Aubrey Drake Graham comes from a musical family as his father was a drummer who played with famous musicians like Jerry Lee Lewis during his career. At just 15 years of age, Drake entered the television industry when his friend’s father helped him land a role in Degrassi: The Next Generation. Inspired by his rap icons like Jay-Z, he decided to pursue music and went by his middle name Drake which eventually became his stage name in 2006.
Since signing on with Lil Wayne’s record label and releasing seven studio albums and multiple mixtapes, Drake has become one of the biggest names in the hip-hop industry. From his days acting in Degrassi, his style has evolved as his reputation surpassed expectations with the fans. Working with stylist Luisa Duran, Drake has evolved from wearing baggy jeans to well-fitted suits and custom shoes. Let’s take a look at Drake’s Fashion Evolution over the years.
10 Life As Aubrey Graham
Going by his real name Aubrey Graham while working on Degrassi, his character of Jimmy Brooks wore the popular trend at the time, which included shirts, polo sweaters, baggy hoodies, and jeans. Graham channeled a similar fashion choice in real-life, as seen at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards. But, according to Pop Sugar, it was his first red carpet appearance.
9 The Early Years Of Drake
After switching to his stage name Drake, the era of musical Drake officially begins. In his debut mixtape Room For Improvement, Drake didn’t namedrop any fashion houses or automobiles, following the path of simplicity. The baggy pants era continued, but the rapper added custom Jordans that were initially thought as fake and, most notably, Redwing boots to his fashion collection.
8 The Debut Album Era
Under Young Money Entertainment, Drake released his debut album, Thank Me Later, which topped the Billboard charts. His style remained quite similar to his time releasing mixtapes, but he added formal wear to his wardrobe, wearing a well-fitted all-black suit with giant peak lapels at the 2011 Grammys. The notable fashion choices included PLAY Comme des Garçons and Redwing boots.
7 The Anti-Rapper Rapper
Called the atypical rapper, Drake was yet to transform into an icon fully but remained in the eye of the media due to his highly publicized on-again-off-again relationship with Rihanna. After the release of his second album, Take Care, the rapper embraced wearing streetwear, most notably the Supreme x The North Face puffer jacket. As mentioned by Vulture, he followed the 90s hip-hop style, wearing sweaters for every occasion, from music videos to late-night talk show appearances.
6 Tattoos And Portraits
As Drake saw himself amassing a new wave of fans, people began noticing a series of tattoos on his body. In 2011, he got the tattoo of late singer Aaliyah on his back. In January 2014, Drake inked the mugshot of his father on his tricep. A portrait of a woman eating ice cream was also noticed on his lower bicep, who looked very much like Rihanna. Additionally, there are portraits of his late uncle and grandma on his lower back.
5 Baseball Jerseys Meet Streetwear
Drake maintained a vintage element to his fashion choices but added New York streetwear to his wardrobe. Along with wearing Jordans and Timberlands, he wore baseball jerseys and a healthy dose of red leather jackets. His third studio album, Nothing Was The Same made references to Tom Ford and shopping malls as he could now afford luxury clothing.
4 Prada For The Boy Meets World Tour
In 2013, with the release of his third album, he entered a white pants phase, wearing them with satin shirts, cotton t-shirts, and white Timberlands. However, his fashion shifted with Views, his fourth album in 2016, wherein he signed an exclusive deal with Prada to wear custom special edition outfits for The Boy Meets World Tour, as stated by Vogue.
3 Honoring Family With More Tattoos
As the style shifted to custom wear, more tattoos were seen on Drake. He got a massive portrait of Lil Wayne, who gave Drake his big break, and multiple logos of his record labels and various quotes. He got inked with a portrait of Anthony Fif, his OVO collaborator who died in 2017. In 2018, he had a prominent picture of his son Adonis tattooed on his arm.
2 Hoodies And New Buzz Cut
Drake’s fashion returned to sweaters in 2020, but they were custom and well-fitted this time. Drake switched up his signature buzz cut with his sixth studio album, Certified Lover Boy. His lovelorn lyrics inspired him to cut a small heart etched on the left corner of his faded buzz cut. 2021 also marked the return of his hoodies and white pants, first worn in 2013.
1 Braided Hairstyle For Honestly, Nevermind Era
Ahead of his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, Drake switched up his look in March 2022. Wearing athleisure and sports jerseys, the rapper grew out of his buzz cut and added braids to his fashion, as reported by People. He continued maintaining the new hairdo after his album came out in June 2022.
Drake has seen a style evolution like no other, and while gone are the days when the rapper wore baggy jeans and ill-fitted t-shirts, he continues to embrace his love for sweaters and sneakers. His fashion continues to evolve with each album's era, and Drake amazes his fans with every choice he makes.
Sources: Pop Sugar, Vulture, Vogue, People
