A country well known for various sports, food and multiculturalism is responsible for raising Drake, one of the most influential musical artists in history.

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Sandra Graham and his absentee father Dennis Graham.

DRAKE THE CROSS-CULTURAL KID

Drake is a true definition of a Cross Culture Kid (CCK) with the amount of cultural diversity he has been surrounded by his whole life. Graham grew up under the Jewish religion, which was heavily influenced by his mother. During this time, he was still trying to figure out who he was and where he belonged, as he was Jewish-Canadian, and grew up in an rough part of town until the sixth grade, when he moved to an affluent part of Toronto.

MUSICAL INFLUENCE

Having a U.S. father from Memphis, Tenn. heavily influenced Graham in the type of music he would make as well as using his real-life experiences to connect with many people from all over the world.

Toronto also has a heavily influential Caribbean culture, and Drake has made very clear that he was raised around this type of culture and feels very much a part of this community.

CULTURAL INFLUENCE

To gain a better understanding of what exactly an artist must go through, harnessing various cultural influences and translating that into their music, is not an easy mission to accomplish.

Music producer Astrobeats was able to detail Toronto’s cultural diversity and the influence it has on various  cultures. Toronto is well-known for being a melting pot, but very few people know the number of cultures that people who grow up there are influenced by. Afro-beats and West-Indian Caribbean culture are heavily portrayed in Drake’s music. 

TORONTO STYLE

Speaking with Donovan Williams, who lives in Toronto, really put in perspective the impact that Drake has had on the entire city. Williams is a recording artist himself, and says “Drake’s impact on the city really changed how we made music, and allowed for us to follow out own style.”

DRAKE AND CULTURAL FLUIDITY

Drake is a culturally fluid artist due to his upbringing. His parents coming from two different worlds, to the culture he was surrounded by in Toronto, his cultural fluidity has made him one of the greatest, most unique artists in history.

 

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