He may have Started From The Bottom.
But Drake will never forget the people who got him here.
The 33-year-old rapper – full name Aubrey Drake Graham – showed off his vast tattoo collection during his vacation in Barbados as he went shirtless on the beach.
A majority of his body art definitely seems to be of his nearest and dearest including family, producer named 40, and mentor Lil Wayne but perhaps the most interesting pieces would be late singer Aaliyah and British singer Sade.
Drake obviously did not know Aaliyah – full name Aaliyah Dana Haughton – personally as she died in a plane crash on August 25, 2001 but he has expressed an obsession with her throughout his entire career.
In August 2010 he even penned a letter to the late Are U That Somebody hitmaker on the ninth anniversary of her death as he wrote: ‘Not only was I one of your biggest fans but I was truly in love with you.’
He has made multiple references to her in his music and even sampled her cover of Isley Brothers hit At Your Best for his 2010 track Unforgettable.
Drake and his producer 40 were even named as executive producers for a posthumous Aaliyah album before it was called off two years later due to negative reactions about the project from her fans, family, and collaborator Timbaland.
He has two portraits of the 61-year-old singer born in Ibadan, Nigeria – full name Helen Folasade Adu CBE – on the left side of his torso as he met her on his European tour and was completely mesmerized by her.
Drake once said of Sade: ‘Her brand is so strong and she’s such an amazing woman, but the melody she chooses to use and her voice has that dark, and sexy feel that a lot of So Far Gone has.’
Drake wouldn’t have had the success he had in music without mentor Lil Wayne and his producer 40 as he also has them inked on his body.
His tattoo of 37-year-old Wayne is on his left tricep as the New Orleans based rapper helped him rise to success via record label Young Money Entertainment.
40 – real name Noah James Shebib – has produced all of Drake’s albums as they are two of the three co-founders of the OVO Sound label.
The 37-year-old Canadian producer was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2005.
Last but not least, the former star of Degrassi: The Next Generation also has several inkings of his family including mother Sandi and father Dennis Graham in addition to uncle Steve and grandmother Evelyn Sher.
There is probably no one that means more to the rapper than his mother Sandra ‘Sandi’ Graham as he has her inked in the middle of his back.
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