We are all well acquainted with the man in the picture above. His ascent to prominence was catalyzed in 2009 following the release of his smash hit single Best I’ve Ever Had , and he hasn’t stopped rising since. It’s undeniable that he’s broken records in the music industry, inspired a generation of aspiring rappers, and accumulated enough accolades to throughout his career to last a lifetime. That’s saying nothing about his very, very dedicated loyal supporters, the various ventures that he’s piloting, or the numerous controversies that he serves as locus to. But who is the man behind the music? Today, we use the lens of astrology to look through the larger than life image of Drake in order to get a bit of insight into Aubrey Graham.
The first thing that I’d like to draw attention to is the Moon, as is standard for character interpretation. As we can see, Drake has his Moon in Cancer, in the 12th house of the nativity. Already that should start to provide some clues about his character. The Moon is indicative of one’s health (multiple layers), livelihood, and nature, amongst other things. In Cancer, this would tell give us a guarded, withdrawn individual , typically keeping their thoughts and feelings to themselves. This person would be sensitive and turbulent, with moods that are easily provoked and shift often. In no other place is this reflected as powerfully as in the subject matter of Drake’s music – from dark and moody tracks like The Motion where he raps about industry colleagues reaching out to him due for his talent, to his ongoing series of records where he routinely introspects about his life. Early on, Drake even emulated the styles of other rappers known for being vulnerable and emotional in their lyrics, such as Phonte (of the rap duo Little Brother) and Joe Budden.
While we are discussing Drake’s music, I think it’d be poignant to touch on one of the Moon’s subdivisions early. In his nativity, the Moon is residing in the 8th lunar mansion, Nathra. Here I’ll cite Dr. Ali. A. Olomi’s translation of how the astrologers Abu Ma’ahar and Al-Buni interpreted this mansion.
“Those born under this Mansion will struggle with ill-luck. They will find hostility from those in power. They will face slander and gossip throughout their life. They will find allies in women. They are hospitable, caring, and strive to protect others. Kinship and close friendships will govern them. Melancholy is a common ailment among those born under this Mansion.”
In particular, I want to focus on the gossip and slander portions, as well as finding allies in women. It is partly due to his vulnerability that Drake earned the ire of several hip-hop purists early on in his career, the same reason that he managed to gain a sizable fanbase of women. Many people scrutinized that tendency to bare his heart in his music, labeling him the epitomy of a sensitive lightskin man and making him the punchline for many a joke. This was much to the man’s barely obscured chagrin.
“There’s these GIFs about me, these stupid stereotypes people have of me as this overly emotional character that cries in his room every night*,” says Drake. “*There are jokes because of Degrassi, because I’m Canadian, because I make music for women. There are memes of guys crying to my music.” He scowls, then shrugs. “I love it. I heart those photos when I see them on Instagram.”
– Drake to Jonah Weiner of Rolling Stone (2014) – Drake : High Times at the YOLO Estate
Drake has also been subject to gossip and slander from his peers , as he is a rapper who has found himself in numerous feuds and conflicts throughout his career. Diss tracks often contain slander that is wrapped in skilled wordplay, and several of Drake’s opponents have followed this formula to devastating effect. Pusha T weaponized the existence of Drake’s own son against him during their feud.
”A baby’s involved, it’s deeper than rap
We talkin’ character, let me keep with the facts
You are hiding a child, let that boy come home
Deadbeat motherfucker playin border patrol
Adonis is your son
And he deserves more than an Adidas press run, that’s real.”
– Pusha T, The Story of Adidon
That was extremely impactful because at the time, Drake had not yet formally announced that he was a father yet. This was also poignant because Saturn happens to be conjoined to the Lot of Children in Drake’s nativity, both in the 5th house at that. Saturn is a planet that brings obscurity and secrecy to what it’s touching – that conjunction being in the house representative of children is rather on the nose in regards to how that played out.
Kendrick Lamar dedicated his entire third verse in Meet the Grahams to alleging that Drake had a daughter who he was hiding from the world. You could honestly pick from any of other his disses from their exchange and find several examples that would fit the description of straightforward slander.
“Why you trollin like a bitch, ain’t you tired ?
Tryna strike a cord and its probably A minorrrrrrrrrr ”
– Kendrick Lamar, Not Like Us
Continuing the deep dive of his Moon, here it is in the bounds of Venus, which it trines rather loosely. Venus here is located in Scorpio, here the 4th house of family and lineage, and the Moon as an indicator of background and family trining Venus would speak to an affinity for the arts being woven into Drake’s upbringing – his parents both carried much influence in developing that. Drake’s mother, Sandra Graham, enrolled him in dance classes as a child, and encouraged him to hone his skills as a means of uplifting himself. Drake’s father, Dennis Graham, would frequently play soul and R&B during drives. He would also encourage Drake to learn to sing in addition to his rapping, as a means of having more to offer when opportunities presented themselves. Drake first rose to prominence as Jimmy Brooks on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi before rapping. He also appeared in several skits when hosting Saturday Night Live that showcased his wit and comedic timing.
Drake also has a series of familial connections to musicians in the industry. Larry Graham, the bassist for legendary band Sly and the Family Stone, is one of Drake’s paternal uncles ; Teenie Hodges, a songwriter and guitarist who worked with equally legendary and gifted soul singer Al Green, is another. Drake’s own father was a drummer for rock musician Jerry Lee Lewis, and it is even during one of his lounge appearances with Lewis that he first encountered his future wife Sandra. Doubly poignant, as the Moon projects its dodecatemoria to the 4th house, indicating that Drake is reverent to his family for the manner in which they shaped him as an adult.
Finally, we place the magnifying lens over what Drake’s nativity says about his mother. Drake’s Moon is located in the 12th house, or the house of suffering, confinement, and illness. It operates in the bounds of Venus, which is exiled, retrograde, and uncomfortable in the Sun’s hemisphere, but also in the 4th house. The Lot of Mother is also in the 6th house, or the house of afflictions and misfortune, governed by an out-of-sect Saturn that doesn’t witness it. All three provide testimony to the ill health of the mother, especially when compounded. Indeed, Sandra has suffered from osteoporosis for a long time, a condition that led her to develop a smoking addiction as a coping mechanism for the pain. She also relies heavily on pain medications. As a result of this chronic condition, Sandra would be frail and shut-in at various points through Drake’s adolescence.
The Eccentric Directive 
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