9781422276303

Chapter 2:

Determination on the Road to the Top

Words to Understand

stage name: a name used by an entertainer instead of their real name. intrigued: having one’s interest, desire, or curiosity strongly aroused. anonymous: without any name acknowledged, usually as an author, contributor, or the creator of some other artistic endeavor. OVO (October’s Very Own) Sound: a Toronto, Canada, recording label founded by Aubrey Drake Graham and his longtime friends and copyright: the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of a creative production, such as a literary, musical, or artistic work. partners Noah “40” Shebib and Oliver El Khatib.

Family Ties B orn Abel Makkonen Tesfaye in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Scarborough, Ontario, The Weeknd faced several challenges in becoming the international sensation he is today. His father left his family when he was a young toddler. Though Abel didn’t know him, he doesn’t judge or think less of his father. His mother, Samra Tesfaye, and grandmother raised him. His mother juggled several different jobs to support Abel, including catering while in night school. Abel’s interest in music started at a young age, and he began working on and recording his music while in high school. At age seventeen, Abel dropped out of school and moved away from home. For a while, he was homeless, and during this period, he didn’t speak to his mother. He began working on his mixtapes and started an anonymous YouTube channel.

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The Weeknd

The Weeknd

HIP-HOP & R&B