I’ll be honest. I only decided to check out this book to see if they mentioned the riots at the South Street Seaport show that Drake was supposed to do with Hanson. They did. (I was there) I did read the whole book and it was a lot more interesting than I was expecting.
Obviously being a fan of Degrassi I knew that Drake got his start playing Jimmy on the show and that Jimmy was also an aspiring rapper. What I didn’t know was that Drake didn’t want the character to rap because he didn’t want his side project to collide with the character, but the creators convinced him to do it.
It seems that Drake is big and bad now, but I didn’t realize all the struggles and drama he had to go through to get to where he is. There are also chapters about how he gives back – something that is missing in the headlines for most rappers.
There is also a lot of talk about social media and how MySpace helped Drake form a fan base in the beginning and also how twitter is a blessing and a curse – he can get information out to a lot of people at once simply by sending a tweet – but he can get some backlash as well just as quickly.
This is definitely an interesting read if you are at all familiar with Drake or want to know more about him. It is very well written and contains a ton of information (and yes, even a mention of Hanson.)
I received a free e-copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
The first biography of superstar rapper Drake
At a time when album sales were plummeting, Drake’s 2010 debut album, Thank Me Later, went platinum, hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and spawned numerous Top 10 hits including “Over,” “Best I Ever Had,” and “Find Your Love.” His sophomore release, Take Care, also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, went platinum, and has been downloaded at a record pace.
In Far From Over, award-winning writer and hip hop expert Dalton Higgins examines the life of Aubrey Drake Graham, whose path to superstardom has been anything but typical. Raised in Toronto’s upscale Forest Hill neighbourhood by his Jewish mother, the multi-talented entertainer first made a name for himself as an actor on the popular teen dramaDegrassi: The Next Generation before becoming one of the world’s most successful rappers. Featuring original interviews, Far From Over reveals the life story of a musician and actor whose star will only continue to rise.