![]() Toronto’s designation as “The 6ix” can be directly attributed to Drake, and the moniker has taken on a life of its own. Other celebrities have represented Toronto, but none have ever effectively renamed it. Still, Drake is the first homegrown Torontonian who seems to be changing the brand image of Canada’s largest city, not only with nostalgia for the place he grew up, but with the intent of helping Toronto reach new heights on the international stage. There have been many memorable personalities from Toronto who have broken through into the global mainstream, and some that went out of their way to promote Toronto, whether in a positive light (think Mike Myers going on Jay Leno to talk up Toronto after the SARS outbreak) or less than positive (Rob Ford). Drake’s multicultural background mirrors Toronto’s evolving cultural mosaic, and his interest in fostering the development of young artists and creators is good for the city and great for his own brand.Īdmittedly, Drake was not the first celebrity to put Toronto on the international stage. Toronto has observed an influx of young urbanites from across the country, and indeed the world, flocking to its downtown core (Toronto was recently ranked the best city to live for young people by Citi). What’s more, Drake embodies The 6ix and seemingly represents how the city wants to be seen to outsiders. The 20-song opus has countless references to Toronto, highlighting the TTC, Weston Road and of course, there’s Drake sitting atop the CN Tower on its cover, an image that has sparked a fury of memes from individuals to iconic Canadian brands like Porter and Tim Hortons to international companies like Red Bull and Cheesecake Factory. His fourth and most recent album, Views, is his strongest love letter to the city yet. While Drake isn’t directly responsible for any of these achievements, in many instances, when Toronto’s status as a hip city is mentioned, his name is bound to come up.Īnd Drake is working overtime to cement his status as Toronto’s biggest booster. In the last few months, Vogue named Queen Street West the world’s second hippest neighbourhood, the New York Times included the city on its list of the best cities to visit, and Toronto hosted the first NBA all-star game outside of the U.S. Which raises the question, has Drake finally succeeded in making Toronto cool? And Toronto’s most famous son sure seems to be one of the most influential celebrities right now, from his roster of list of A-list friends, to his Instagram account with more than 22 million followers, to his chart topping new album Views – did you ever expect the CN Tower to be on the cover of Number One album? – and he wants the world to love Toronto as much as he does. Indeed, on the global stage, Drake – maybe the most famous hip hop star on the planet right now – is now synonymous with Toronto. Whether it’s his role as Global Ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, his partnership with Susur Lee to open Fring’s, or hosting his annual OVO Fest in the summer, never before has Toronto had an international ambassador quite like Drake. Between this and the Lil Durk-assisted "Laugh Now Cry Later," it's safe to say we're in the middle of a rollout as we speak.It’s starting to look like Toronto’s history will one day be separated into two distinct eras: Before Drake (BD) and After Drake (AD). And while he has yet to reveal an official release date - though October is right around the corner - this latest display seems to suggest that the project is coming sooner rather than later. Not everybody can simply stamp their brand atop an iconic landscape, but it's clear that the love between Drake and the city of Toronto is as mutual as it gets. No matter where you stand on Drake's upcoming album title, it's hard not to be impressed at the extent of his reach. During a recent Instagram story, Drizzy shared an image of the Toronto landmark, which was covered in hearts - a reference to the project's romantic motif, which has already drawn division from the rapper's passionate fanbase. ![]() Case in point, the recent display adorning the CN Tower, which seemed to indicate that Certified Lover Boy is on its way. Suffice it to say, Drake has embraced his roots to the fullest, and it's hard to deny that the man has serious pull in his home city.
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