When The FADER first put Drake on the cover, back in September 2009, it was the Toronto rapper's first time ever covering a magazine. At the time, he had released So Far Gone to great acclaim, signed with Lil Wayne's Young Money label, and launched into the trajectory that's made him one of the biggest stars in the world and, six years later, landed him on the cover of The FADER's 100th issue.
"FADER is still my favorite publication I've done to date—one of the only publications that let us do what we wanted to do," remembers Drake in the above short documentary on the making of his 2009 cover.
Read Next: Rap Column’s top 30 rap songs of 2024
On the day of the shoot, Drake told the team that he had to stop by to see someone special. "He's like, 'Look I have to stop over and see my grandmother,'" recalls photographer Jonathan Mannion. The story that follows involves a hug, a kiss, and a whole lot of pride.
As we celebrate the milestone of our 100th issue, we are proud to present a series of videos exploring The FADER's legacy. Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes clips tracing our history over the coming weeks.
