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Aubrey Drake Graham (born October 24, 1986), better known as Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor, born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He first garnered recognition for his role as Jimmy Brooks on the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He later rose to prominence as a rapper, releasing several mixtapes before signing to Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment in June 2009.
Drake's EP, So Far Gone (2009), spawned the single "Best I Ever Had", which peaked at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. His first studio album, Thank Me Later (2010), debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and generated the single "Find Your Love". It was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Take Care (2011), is his most successful to date, topping charts in the United States and Canada and producing the singles "Take Care", "Make Me Proud" and "The Motto", the last of which is also credited for popularizing the widely used acronym YOLO. In promotion of his second album, Drake embarked on the worldwide Club Paradise Tour, which became the most successful hip-hop tour of 2012, grossing over $42 million. His third studio album Nothing Was the Same was released on September 24, 2013. It was supported by the singles "Started from the Bottom" and "Hold On, We're Going Home".
His work has earned him a Grammy Award, three Juno Awards, six BET Awards, and set several significant Billboard charts records. Drake has the most number-one singles on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart with 12 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs with 14. He is one of two artists (the other being 50 Cent) to have simultaneously occupied the chart's top three positions.
Drake, along with being a record producer under the pseudonym Champagne Papi, has also written songs for other artists, including Alicia Keys ("Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"), Rita Ora ("R.I.P."), Jamie Foxx and Trey Songz.
The Weekend is a pop-rock band from London, Ontario, Canada, whose first performance was in 1998.