Drake ecstatic as DNA reveals 30% Nigerian ancestry
Story from Vivian DANIEL, Abuja
Drake, the Grammy-winning international singer and Canadian star, has sparked excitement among Nigerians with a revelation about his ancestry, which he shared online.
On May 8, 2023, Drake took to his Instagram Story to share a screenshot of his dad’s DNA ancestry test results, indicating that he has Nigerian heritage. The result, sent to him by his father Dennis Graham, revealed that he is “30 percent Nigerian.”
In his jubilant state, Drake wondered if he could now refer to himself as a “Naija man,” a term commonly used to describe Nigerians.
Drake asked, “These are my dad’s results, does this mean I’m finally a Naija man?”
The screenshot also displayed the breakdown of his ethnic heritage, with Nigeria having the highest percentage, followed by Cameroon, Congo, and Western Bantu Peoples at 28 percent. Ivory Coast and Ghana were shown as 11 percent.
The results further revealed that Drake’s father has a diverse ethnic background, with roots in Mali, Benin, and Togo.
The post triggered a flurry of reactions from Nigerians on Twitter.
“Drake got a DNA test to confirm his Nigerian roots, just so nobody questions him when he drops an Afrobeats album,” tweeted @Basito.
Another user added, “Drake being Nigerian suggests he might be from Akwa-Ibom, Yoruba, or Warri. I lean more towards him being an Akwa-Ibom man because he has that accent in him, despite all the Americanization. And then I saw his dad’s image.”
Drake, born on October 24, 1986, in Toronto, Ontario, has an African-American Catholic drummer father from Memphis who once performed with country musician Jerry Lee Lewis.
