Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario. He is the son of Dennis Graham, a drummer who worked with Jerry Lee Lewis, and Sandi Graham, an educator. Two of his uncles, Larry Graham and Teenie Hodges, are also musicians.[5][6][7] Drake's father is an African American from Memphis, Tennessee, and Drake's mother is a white Jewish Canadian. He attended a Jewish day school and had a Bar Mitzvah.[8][9][10] His parents divorced when he was five years old, and he was raised by his mother in Toronto's wealthy Forest Hill neighborhood.[11][12] Drake attended high school at Forest Hill Collegiate Institute, where he began acting,[13] but did not graduate.[14] He spent most summers with his father in Memphis.[15] Drake stated that his parents' divorce greatly affected him as a person, saying, “I had to become a man very quickly and be the backbone for a woman who I love with all my heart, my mother."
In 2008, Drake spoke about his past relationship with Keshia Chanté on the second verse of his song “Deceiving”, referencing Chanté’s mother, Tessa, stating “when I say I’m serious, you claim your only teasing” and “What up Tessa? I love you like my own mama, and your daughters getting grown mama, and me, I’m just here working, waiting, patient for her to be ready for love and leave alone drama”
In May 2009, Drake finally speaks with MuchMusic about his song “Deceiving” and addressed speculation of his past relationship with Chante, “Would I call Keshia Chante an ex? I’d be proud to say she is an ex. I’m proud to say we had our time, when we were, like 16 years old. She’s great. She’s one of the first people in the industry that I met, we just connected.”
In June 2009, Drake did two remixes to Chante’s song “Fallen” where he addresses his love for her, on Version 1 he raps “Keshia, Keshia, do you remember the old us? They said we’d never be together that’s what they told us. Immature kids, to entrepreneur kids.” then on Version 2, he raps “you just hold it down for your boy until the plaques arrive, that’s why I love you.”