Started from the bottom, now he’s here: Yes, Drake once made $100 opening for Ice Cube. But he’s now up to $1.7 million in the United States, making him one of the most successful rappers in history, if you don’t count the hundreds of millions spent by a team of lawyers on the lawsuits against him for copyright infringement.
In Drake’s career, he’s appeared on the cover of Entertainment Weekly as many as 13 times. In 2010 he performed at the Super Bowl on February 5, on which he appeared alongside the Black Eyed Peas. Drake is constantly performing live in arenas and stadiums, at least in cities with major sport franchises.
And while his career has its ups and downs, there’s not much he’s not done. From a legal standpoint, Drake has a lot of trouble to go. There are a lot of lawsuits that he’s facing. As an artist, he’s been arrested, and has been involved in more than a few altercations. But Drake has not only survived these incidents, but has also remained productive, even after his fame took off.
Here are the nine most significant facts about Drake.
1. He’s been arrested several times.
Police reports and court records are filled with incidents of Drake being arrested and/or charged with various crimes, ranging from traffic violations to public intoxication. In 2007 he was arrested for indecent exposure for wearing a skirt, while also being accused of public intoxication in Los Angeles, California.
In the beginning of 2011 he was arrested for possession of an undergarment in Houston, Tex., during which he allegedly bit the hand of an officer and took his badge. In January of the following year he was arrested and charged with public intoxication and driving under the influence, after police found him at the end of a strip club, yelling obscenities.
In the summer of 2013 he was arrested in Santa Monica, Calif., for allegedly hitting a woman in the head with his skateboard and pushing her into a wall. He was also accused of