The Weeknd is one of the most popular stars in the world right now. He is beloved for his musical style and instantly recognizable voice. The uniqueness of his voice and music has made him one of the biggest stars of the twenty-first century. Despite all of this fame that he has amassed in a fairly short amount of time, most people don't know too much about the singer from Toronto other than his music and his oddly-spelled stage name.
There is a lot that fans should probably know about the Canadian musician. Considering how famous and popular he is, that includes his actual name! The Weeknd is a classic success story that we see of someone born into a poor and disadvantaged early life to rise up and be mega-successful. That being said, let's cover some things every fan should know about The Weeknd.
15 His Real Name
The Weeknd was born on born February 16, 1990, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as Abel Makkonen Tesfaye to Makkonen and Samra Tesfaye, who were Ethiopians who immigrated to Canada in the late 1980s. He grew up in Scarborough, a small and somewhat poor neighbourhood near Toronto.
14 Childhood
The Weeknd was raised by his maternal grandmother and mother after his parents got a divorce. During this time he learned Amharic from his grandmother which he also spoke with his mother and regularly attended Ethiopian Orthodox church services. He also started to learn how to sing during this time.
13 Not Seeing His Father
Tesfaye did not see his father much during his childhood and stated in an interview "I saw him vaguely when I was six, and then again when I was 11 or 12, and he had a new family and kids. I don't even know where he lived — I'd see him for, like, a night. I'm sure he's a great guy. I never judged him. He wasn't abusive, he wasn't an alcoholic, he wasn't an asshole. He just wasn't there."
12 Early Drug Use
Tesfaye has described his years as a teenager like the mid-90s film "Kids but without AIDS". He said he began using marijuana at age 11 and then moved onto harder drugs. He also stated that he would frequently shoplift in order to supplement his use of drugs - a list which included the likes of oxycodone, Xanax, and more.
11 Dropping Out Of High School
Tesfaye attended West Hill Collegiate Institute and Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute in Scarborough but did not finish his high school diploma, dropping out of high school in 2007. Shortly after this he shortly left home. Tesfaye then moved to the Parkdale neighbourhood in Toronto.
10 Picking The Weeknd
After moving out of his grandmother's home Tesfaye started to try to break into the music industry. Tesfaye says that his stage name of The Weeknd comes from his high school dropout status saying "after [he] left one weekend and never came home". It was originally spelled normally but then the spelling was modified in order to avoid trademark issues with the Canadian band The Weekend.
9 His Crew's Name
The Weeknd calls his crew XO. There has never been any official statement behind the meaning of this name with some fans speculating that it stands for hugs and kisses. Other fans speculate that the letters represent ecstasy and oxycontin. Considering that the Weeknd says "XO 'til we overdose", it might be the latter.
8 Early Music
Tesfaye met Jeremy Rose in 2010, a producer who had an idea for a dark R&B musical project. The two collaborated on an album and released three songs "What You Need", "Loft Music", and "The Morning". Tesfaye then released other songs that they recorded onto his Youtube channel under his stage name.
7 Music Idol
Tesfaye has stated multiple times in interviews that he takes a lot of influence from the late Michael Jackson. The Weeknd has stated that his favourite song of Jackson's is Don't Stop Til You Get Enough and has said that it is "actually the song that helped me find my voice."
6 Debut Mix Tape
On March 21, 2011, Tesfaye self-released his debut mixtape House of Balloons. The mixtape included Canadian producers Illangelo and Doc McKinney, as well as the tracks produced by Rose, he did not receive production credits. The album was a hit and received much critical acclaim. It was one of the shortlisted nominees for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize.
