How Does Drake's Influence American Culture

While researching texts written about Drake, I will first start by introducing the record label company that signed him as an artist. Drake signed with the record label company called Young Money. Lil Wayne founded the company label in 2003 (Young Money Entertainment, 2014). The current/past record deals are: Lil Wayne, Chanel West Coast, Christina Milan, Drake, Euro, Flow, Gudda Gudda, Jae Millz, Lil Twist, Mack Maine, Nicki Minaj, PJ Morton, Reginae Carter, Shanell, Torion, T-Streets, Tyga, and W3 The Future (Young Entertainment). I looked at a biography source for Drake and a blog source that talked about Drake in general. I read an article about Drake that gave great insight into his songs which provides a great start to leading into a
couple of his songs or even a documentary film My goal in this paper is to bring Drake to life in a different view from being just a rapper, but also humanize him with the society that he resides in. To achieve this goal, I have organized my paper into four main sections. In the first section, I will highlight Drake’s developmental years through middle school, high school, and college years. In the second section, I look at how Drake entered the music industry by examining his steps to get there and how the time period affected his entrance. In the third section, I will look at the political, economical, and cultural influence of Drake’s music through his hip hop label with Young Money on American and Hip Hop Culture. In the fourth section, I will examine to see how Drake is challenged by racism, sexism, classism in American culture based on what I have read from reading evaluations from the “African American Experience”. Drake’s Development Years. Aubrey Graham is Drake the rapper’s real name (Brandt, 2013). Drake was born in Torono, Ontario, Canada in 1986 (Brandt). He grew up as a Jewish Canadian because of his mother. He was in Degrassi: The Next Generation 2001 as a fifteen year old playing as a basketball player named Jimmy Brooks, who was confined to wheel chair because he was shot (Brandt). Drake’s parents divorced when he was 5 years old (Bio, 2014). He is of mixed race because his mother is a Canadian white Jew and his father is a African-American (Bio). Drake’s mother raised him in Forest Hill, which is predominately a Jewish neighborhood (Bio). He felt isolated at Collegiate Institute (Bio). Drake’s life was difficult when he was younger because he was black and jewish because of his mothers upbringing ( Bio). Entertainment and Music Industry Years of Drake. In high school after he met a friend in his class, he played in the film Degrassi: The Next Generation 2001 (Bio, 2014). He was on Degrassi from 2001 until 2009 even winning a 2002 Young Artist Award for his performance on the TV series (Bio). Drake became a celebrity in Canada, but was still unknown in the United States at that time (Bio). In 2006, he made a mixer called Room for Improvement which commanded 6,000 copies, and in 2007 released another mixtape called Comeback Season (Bio). Drake’s character on Degrassi was cut and he was faced with looking for a day job (Bio). Eventually, Lil Wayne invited Drake on his tour (Bio). Drake released another mixtape called So Far Gone in February 2009 (Bio). After other songs made that year he had record deal with Lil Wayne’s Young Money Entertainment. Drake’s Influence on American Culture.
Kot explains how Drake said in his song, “Showing emotion don’t ever mean I am a pussy” (2013). This sentence of his song Take care shows that weakness is cool (Kot). In society, weakness is not seen that way. Rappers needed to show they were immune based on the background they come from (Kot). This cultural idea of weakness shapes how people view rappers should not be. Drake exposes his weaknesses instead of hiding them (Kot). This question brings up who is his targeted audience, but the money he makes from record deals disagrees (Kot). His past regards of who he is keeps people confused by how he reveals himself (Kot). Drake’s song “Find Your Love” conveys a man deeply in love who is thinking what if like he doesn’t have a chance (Drake, 2010). His song is very rhymic to love (Drake). The repeated message of “Find Your Love” is “I better find your love. I better find your heart”(Drake). I think the message that he is giving to society is never give up on somebody and go until you can’t go any further (Drake). At this time Drake is bringing to earth a new look hip hop and rap song that people can immediately connect with as a culture. I find it very confusing on who is target audience is specifically for this song because both women and men can like this song. This song reinforces how love is in society. Drake’s song “Hold on, We’re Going Home” depicts a girl getting captured and Drake rich and more than likely in the mafia or a gang
of some kind (Drake, 2013). This song appeals to my emotion of Drake beating the crap out of somebody for touching his girl (Drake). The lyrics that stick out to me the most are hot love and emotion(Drake). This song sends messages culturally to women, but also a strong message to men that they have to care for women. The values in this song are justice, love, and unity (Drake). In his YouTube video Drake-Hold On, We're Going Home Ft. Majid Jordan, the song additionally adds to this song and brings it to life (2013). The lyrics would not mean the same if they were just heard from the song, but the imagery brings a more powerful sentiment to the viewer (Drake-Hold On, We’re Going Home Ft. Majid Jordan). African American Experience Versus Aubrey Graham (Drake).
Drake had a far different upbringing then did some African-Americans. He had to deal with racism at his school because he was a Jew and African-American at the same time which would have formed an interesting stereotype. Also it was difficult for him to be accepted into white culture because he was mixed, but Drake does consider himself to be black. He was challenged classism wise because he was African-American and he had to form his own upbringing. Drake got into the entrainment industry, but then moved on up into getting a record deal for music with Cash Money. His personal identity he believed made him unique as a person even though he connected the most with black culture. I find it highly interesting he connects most to the black culture even though I state above he was brought up by his white Canadian Jewish mother. Drake wasn’t accepted into white culture because he was still part black. There was a reading that we read about what it means to be black. Drake found out being still mixed means he is still black at heart and he accepted that
culture. Conclusion This paper accomplished my goal of depicting Drake as not only a rapper, but a human who has his own struggles in life. Drake’s past plays a part in the present/future of his music. Drake identifies with the African American Experience book because he struggles to find his identity as a person. He finds his identity in high school because he is forced to live a white culture, but he accepts himself as a African-American and conforms to that better.