Aubrey Drake Graham, known mononymously as Drake, is a Canadian rapper, singer and actor. An influential figure in contemporary popular music, he has been credited with popularizing R&B sensibilities in hip hop artists. Gaining recognition by starring as Jimmy Brooks in the CTV teen drama series Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008), Drake then started pursuing a recording career in 2006, releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement. He followed up with the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009) before signing with Young Money Entertainment.
Donavan LaMond Johnson better known by his stage name XV is an American rapper, singer and songwriter from Wichita, Kansas. He first gained major attention after the release of his twelfth mixtape Everybody's Nobody, for which he received two awards from DJBooth.net. His name, XV, refers to the age (15) at which he began his musical career. On Monday July 26, 2010, XV announced that he had signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records via his Twitter page.
Robert Rihmeek Williams, known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, The Bloodhoundz. He signed with T.I.'s Grand Hustle Records as a solo act in 2008, although he departed by 2011 and released no albums with the label. Meek Mill then signed with Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group (MMG) that same year, and rose to mainstream recognition following his performances on the label's Self Made Vol. 1 (2011) compilation album; his song "Tupac Back" served as the album's lead single while its follow up, "Ima Boss" entered the Billboard Hot 100.
OVO Sound is a Canadian independent record label, founded in 2012 by rapper Drake, producer 40, and manager Oliver El-Khatib. The label operated as an imprint of Warner Records from its formation until 2022.
Michael Len Williams II, known professionally as Mike Will Made It or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer and rapper. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hip hop and pop artists on commercially successful singles. His credits include "Black Beatles" and "Powerglide" by Rae Sremmurd, "Mercy" by Kanye West, "No Lie" by 2 Chainz, "Bandz a Make Her Dance" by Juicy J, "Pour It Up" by Rihanna, "Love Me" by Lil Wayne, "Body Party" by Ciara, "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus, "Formation" by Beyoncé, and "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar. He embarked on a career as a non-performing lead artist in 2013 with his debut single "23", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2017 follow-up single, "Rake It Up" peaked at number eight on the chart. He has released six mixtapes and one solo studio album, Ransom 2 (2017).
"Started from the Bottom" is a song by Canadian hip hop recording artist Drake, released as the first single from his third studio album Nothing Was the Same. The song was written by Drake, Michael Coleman, and Noah "40" Shebib, and it was produced by Coleman under his stage name Mike Zombie, with additional production by Shebib. It features a sample of the ambient piece "Ambessence Piano & Drones 1" by Bruno Sanfilippo. "Started from the Bottom" peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nothing Was the Same is the third studio album by Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on September 24, 2013, through OVO Sound, Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records, and Republic Records. Work on the record began in 2012 and continued through 2013. As an executive producer, Drake enlisted collaborators such as 2 Chainz, Big Sean, Majid Jordan, Jay-Z, Jhené Aiko and Sampha for guest appearances on the album. The album's production was primarily handled by 40 and other OVO Sound producers; including Boi-1da, Mike Zombie, Nineteen85 and Detail.
Freebandz is an American record label founded by American rapper Future in 2011. The label's releases are distributed through Epic Records. Freebandz has signed artists including Real Boston Richey, Lil Double O, Doe Boy, Young Scooter, and Future's personal mixtape compiler, DJ Esco.
Jahron Anthony Brathwaite, known professionally as PartyNextDoor, is a Canadian R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the first artist to sign with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records in 2013. Brathwaite released his debut self-titled extended play in July that year to positive critical reception.
Anthony Leedel Norris is an American hip hop record producer and songwriter, professionally known as Lee on the Beats. Lee has produced for artists such as Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Kid Ink, Ace Hood, French Montana, Rick Ross, Meek Mill and Freeway, among others. In 2013, Lee was signed to DJ Khaled's We the Best Music Group. He is best known for producing French Montana’s “Pop That” and co-producing Khaled’s “Do You Mind”.
Leland Tyler Wayne, known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer. Critically acclaimed for his dark production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern hip hop and trap music. His frequent collaborators include Future, Young Thug, the Weeknd, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Gunna and Nav.
"They Don't Love You No More" is a song by American record producer DJ Khaled, released as the first single from his eighth studio album I Changed a Lot. The song features guest appearances from American rappers Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Rick Ross and French Montana. The hip hop song's production was handled by OVO Sound's Mike Zombie.
The 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards was held on October 15, 2013 at Atlanta Civic Center in the ATL. Snoop Dogg was the event's host for the first time. Kendrick Lamar leads the nominations with 14. Drake had the second most at 13, while J. Cole picked up 10 nods. Kendrick Lamar won the most awards with 5 wins.
Durk Derrick Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper from Chicago, Illinois. He first garnered a regional following with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to his signing of a recording contract from Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015) and its follow up, Lil Durk 2X (2016) to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the artist in 2018.
Bryson Djuan Tiller is an American singer and songwriter from Louisville, Kentucky. He began his career in 2011 with his debut mixtape, Killer Instinct Vol. 1. He gained mainstream recognition following the release of his 2015 single "Don't," which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received septuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its success led to a recording contract with RCA Records, who issued "Don't" as the lead single for his debut studio album Trapsoul (2015), which entered the top ten of the Billboard 200.
Khaled Mohammed Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American disc jockey, record producer, and record executive. Originally a Miami-based radio hype man, Khaled has become known for his extensive curation of high-profile music industry artists and producers to record singles or albums. His distinctions are his booming voice presence, "motivational" abstractions, and numerous catchphrases. While his musical contribution is often questioned, Khaled's role has been described as "organization, direction, [and] promotion".
Sidney Royel Selby III, known professionally as Desiigner, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for his 2015 debut single "Panda", which topped the Billboard Hot 100. Shortly after the song gained viral status online, he signed to Kanye West's GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings until departing both labels in 2019.
James Lee Baker, known professionally as BlocBoy JB, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 2018 single "Look Alive", which peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100. Its follow-up, "Rover" entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, and both preceded the release of his seventh mixtape, Simi (2018). He signed with Interscope Records in August of that year. His debut studio album, FatBoy (2020) was released two years later and failed to chart.
Dark Lane Demo Tapes is the sixth mixtape by Canadian rapper Drake. The mixtape is a compilation of songs that were released on SoundCloud or leaked on the internet, as well as new songs, and is considered a "warm-up" to Drake's sixth studio album Certified Lover Boy (2021). It was released on May 1, 2020, by OVO Sound and Republic Records. Production was handled by Drake's longtime collaborator 40, among others. Featured guest appearances include Future, Young Thug, Chris Brown, Playboi Carti, Giveon, Fivio Foreign, and Sosa Geek.
"Greece" is a song by American musician DJ Khaled, featuring Canadian rapper Drake. It was released on July 17, 2020, simultaneously with their other collaboration "Popstar", as the dual lead singles from Khaled's twelfth studio album, Khaled Khaled. The songs marked the reunion between Khaled and Drake, who collaborated on various songs since 2010. Both tracks were produced by frequent Drake collaborator OZ. Critics deemed "Greece" a "luxurious" song, comparing Drake's vocals to fellow Canadian singer the Weeknd.
