Drake is a Canadian-born artist who grew up in Toronto and Memphis. He first made a name for himself while starring on the hit teen show, Degrassi: The Next Generation, from 2001–2008, where he played a basketball star named Jimmy Brooks who became physically disabled after being shot.

Drake dropped his first mix-tape, Room For Improvement, in 2006. But it was his follow-up effort, 2007’s Comeback Season, that truly put him on the map with standout tracks like “Replacement Girl,” featuring Trey Songz, and “Man of the Year,” featuring a freestyle by Lil Wayne. The buzz generated by Drake’s phenomenal success on the mix-tape scene quickly led to star-studded collaborations with everyone from Mary J. Blige and Eminem to Kanye West and Jay-Z.

In 2008, Lil Wayne was given a CD sampler of Drake’s music. He was so impressed by what he heard that he invited Drake to join him on tour and signed the young singer-rapper to YME in 2009. Within months of inking his deal, Drake released an EP called So Far Gone, featuring the smash hit single “Best I Ever Had,” which not only claimed the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s R&B and Hip-Hop Song Charts, but also earned two Grammy nominations, 3 Soul Train Award nominations, 5 BET Hip-Hop Award nominations, and an MTV Video Music Award nomination. Having been named iTunes’ Best New Hip-Hop/Rap Artist of 2009, Drake is now poised to reach greater heights in 2010 with the release of his full-length debut album, Thank Me Later.