Drake Graham, a Canadian rapper, singer, and actor, was born on October 24, 1986. Drake, a significant figure in modern popular music, is credited with making singing and R&B sensibilities more common in hip hop. His role as Jimmy Brooks on the CTV teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001–2008) helped him gain popularity. He then decided to pursue a career in music, releasing his debut mixtape Room for Improvement in 2006. Before joining Young Money Entertainment, he released the mixtapes Comeback Season (2007) and So Far Gone (2009).