Drake Receives the Key to Shelby County in Tennessee – Watch
Drake is the latest honoree to receive a key to Shelby County in Tennessee.
Drake Receives Key to Shelby County in Tennessee
On Monday (June 26), Drake, despite having his Memphis stop on the It's All a Blur Tour postponed until Aug. 6, still made his way into the Bluff City to receive a high honor. The Toronto MC was awarded the key to Shelby County, Tenn.
Why Did Drake Receive the Key to Shelby County, Tenn.?
Drake was presented with a key to Shelby County, the county in which Memphis is nestled, by County Commissioner Mickell Lowry. In awarding Drizzy the honor, Lowry praised the Her Loss spitter's music as well as the positive impact he's had on a global scale all the while welcoming Drake into Memphis with open arms.
"Everybody in Memphis knows we love our own," Mickell Lowry tells Drake in the video below. "Drake, we always say Memphis music touches the world. Like I told you, you got a lot of Memphis blood in you and you're definitely touching the world. I know you got Grammys, all these plaques, all these awards. But not everybody has a key to the county—Shelby County."
Drake's Connection to Memphis, Tenn.
While Drake certainly puts on for his home city of Toronto at every turn, The 6 God also has deep-rooted ties to Memphis and its music. Drizzy's father, Dennis Graham, was once a well-known drummer in the city's legendary blues scene who performed with artists like Jerry Lee Lewis.
Drake's dad was actually in attendance while his son received the key to Shelby County and the two had an interaction that brought a level of comedy to the situation.
"Dad, you got this yet?" Drake jokingly says upon immediately being bestowed the honor.
Dennis Graham replies: "Have I got the keys to the city? Uh, they gave me the key to the hotel down the street."
Read More: If You're a Memphis Rap Fan, These Are Essential Artists You Should Know Now
Drake Also Was Awarded the Key to Toronto
This isn't the first time Drizzy has been the recipient of such an honor. Back in 2016, Drake was similarly presented with the key to Toronto just as he was gearing up to host some festivities surrounding the NBA's All-Star Weekend that year.
Read More: Here Are Rappers and Hip-Hop Executives With a Key to the City
Drake's New Poetry Book and Upcoming Album
The video footage of Drake receiving the key to Shelby County comes just a few days after the hip-hop megastar dropped his first poetry book, Titles Ruin Everything, A Stream of Consciousness by Kenza Samir and Aubrey Graham.
In promoting the book in publications around the country such as the New York Post, Drake announced his upcoming album, tentatively titled For All the Dogs, via a unique QR code that was placed within the print ads. As of right now, no official release date has been set.
