Roots of Drake

Keenon Dequan Ray Jackson, better known by his stage name YG, is an American rapper. He released his debut mixtape, 4Fingaz, in 2008, and its follow-up, The Real 4Fingaz, the following year. The latter spawned the hit song "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 67 and received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings in October 2009, which entered joint-venture with Atlanta-based rapper Jeezy's record label, CTE World, in 2013.

Yoann Lemoine, known professionally as Woodkid, is a French music video director, graphic designer, composer, and singer-songwriter. He first gained international recognition as a music video director before launching his recording career with the EP Iron (2011) and the studio album The Golden Age (2013). He has also composed for films, television, video games and international events, including Desierto, Arcane, the Paris 2024 handover sequence at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic closing ceremony, and Death Stranding 2: On the Beach.

Francis and the Lights is an American music project created by Francis Farewell Starlite. The term "and the Lights" refers both to the lights on a stage and pixels on a computer screen. Francis Farewell Starlite is an American musician, record producer, singer, songwriter, and dancer. He is primarily a vocalist and pianist and is often credited by the Francis and the Lights name for his solo work. He is a frequent collaborator of artists and producers such as Kanye West, Justin Vernon, Cashmere Cat, Chance the Rapper, Nico Segal, Frank Ocean, and Banks.

Finneas Baird O'Connell, better known mononymously as Finneas, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and actor. The recipient of numerous accolades including eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, he has written and produced music for various artists, most notably his sister Billie Eilish, and he is credited on all of her projects.

Michael Todd Gordon, better known by his stage name Mk.gee, is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, and multi-instrumentalist. His career began in 2017 with the release of his debut single "I Know How You Get". In 2018, he followed up with two EPs Pronounced McGee and Fool, before releasing his debut mixtape A Museum of Contradiction in 2020. In 2024, Gordon released his debut studio album Two Star & the Dream Police. Aside from his own work, Gordon has collaborated as a songwriter and producer with various artists, including Dijon, Omar Apollo, Kacy Hill, Fred Again, Bon Iver, and Justin Bieber.

YSL Records is an American record label based in Atlanta, Georgia. It was founded in 2016 by the Atlanta-based rapper Young Thug. The label is an imprint of 300 Entertainment. As of 2026 current acts include Thug himself, Strick, T-Shyne, Yung Kayo, Tezzus, Diamond*, and 1300Saint. Several contemporary artists, including Drake, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, Lil Gotit, Nav, Travis Scott, and Slimelife Shawty have expressed allegiance to YSL, but are not contractually signed.

Freddie Ross Jr., better known by her stage name Big Freedia, is an American rapper, singer and performer known for her work in the New Orleans genre of hip-hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popularize the genre, which had been largely underground since developing in the early 1990s.

Rakim Athelston Mayers, known professionally as ASAP Rocky, is an American rapper, record producer, actor, fashion designer, and model. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop collective ASAP Mob, from which he adopted his stage name. In August 2011, Mayers' single "Peso" was leaked online and began receiving radio airplay within weeks, propelling cloud rap into mainstream attention. He signed with Polo Grounds Music, an imprint of RCA Records, that October and released his debut mixtape, Live. Love. A$AP to widespread critical acclaim.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, known professionally as Bad Bunny, is a Puerto Rican rapper, actor, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Dubbed the "King of Latin Trap", he is widely credited with helping Spanish-language rap reach mainstream global popularity and is considered one of the greatest Latino rappers of all time. Music critics have also noted Bad Bunny's role in broadening the international appeal of Latin urban music by incorporating elements of salsa, rock, and other Latin genres into his recordings.

Temilade Anna Openiyi, known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart following the release of the remix version with Justin Bieber. The song earned her a Grammy Award nomination. That same year, she was featured on the song "Fountains" by Canadian rapper Drake.

Makonnen Kamali Sheran, better known by his stage name iLoveMakonnen, is an American rapper and singer. He is best known for his 2014 single "Tuesday", which gained recognition following its remix with Canadian rapper Drake. After its release in August of that year, he signed with Drake's record label OVO Sound, an imprint of Warner Records that same month; the song was re-released by the label shortly after and subsequently peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tuesday" was also nominated for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, and served as the lead single for his likewise re-issued self-titled debut extended play (2014), which peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200. He would later release a sequel, alongside two mixtapes, on the label, before parting ways with OVO in 2016.

DeeWunn is a Jamaican-Canadian singer, songwriter, rapper and record producer. Introduced by Jamaican dancehall group Ward 21, he is popular for his style of creating an exotic blend of hip-hop in Jamaican Patois.