation not one of scorched earth, but one of friendliness and something at least partially resembling diplomacy. Then there's the matter of Drake being a privateer — one of the most successful to have ever lived — as well as being one of Queen Elizabeth I 's favorite people, per  World History Encyclopedia . And given how no-nonsense she was, it was quite the feat to be appreciated in such a way. 

Sir Francis Drake had one of the most successful and fruitful careers of any sailor in history, but it's the circumnavigation that serves as his crowning achievement. Here's the true story of his voyage. 

A history of seaward successes

Francis Drake had a long track record of being an expert captain, who pretty much always accomplished his task. In the late 16th century, with tensions baking between Spain and England but no formal war declared, Queen Elizabeth I gave something of an open invitation to able-bodied seaman to work as pirates, on behalf of the crown, as long as they were targeting the Spanish treasure fleet, according to World History Encyclopedia . 

Drake seized the opportunity and immediately set about raiding Spanish vessels with an incredible success rate, and in the process became the first Englishman to see the Pacific Ocean — all things that look pretty good on a resume. So when Richard Grenville proposed a plan to Queen Elizabeth to explore the supposed continent south of the equator, it was simple enough to decide on who to turn to, according to World History Encyclopedia . Elizabeth asked the man who was already accomplished at bringing her great fortunes, this skill being accompanied with dealing serious blows to the Spanish treasure fleet: that man was Francis Drake.

A simple mission

Francis Drake's mission, given by Queen Elizabeth I, was not actually to circumnavigate the globe. According to History , the objective was simply to go to the other side of the Spanish New World — the Pacific side — and do some casual raiding, with a side order of exploration. Simple enough, it seemed, and the order came from the Queen of England herself, per World History Encyclopedia . The Spanish had, after all, been allowed to develop along the Pacific side of America completely unchecked, and their holdings over there were very poorly defended, since they'd never had company before.

With five ships in his small fleet, Drake set out on December 13, 1577 to do what he had already done so many times before — accumulate some serious wealth for England, while denting the haul that the Spanish were taking home. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean was anything but easy: Drake decided to leave two of his ships in South America, and another two were lost after a collection of crushing storms, experienced while they passed through the Strait of Magellan. By the time he reached the Pacific, he was left with just his own ship: the Golden Hind. 

Easy pickings in the Pacific

Francis Drake may have made picking off Spanish treasures in the Atlantic theater look easy, but that doesn't mean it was. The Spanish treasure fleet was large and formidable, so while they may have been spread thin, they were by no means defenseless. That's why the Queen was so open about pirates serving in the name of the Queen: the Spanish Armada was the greatest sea force in the world. 

It was much different on the Pacific side, where the Spanish had roamed with no competition for years. According to "Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography,"  the Spanish weren't just unprepared, they were completely and wholly surprised to find anyone else on that side of the world, let alone their dreaded foes the English. They had spent two generations in isolation from their European peers on the Pacific coast. As such, Drake took his time: he cruised his way up the coast of Chile, Peru, and even worked his way inland, since the Spanish had built no defenses to prevent such an incursion. Drake had his pick of gold and supplies with his one remaining ship.

Drake's sailing took him all over the waters around America, according to World History Encyclopedia . He was searching for the Northwest Passage that was rumored to make for an easy trip to Asia, but lo and behold, such a passage did not exist, leaving Drake and his Golden Hind to make his merry way all along the West Coast of everything American. He eventually turned and came back south to what is modern day San Francisco, and there he paused to choose his next move.

The taking of Nuestra Señora de la Concepción

While having his way with the virtually undefended Pacific area of the Spanish Empire, Francis Drake caught word in Lima of a particularly laden Spanish treasure ship, called the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. According to  "Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography,"  the ship had departed for Panama 12 days before Drake's arrival, which sounded like a sweet opportunity to the British privateer. In March 1579, he caught up with the ship, and achieved what would be the greatest haul of his entire circumnavigation — and that's saying something. 

According to History , Drake took from the Spanish treasure ship 12 chests of coins, 80 pounds of gold, and 26 tons of silver. If you subscribe to modern conversion rates (as of mid-2022), that's close to $16 million of silver and over $2 million worth of gold, in addition to the value of the hoard of gold coins. To further attest to how easy this all was for Drake, Historic UK reports that all Drake did was injure the captain of the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción with an arrow, and thus the haul was his. 

Claiming California for England

While making repairs to his ship on the beach of what is now San Francisco, Francis Drake took some time to explore inland. In the process, he decided to employ the classic English tactic of sticking a flag in the ground and claiming that land in the name of the Queen. As it turns out, no European power had as of yet put a claim on the territory now known as California, so Francis Drake's claim was as valid as they go, and he called it Nova Albion, per History . While that claim was never followed up on, it was still significant for the time, having occurred almost 40 years before the British established Jamestown, according to National Parks Traveler . 

Nowadays, the location Drake landed is immortalized as Drake's Bay by the Drakes Bay Historic and Archeological District at Point Reyes National Seashore. So while the British never exactly built a thriving colony in California, the significance of this landing is not lost to the modern tourist, who can still stand on the same dunes that Drake may have when he declared it the property of Queen Elizabeth I. 

Befriending the natives

Unfortunately, just about every interaction between Europeans and Native Americans ended with unnecessary bloodshed and betrayal, almost entirely perpetuated by the European colonists, such as National Geographic describes happened in New England . In this context, even friendly engagements seem little more than a benign stepping stone to more bloodshed and territory loss, suffered by the native inhabitants. That said, for Francis Drake's party, he did not leave behind a trail of blood and tears, even if those that came after him would. In fact, he had a pretty positive track record with natives. It was because of his friendliness with previous Native Americans that he became the first Englishman to see the Pacific Ocean, per World History Encyclopedia , and that behavior carried on with his meeting with the Miwok tribe in modern day California, as mentioned in "Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography."

According to National Parks Traveller , the modern native chief declared that this encounter, told from their perspective, was filled with confusion, with the natives thinking that the dead were coming back to life. In fact, Francis Drake was even crowned in a ceremony under the misconception that he was indeed a dead ancestor returning to them, according to " The World Encompassed ," by Sir Francis Drake himself. Whatever the circumstance, there was no conflict between the two, and they appeared to be perfectly amicable throughout Drake's stay. 

Setting out to the West

Having raided the Spanish for practically all they were worth and holding all of those riches in the hold of his ship — riches that the Queen of England was expecting him to bring back — Francis Drake had a decision to make. He would have known that the Spanish were on the lookout for him, and that they would expect him to make the trip back across the Atlantic: he could either go face whatever the Spanish had prepared for his return voyage, or he could set out west from America — the same direction that Magellan had gone decades prior. 

With the winds behind him, the Golden Hind moved swiftly across the Pacific Ocean, according to World History Encyclopedia . Without a fleet to support his ship, however, Drake was on his own to make the voyage safely back home, and it was not a quick return trip. The world is a rather big place, and Drake had a literal ton of cargo in his hold with a lot of sea to potentially lose it to. Nonetheless, for as difficult as Magellan's journey had been, Drake had the benefit of knowing the way already, thanks to Magellan's route. So all he had to do was follow a similar path and, barring anything catastrophic, he could touch back down in Europe, same as the Portuguese explorer before him.

Touching down in the East Indies

A rather tame three months after setting out west from the Americas, Francis Drake and the Golden Hind spotted land — now known as the Philippines — and weeks later, they docked in the East Indies. There, according to " Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography ," Drake befriended the local sultan, much like he did the Miwok tribe in California. Furthermore, in complete avoidance of any potential hostilities, he signed a treaty with the sultan, as well as investing some of his hard-earned spoils in the purchase of six tons of cloves, according to World History Encyclopedia , which certainly diversified the blossoming riches in the belly of the Golden Hind. 

This would be the last of Drake's hauls. After raiding the Spanish for all they were worth in the Americas, or at least all that the Golden Hind could hold, Drake had made the sensible choice to buy a different source of wealth with his captured gold. And it would stand to reason that he literally didn't have any more room for anything else, being still the captain of but one ship and not a fleet at all. The name of the game now became making it home with everything intact. 

Making it back to England

The whole idea of circumnavigating the globe is certainly a daunting one. After all, Magellan didn't fare so well in his journey, having suffered all kinds of unfortunate happenings along the way before dying during the voyage, as described by National Geographic , and for Francis Drake the journey was also precarious. He did, after all, lose four of his five ships before even making it to the Pacific Ocean. That, however, was all in the Atlantic theater, far from the Pacific that encompassed the biggest part of the journey. With just one ship to tend to, the journey seemed to get easier for him, and once he hit the Pacific, the journey was almost as easy as the raiding of the Spanish Empire had been.

There was really only one snag, literally, that held up his voyage. Drake got the Golden Hind caught on a reef near Java, according to " Sir Francis Drake: A Pictorial Biography ," but he only got stuck there for a day before the ship glided off, docked for repairs in Java, and then continued on its merry way home. The Golden Hind sailed across the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope, and up the African Coast all the way back to Plymouth, where he completed his circumnavigation in September of 1580. All told, Drake's odyssey took him just under three years, and he became the first Englishman to make the voyage. 

A pirate and a knight

Francis Drake didn't have long back in England before the rewards started pouring in. After reaching Plymouth, several months later Drake made his way up the Thames, for a visit by the Queen and an Englishman's ultimate honor: he was knighted, right there onboard the Golden Hind, according to World History Encyclopedia , with Queen Elizabeth I clearly thrilled out of her mind at all the riches that were sitting right there in the port of Deptford. 

Now dubbed Sir Francis Drake, the Spanish didn't exactly like the implications of him being given such an honor, for obvious reasons: to them, he was a pirate, having seized their property for his own gain. This was despite the fact that Queen Elizabeth had ordered all of his exploits, and given privateers permission to raid at their heart's content, as long as they were raiding the Spanish. Whether the Spanish knew that or not, they saw an enemy they had nicknamed "El Draque," or "The Dragon," according to World History Encyclopedia , for his seemingly otherworldly ability to take large portions of everything they considered their own. Now, to the Spanish, he was Sir Dragon, and you can bet when he let a fleet again ravage their beloved Armada five years after his circumnavigation, they were less than pleased to see him again. 

The riches, all told

With all pirates, one thing that typically enters the conversation is how much they were actually worth at the peak of their career. For Sir Francis Drake, there are two significant numbers, one — what he was worth all told, circumnavigation and everything else included; and two — how much he retrieved from the voyage around the globe alone. While most pirates died with relatively nothing to their name, some managed to hold onto their wealth. According to Forbes , Drake died the second-richest pirate of all time, with a net worth around $115 million. The only pirate ahead of him was Black Sam Bellamy, at $120 million. Indeed, Drake was one of the first truly successful pirates, and a trailblazer in the field of piracy. Most of those that would join the list alongside him, from Bellamy to Blackbeard , rampaged a century later during the Golden Age of Piracy (via World History Encyclopedia ), when there was plenty of spoils for the taking.

Then there is the matter of how much his circumnavigation of the globe alone got him. His task, after all, was to raid the Spanish for everything he could find, and the fact that he also went around the world was just a happy side quest. World History Encyclopedia estimates Francis Drake's raid around the world at £600,000, which was the annual revenue of the whole of England at the time: all of that coming into port in one fell swoop. According to World History Encyclopedia, the Queen snagged £160,000 for the crown, meaning Drake and his men got away with a pretty payday. 

TV and rap star Drake is best known in Canada for playing wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks on 'Degrassi: The Next Generation,' and for hit songs like "Take Care," "One Dance" and "Hotline Bling."

Who Is Drake?

Drake first came to prominence in the teen soap Degrassi: The Next Generation in the role of Jimmy Brooks, a wheelchair-bound character he played for seven years. After leaving the show he became one of the biggest rappers on the planet after signing a deal with Lil Wayne 's label Young Money Entertainment. He is rarely out of the headlines, whether it’s for dating Rihanna or Jennifer Lopez , founding his own label, OVO Sound, or fronting the NBA’s Toronto Raptors as the team's global ambassador. It's no surprise that Jay Z labeled him as the Kobe Bryant of hip hop.

Born Aubrey Drake Graham on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Canada, Drake grew up with music in his blood. His father, Dennis Graham, was a drummer for the legendary rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis . An uncle, Larry Graham, played bass for Sly and the Family Stone. Drake says that his mother, Sandi Graham, also hails from a "very musical" family — his grandmother babysat Aretha Franklin . Drake comes from an eclectic and unique ethnic and religious background. His father is an African American Catholic and his mother is a white Canadian Jew. Speaking about his personal identity, Drake says: "At the end of the day, I consider myself a Black man because I'm more immersed in Black culture than any other. Being Jewish is kind of a cool twist. It makes me unique."

Drake's parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in Forest Hill, an affluent and predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Toronto. He attended Jewish day school, had a Bar Mitzvah at age 13 and observed the Jewish High Holy Days with his mother. "My mom has always made Hanukkah fun," Drake recalls. "When I was younger, she gave cool gifts and she'd make latkes ." Despite his Jewish upbringing, Drake says he felt isolated at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, his virtually all-white people high school. He has said that "nobody understood what it was like to be Black and Jewish," but added that "being different from everyone else just made me a lot stronger."

'Degrassi: The Next Generation'

It was one of Drake's classmates at Forest Hill who gave him his start in the entertainment industry. "There was a kid in my class whose father was an agent," Drake would later explain, adding: "His dad would say, 'If there's anyone in the class that makes you laugh, have them audition for me.' After the audition, he became my agent."

Shortly afterward, in 2001, Drake landed a role on the Canadian teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation . The show followed the dramatic lives of a group of teenagers at Degrassi High School, and Drake played the part of Jimmy Brooks, sometimes dubbed "Wheelchair Jimmy," a basketball star who becomes permanently wheelchair-bound when he is shot by a classmate.

Drake dropped out of school to pursue his acting career, only graduating from high school in 2012. He starred on Degrassi for seven years (2001-2009), earning a Young Artist Award in 2002 for best ensemble in a TV series, among other honors. The show quickly developed a devoted cult following — "There are very few subtle Degrassi fans," Drake has said — propelling him to celebrity status in Canada, even while he remained relatively anonymous in the United States.

Music Career

While he was still appearing on Degrassi , Drake began attempting to cross over into the world of hip hop. He released his first mixtape, Room for Improvement , in 2006, achieving modest sales of approximately 6,000 copies. He followed that with the 2007 release of another mixtape, Comeback Season , on his own October’s Very Own imprint (later to be shortened to OVO). This included Drake's first hit single and music video, "Replacement Girl," which was featured as the New Joint of the Day on BET's popular hip-hop TV show 106 & Park . More significantly, the song contained a version of Brisco and Flo Rida’s "Man of the Year," which featured Lil Wayne. Drake decided to leave Wayne’s verses and hook intact while he provided the rest of the lyrics himself. This caught the attention of Jas Prince, son of Rap-A-Lot Records founder James Prince, who decided to play Drake to Lil Wayne himself.

In 2008, the producers of Degrassi overhauled the cast, eliminating Drake's character. Without his steady source of income, and not yet making significant money as a rapper, Drake was on the verge of looking for a day job. "I was coming to terms with the fact that ... I might have to work at a restaurant or something just to keep things going," he remembers. But early in 2008, he received an unexpected call from Lil Wayne, who asked him to board a flight to Houston that night to join his Carter III tour.

After touring and recording a number of songs with Lil Wayne, Drake released his third mixtape, So Far Gone , in February 2009. It featured the infectious single "Best I Ever Had," which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, while "Successful," a collaboration with Wayne and Trey Songz, went gold and made Rolling Stone’s "25 Best Songs of 2009" list. Since then, Drake's barrage of catchy, R&B-infused hip hop songs have dominated radio airwaves.

A bidding war for Drake’s signature followed and in mid-2009 he inked a record deal with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment. The start wasn’t auspicious – he took a tumble on stage during the America’s Most Wanted Tour in July the same year, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament and requiring surgery. However, it would only be onwards and upwards from then on.

'Thank Me Later' and Grammy Wins

On June 15, 2010, Drake released his first full studio album, Thank Me Later , which debuted at No. 1 on both American and Canadian album charts and was certified platinum. His new persona as the cocksure prince of hip-hop ("Last name ever, first name greatest," he brags on "Forever") seemed to clash with his middle-class Jewish upbringing and former career as a teenage soap star.

Nevertheless, Drake attempted to fuse these seemingly incongruous stages of his life into one persona. On the December 2009 cover of Vibe magazine, he sported a diamond-crusted Chai, a hip hop-style shout out to his Jewish roots. And in "The Presentation" he raps: "Who's Drake? Where's Wheelchair Jimmy at?" With Jay Z and Kanye West both contributing to the album, the answer to "who’s Drake?" had to be "rap royalty."

In November 2011, he released his second studio album, Take Care , which included the songs "Headlines," "Make Me Proud" and "The Motto." The album was universally acclaimed, winning the 2013 Grammy award for best rap album, among several other honors. Greg Kot’s review in the Chicago Tribune perfectly summed up Drake’s unique appeal, pinpointing the difference in subject matter and soul-searching honesty that separated Drake from his peers: “Drake, the melancholy hustler with a conscience, is back drunk-dialing former girlfriends and mourning the ones who got away.”

Feuds With Chris Brown and Meek Mill

Although his career was flying high, Drake hit a few rough patches in his personal life. He and fellow entertainer Chris Brown became rivals for the affections of singer Rihanna, and the pair's bitter feud erupted in violence during the summer of 2012 at a New York nightclub, resulting in injuries to several onlookers. Both Drake and Brown found themselves facing legal consequences for their actions. The professional basketball player Tony Parker, a male model and two women — all hurt in the brawl — were among those who filed suits against the performers. Brown later referred to the event during a guest appearance on a remix of Chief Keef’s "I Don’t Like" ("One on one, what you scared, bruh?" he rapped).

Around this time, Drake settled another legal matter out of court. He reached an agreement with former girlfriend Ericka Lee over her contributions to the song "Marvin's Room." Lee had sued Drake in 2012, seeking credit for co-writing the track. He was also sued by Rappin 4-Tay and the estate of the jazz musician Jimmy Smith. Squabbles with other artists have also peppered his career, although they haven’t derailed it. A verbal feud with Tyga was one thing, but he also got into a beef with rapper Meek Mill when the latter alleged that Drake was using a ghostwriter for a track they collaborated on. Drake recorded two diss tracks directly aimed at Mill, "Charged Up" and "Back to Back" in a single week in 2015. A diss war also started in 2016 with Joe Budden, while the internet rumors that always dog an artist of Drake’s standing have also alleged that he's had beef with Kanye West, Jay Z and more.

'Views' and "Hotline Bling"

Personal obstacles never seem to sidetrack Drake for long. The 2013 song "Started From the Bottom," from his critically acclaimed 2013 album Nothing Was the Same , reflected his personal struggle for success. “I just wanted to make it known that I did work really hard to get here and it wasn't just a fluke and it wasn't easy by any means," he explained to MTV News.

After releasing a pair of mixtapes in 2015, including a collaboration with Future, Drake followed with his fourth studio album, Views , in the spring of 2016. The album was an instant success, debuting at No. 1 and spending 13 non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard charts. Among its hit singles was the sultry "Hotline Bling," which earned the artist Grammy wins for best rap song and best rap/sung performance in early 2017 (and sparked countless memes due to its memorable video inspired by the artist James Turrell). After the ceremony, he took swipes at the Grammys for shoehorning him into the rap category. Speaking in an interview on Apple’s Beats 1 the day after the awards, he said: “I’m a Black artist, I’m apparently a rapper, even though Hotline Bling is not a rap song. I won two awards but I don’t even want them.”

As his rap career moves forward, Drake hopes that his unconventional rise to hip-hop fame will continue to be an asset, not a hindrance. "This whole thing is unusual at this point," he has said, "so we're just rolling with the fairytale vibe."

The "fairytale vibe" continued in May 2017 when Drake was the big winner at the Billboard Music Awards. He took home 13 awards — including top artist, top male artist, top Billboard 100 album, top Billboard 200 artist and top hot 100 artist — breaking Adele 's record for the artist with the most wins in one year.

After opening 2018 with the two-song EP Scary Hours , Drake dropped two singles, "Nice For What" and "I'm Upset," in advance of the June release of his fifth studio album, Scorpion . He also unveiled the diss track "Duppy Freestyle," a response to rapper Pusha-T's accusation that he was relying on a ghostwriter for his lyrics.

The June 29 release of Scorpion didn't disappoint, as it featured the artist confirming the rumors of a newborn son on "March 14," and his explanations of why he was dialing back the rancor toward Pusha-T and Meek Mill on "Survival." The album featured contributions from Jay-Z and Future, as well as what was reported to be previously unreleased music from Michael Jackson on the track "Don't Matter to Me."

Scorpion shattered streaming records over its first 24 hours, with the Associated Press reporting totals of 170 million streams on Apple Music and another 132 million on Spotify. The pace continued over the next several days, making Drake the first artist to top 1 billion streams in one week with his studio release.

Drake went on to claim the 2019 Best Rap Song Grammy for "God's Plan," which appeared on both Scorpion and Scary Hours , though the win was somewhat eclipsed by the controversy of being cut off during his acceptance speech, in which he downplayed the importance of being honored at the Grammys.

Burying the hatchet, Drake joined forces with Chris Brown for the Top 5 hit "No Guidance." He then released the EP The Best in the World Pack , featuring the dual singles of "Omertà" and "Money in the Grave," and the compilation album Care Package , consisting of previously unreleased songs from earlier in the decade.

Ahead of the planned arrival of a new album, Drake teamed with Future for the release of "Life is Good" in January 2020, and unveiled a video which combined the tracks "When To Say When" and "Chicago Freestyle" a few weeks later. Dark Lane Demo Tapes , featuring guest appearances from Brown, Giveon, Young Thug and Playboi Carti, dropped on May 1.

Cannabis Company

In late 2019 it was announced that Drake was entering the burgeoning cannabis industry by teaming with a prominent Canadian producer, Canopy Growth, to produce and distribute herbal treats in Toronto via a new venture called More Life Growth Co. A press release described the company as "centered around wellness, discovery, and overall personal growth with the hope of facilitating connections and shared experiences across the globe."

Personal Life

Drake shares son Adonis, born in October 2017, with artist Sophie Brussaux.

QUICK FACTS

• Birth Year: 1986
• Birth date: October 24, 1986
• Birth City: Toronto
• Birth Country: Canada
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: TV and rap star Drake is best known in Canada for playing wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks on 'Degrassi: The Next Generation,' and for hit songs like "Take Care," "One Dance" and "Hotline Bling."
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Interesting Facts
• Drake comes from a musical family, with a father—Dennis Graham—who was a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis and an uncle who played bass for Prince.
• Drake's 'Views' was iTunes' best selling album of 2016 and its no. 1 best selling single was 'One Dance' with Rihanna.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

• At the end of the day, I consider myself a Black man because I'm more immersed in Black culture than any other. Being Jewish is kind of a cool twist. It makes me unique.
• [Chris Brown and I] have an issue, and it's either gonna drag out or maybe in 10 years we'll laugh about it over drinks.
• Me and my dad are friends. We're cool. I'll never be disappointed again, because I don't expect anything anymore from him.
• All my Tweets are things I'd tattoo on me if I was a tattoo type.
• I've never been reckless—it's always calculated.
• Rap now is just being young and fly and having your sh*t together. The mood of rap has changed.
• I make better music than [Chris Brown]. I'm more poppin' than him. ... The woman that he loves fell into my lap.
• I don't really have a gimmick or a 'thing.' I'm one of the few artists who gets to be himself every day.
• 'Degrassi' was never something I saw as potentially ruining [a music career]. It was a great TV show. It had a cult following.
• I used to be filling a void. There was a point where I felt like I needed to keep the company of a woman every night.
• Nobody understood what it was like to be Black and Jewish ... being different from everyone else just made me a lot stronger.
• There are very few subtle 'Degrassi' fans.

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Clips, podcasts, articles — 17 pieces of Drake content to guide you through the new ‘More Life’ era

Up Next From Culture

Drake has grown up before our very eyes — from hairless cornball to Champagne Papi : the man you either want to be, or want to be with. He got a lil’ facial hair, a lil’ muscle, and a lil’ Caribbean sun, and suddenly he’s the man responsible for all your summer jams, your late-night jams, your kick-back jams — all the jams. As we await Drake’s “playlist” More Life , here’s a collection of Drake content — video conversations, talk-show moments, podcast and radio interviews, written profiles and more — to give you context and take you down memory lane.

The voice of Drake

In a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show , Drake proves that his smooth, deep voice can make anything sound sexy. Behold, true talent.

The mixtape

A quick throwback: Tom Breihan ’s 2009 review of So Far Gone :

See, Drake’s not a great rapper. His delivery manages to convey confidence at pretty much all times, but it’s still halting and awkward. Half the time, his lines barely even make sense: ‘I never get attracted to fans / Cuz an eager beaver could be the collapse of a dam’ — huh? And even if the tape is mostly crammed with emo soul-baring, he still comes up with lines like this: ‘My delivery just got me buzzing like the pizza man.’ Ugh. In his four appearances on the tape, Lil Wayne just annihilates Drake. This wouldn’t be news, except we’re talking about circa-2009 syrup-fried Wayne here, and it’s rarer and rarer that he gets the better of anyone on a song. And yet So Far Gone still scans as one of the most compulsively listenable mixtapes of a great year for mixtapes.

Throwback to a throwback

In a look back to So Far Gone five years after its release, Claire Lobenfeld summed up Drake pretty well :

It wasn’t until the summer of 2009 that So Far Gone really hit me. … We pined for success together, he stood beside me on the walk of shame, he foretold every awkward party when you’re young, dumb and see your ex talking with your next talking with the one that you’re with right now. Drake is always explicating your deepest inner b—s— and that’s what makes it work.

Not quite a baby, not quite yet a man

Remember when Twitter was relatively unknown? In a reprisal of his Degrassi: The Next Generation role of Jimmy — sans wheelchair! — Drake made a cute song about it.

Drake the human

Ernest Baker , the guy behind the title of 2015’s What A Time To Be Alive , wrote a deeply personal profile of Drake shortly before Coachella in 2015.

Being around Drake has reinforced that he is a real person, an actual human being — more than just a meme for public consumption. Maybe I’m empathetic because we share similar stories and background. Maybe it’s because he’s a young, ambitious black man. I relate to that. I can’t help but to be happy for the guy. Yes, I’ve seen better Drake shows, but this weekend’s reality check was a welcomed one. Ladies and gentlemen, you have your arc. … But legends don’t sweat. Drake doesn’t have to be more cautious, just more calculated. He hasn’t felt the pressure in a little while, but he hasn’t wasted any time getting used to it either.

Drake the perfectionist

Drake’s drive is wild, as can be seen in this 2012 GQ interview with Claire Hoffman .

I’m obsessed with perfection. I want to work. I don’t want to take this for granted. I don’t want to sit out here and say, well, I could stop right here and say, ‘OK. I own this. You know, it’s cool. I could stop,’ but why? I don’t want to stop. I want to take advantage and make myself the best possible me that I can be. So I’m going to work in the gym two hours a day. And try and be up there onstage, looking strong, looking iconic.

Drake the perfectionist II

Even Drake’s unreleased songs are so classic, so iconic, they could make up a five-star album all by themselves. Behold, Aaron Dodson ’s playlist of the album that never was .

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The Kardashians live in Calabasas, California . Drake has a house in Calabasas, too. (Odell Beckham Jr. house-sits for Drake from time to time , by the way.) So it was only a matter of time before the Toronto rapper made an AM-PM track about his second home. That time came during Summer Sixteen , when Drake felt the need to subtly silence all of his haters. They tryna tempt me, the higher I get / The less they accept it. Who is the ‘they’? Chris Brown, Tory Lanez, Joe Budden, Jadakiss — they all get called out in one way or another on this quasi-diss track. But Diddy catches the most shade. And it’s not the first time he’s been on Drake’s hit list.

Tunnel vision

But drive and perfectionism aside, Drake is more than aware of the competition. Peep this 2013 chat with Elliott Wilson :

Honestly, just watch the whole thing because it’s a great conversation.

In 2014, Drake was hanging with Jimmy Kimmel and pulled a fun prank on some unsuspecting fans.

Just like us

In this 2014 Jonah Weiner piece from Rolling Stone , Drake is just a really likable, solidly middle-brow guy, ya know? One of us.

Drake is interested in art, but he scoffs at how trendy art shout-outs have become in rap. ‘It’s like Hov can’t drop bars these days without at least four art references!’ he says. ‘I would love to collect at some point, but I think the whole rap/art world thing is getting kind of corny.’

In a 2015 interview with Leon Neyfakh, Drake explains “the uncanny gifts that have made him a cultural giant — and a target.”

Driving was how Drake put himself in the mindset of the people he imagined listening to him. When he was trying to figure out if a song was working, he would picture someone playing it in their car. ‘Especially on this new record, I just want you to be able to … ‘ he trails off. ‘Sometimes those drives are heavy, man, depending on what happened where you came from and what’s about to happen where you’re going.’

Papa isn’t impressed

Fresh off the success of 2016’s Views , Drake headed over to Fallon and proved once and for all that parents will never be impressed, no matter what.

Post Views Introspection

Drake’s “More Talk” interview with DJ Semtex has so many gems.

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Like this one: Dre brought me into his office and said, ‘Man, you’re doing really good work’ and he gave me a $10,000 check, and it was the most money I’d ever had in my life, and at the time I was in a relationship. So I got the money and I called my girl, and I flew my girl down to L.A. and was like, ‘We can get a hotel, this is crazy.’ It was just a joyous moment for me. And I had missed studio or I had done something wrong, I had let my mind deviate from work and I had missed something, and next thing I know I was sent home and that was kind of it. It was a huge life lesson for me.

Essence ’s Lauren Porter wrote a GIF love story entirely inspired by Drake songs, because everything we need to know about love, Drake can teach us.

Practice: Guy’s perspective — It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for and it’s even better than expected.

The Undefeated’s own Aaron Dodson on the experience that was Drake’s Summer Sixteen tour :

I never got the chance to see James Brown, Michael Jackson or Prince — three of the best artists our world has seen — perform in concert. I have, however, gotten a chance to see Drake emerge from the humble beginnings of performing in a 1,200-capacity venue as Aubrey Graham to rocking a sold-out 18,000-seat NBA arena as one of the best artists of this generation. ‘I go by the name of Drake and I’m from Toronto, Canada,’ he said Saturday. The same phrase from six years ago — with the one important amendment — brought a smile to my face.

The Undefeated’s Justin Tinsley breaks it down by the numbers — Drake is a huge deal.

Views , which was certified double-platinum … and has been streamed over a half-billion times , is … quite literally, the top of the charts. Views has been the No. 1 album in the country since the start of the second round of the [2016] NBA playoffs, claiming that pinnacle for a record nine consecutive weeks and running, surpassing rapper Eminem’s 2000 The Marshall Mathers LP for the third-longest streak in rap history. Not Jay Z. Not Eminem. Not 50 Cent. Not T.I. Not Lil Wayne. Not Kanye West. This is the longest streak for a male artist at No. 1 since singer Usher’s 2004 Confessions (which also spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1). And it’s the longest consecutive streak, per Billboard , since British singer Adele’s global takeover in 2012 with her album, 21 . ‘In terms of chart statistics, this is the biggest domination of a song and album, at the same time, in more than a decade for a male artist,’ said Gary Trust, Billboard ’s associate director of charts/radio. ‘[The last] was 50 Cent, in 2005.’ 50 Cent’s ‘ Candy Shop ‘ was a No. 1 song and his album The Massacre was No. 1 for six straight weeks.

Not everyone likes Drake, though, according to this 2013 profile from Michael Paterniti :

This is Drake’s constant quest, to search out that emotional connection, even in a crowd of 18,000. That’s both his power and, according to his internet parodists and haters, his Achilles heel: his willingness to show emotion, to write revealing, autobiographical lyrics, and on occasion, between the rapper tropes of bravado and materialism, to demonstrate a flash of moral conscience in a game of misogynistic excess. And, for his trouble, he’s been called a ‘counterfeit rapper’ (Ludacris), ‘a f—— piece of s—‘ (DMX), and ‘a straight p—–‘ (Lil’ Kim), and cajoled to ‘come out the closet’ (Chris Brown). Common rapped: You so black and white, trying to live a n—-‘s life … / You ain’t wet nobody, n—-, you Canada dry . And that’s coming from Common . ‘ You notice they don’t criticize the music itself, though,’ says Drake about his detractors. ‘I’m OK with that.’

Love him or hate him — you can’t deny that More Life will undoubtedly climb to the top of the charts and even you, yes you, Drake hater, will be bobbing your head along. You can’t help it, the man’s music is infectious. So here’s to you, Drake, for bringing us all together just in time for Summer Seventeen.

Tierra R. Wilkins is an associate editor for The Undefeated. She likes to eat fries with her ketchup.