Sandi Graham (née Sher) is the mother of rapper and Degrassi actor Draka. The Canadian pop artist’s show of love and appreciation for his mother has won Graham a large following of fans.
Drake’s parents, especially his mum, have played an important role in his life and he is not afraid to sing her praises.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sandi Graham. Along the way, find out about her struggle with her famous son; how they both managed to stand on their own, their life after fame, and much more.
Sandi Graham Is From An Ashkenazi Jewish Family
Graham was born on 28 January 1960 into a Canadian Jewish family (of Ashkenazi Jewish descent). Her mother, Evelyn Sher, passed away on Thanksgiving Day 2012. Sandi’s son Drake was very close to her. The Degrassi star has cited her as his inspiration in several songs, while also talking about how she helped raise him. Some of his songs have even included her voice messages, such as in the 2011 song Look What I’ve Done.
To honor Sandi, her son opened a sports and entertainment club named after her in his hometown of Toronto, Canada, called SherClub. A year earlier, Sandi had lost her brother in 2011.
Graham was an English teacher for most of her son’s early life. She also worked occasionally as a florist. Her father, Reuben Scheer, was the biggest sports fan, according to Drake.
Sandi Graham Married An American Drummer From Tennessee
Sandi and Denis met in a bar where Denis worked. Her ex-husband Dennis is a Memphis-born former drummer and practicing Catholic from Memphis, Tennessee.
Graham’s ex-husband comes from a Memphis musical family and was once the drummer for artist and rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis. He moved to Toronto in the 1980s and met Sandi at Club Bluenote nightclub, again a place where he was an employee.
They later broke up when Drake was only five years old. In an interview, Drake revealed that his father’s early career was the main reason for his divorce from Sandi.
After the divorce, Mrs. Graham obtained full custody of Drake. The mother-son duo then remained living in Toronto, while Dennis moved back to Memphis. Ms. Graham raised her son primarily on Weston Street in Toronto, a working-class neighborhood in the western part of the city.
Later, when Drake was in sixth grade, his now 61-year-old mother moved with him to a wealthier part of the city, Forest Hill.
Although Drake’s parents are not together, they have a relationship. Dennis even shared a heartfelt tribute to Sandy on her birthday in 2021. Sending birthday wishes to his ex-wife via Ig, Dredd’s father wrote,
“Happy Birthday to one of the most loving people in this world, may you enjoy your special day and I am sure that it will be as special as you are, HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETHEART. “
Drake’s parents were also together when their son won the Artist of the Decade award at the Billboard Music Awards in May 2021.
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Drake Has Talked About His Mom, Sandi In Several Of His Songs
Drake is not shy about dedicating lyrics, songs, and social media posts to his mother. The Hotline Bling singer has mentioned his mum Sandi in several of his songs. In some of his musical works, he has made many comments about her and their family situation.
Some of the songs where Drake gets personal are Successful, Must Hate Money, Look What You’ve Done, You & The 6, and From Time to name a few. In fact, the 34-year-old rapper presented his mum, Sandra Graham, with the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album in February 2013, which he had won for Take Care.
Graham’s Cutest Relationship With Her Son Drake
Over the years, it has become quite clear that Drake’s love for his mother, Sandi Graham, and her love for him, is a beautiful embodiment of the purpose of a mother-son relationship. The singer has always put herself first and Sandi never misses a chance to congratulate her son on his birthday, on the release of a song, and on his achievements.
So in September 2021, Graham gifted her rapper son with flowers and encouraging sweet notes in preparation for the release of his album Certified Lover Boy. Drake shared pictures of the bouquets of red roses and messages his mother sent him days before the release of the new collection.
During the countdown to the album’s release, the Canadian’s mum continued to pour in her wishes for the rapper. In doing so, she mentioned that being his mother had been the greatest joy of her life. She also described the long and difficult road they have traveled together.
Her singer son has often spoken about his own difficult days and those of his mother Graham. Because Drac had someone to take care of, Sandy found half a house where they could live.
The other people had the upper half, but the mother and son had the lower half. Drake lived in the basement and Sandi on the ground floor. In an interview Drake explained that it was not big, it was not luxurious, but it was all that Graham could afford. He remembered that his mother was often ill and that they were very poor.
Sandi Graham Tried To Find Her Son A Partner
Like any other mother, Graham did everything she could, and probably still does, to help her son find the perfect partner in life. As always, this issue has come up in one of Draka’s songs. Sandija once said to her son,
“Who the fuck wants to be 70 and alone?’”
This had to be included in the Canadian singer’s songbook one way or another. And so From Time and one of its lyrics
“My mother is 66 and her favorite line to hit me with is, ‘Who the fuck wants to be 70 and alone?’”
It is a question that touches not only Graham’s life but also her son’s. She says the Brit Award winner may be young now, but that youth will not last forever. So he needs to find a woman he wants to settle down with, not just now but in the years to come.
His mother even tried to set Drake up with his personal trainer.
Sandi Graham Wanted Serena Williams To Be Her Daughter-In-Law
In August 2014, amid rumors of Drake and Rianna’s rekindled romance, a Hollywood Life report said that Sandi Graham thought Wimbledon star Serena Williams was his “real one”. At the time, it was reported that the tennis player was having an affair with the rapper.
A source said at the time that Drake and his mother are really close and, like a good husband, he listens to her. The source further added that Sandi doesn’t really mean any favors to Drake, but if she had to pick one woman he has been with it would be Serena, Sandi likes her athleticism and says she is a sweet and healthy girl.
However, that ship has long since sailed, as Williams is now married to Alexis Ohanian and Drake himself is dating model Johanna Leigh.
Graham’s Grandchildren
In 2017, Sandi Graham and her ex-husband Denis Graham became grandparents when Drake’s girlfriend Sophie Bruso gave birth to their son Adonis Graham. At first, Sandi’s son Dredd wasn’t sure if Adonis was his child. However, a paternity test later proved that the child was indeed Drac’s. Born during his brief affair with Sophie.
Sandi Graham Had A Hip Surgery
In an interview with Complex magazine in November 2011, Drake opened up about his mother Sandi’s spinal surgery. The number one digital single artist explained how his mother’s head separated from her spine.
Fortunately, doctors managed to fix it, and Drake later reported that Graham was healthy and “looking younger than ever, moving better than ever”. Sandi’s famous son then sent her off to Rome, a holiday she hadn’t taken in 22 years.
Drake had even canceled his European tour to take care of his mother.
Sandi Tried To Run Away
Back in 2009, Graham’s son explained that one of the lyrics to Successful was inspired by his family’s drama and uncertainty about his future in music.
Reflecting on a dark time, Champagne Papi said,
“When I was going through the creative process for So Far Gone, I was actually at a pretty dark place in my life. It was a frustrating time for my family, because my grandmother — who is now in her mid- to late 90s — was just losing it. It was hard for my mother to watch. And it was just, it was really at a point where it was like, Is this rap thing going to work? Like, Is this my choice? Is this what I am committing to?”
Drake explained that Degrassi ended years ago, and the family was just trying to figure something out. The singer added that his mother is going through a difficult time. Eventually, it became too much for her, and one night she broke down and tried to run away from the house, “tried to leave it all behind”.
Drizzy had forgotten something in his car. He came out and saw bags sitting by his mum’s car. Mother and son looked at each other and Sandy immediately started crying when she saw him.
Sandi Graham Had Arguments With Her Son Regarding His Spending Habit And Her Smoke Addiction
It is believed that Sandi has developed a terrible smoking habit due to past difficulties and is constantly taking painkillers.
From the hard times of “So Far Gone”, Drake mentioned in the song “Take Care” his disagreements with his mom about his spending and her smoking problems. In the song “Nothing Was the Same”, Sandi’s son called out his mother for wanting to live alone in her apartment and dismissed the suggestion that she prefers solitude because of her illness.
In 2015’s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, 6-God rhymed that things had changed and that it was his musical career that separated him from Sandi. He explained that his success has come at a cost – he has less time for personal relationships. However, despite communicating less, the More Life singer said that his relationship with his mother has remained the same.
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The Feud Between Sandi’s Son And Her Ex-Husband
Draka’s father Denis Graham is still present in his son’s life. Denis had previously received a prison sentence for drug use but was later released. The four-time Grammy Award winner has rhymed about his father’s absence for most of his life in several of his songs.
However, Dennis claimed that Drake only portrayed him as an absent father to “sell records”. Sandy’s son later responded by stressing that he would say anything to anyone who was willing to listen to him.
Graham’s Say On Drake Vs Pusha T
In June 2018, Drake had a public feud with fellow rapper Pusha T.
Although they had disliked each other for years, the disdain culminated after Pusha released his album Daytona, which contained some notable criticisms of the Canadian artist. This prompted Drake to release two songs on the same day, “Duppy Freestyle” and “I’m Upset”, both of which were directed at G.O.O.D. Music president, and subtly directed at Kanye West.
However, all this beef gained considerable media coverage after Pusha T released his contemptuous disc of “The Story of Adidon”, a track directed at Drake’s family. The song’s biggest bombshell was that it also slammed Drake’s child with French porn star Sophie Bruso.
In the song, Pusha also turned on Sandy, declaring, “How come you (Drake) are the winner and she keeps coming in last place?”.
Graham was clearly upset that her son was involved in such a heated argument with another rapper, especially when it also involved her family. The mother of the five-foot-two rapper said that her son and Pusha T were too grown up to continue with such things.
Sandi Graham’s Net Worth
Unlike her son, Graham’s net worth has not yet been made public. But given the love and care, she receives from her wealthy son, this is hardly a cause for concern. Drake will certainly not think for a moment even if he were to spend his entire vast fortune (almost $200 million) on his mother, Sandi Graham.
Whatever the case, Drake’s fans can rest assured that his and Sandi’s days of living below their means are long gone. Graham is now reportedly living with her son in a wild Toronto mansion worth over $6 million.
Quick Facts About Sandi Graham
| Real Name | Sandi Graham |
| Nick Name | Sandi |
| Famous As | Mother of Drake |
| Age | 61-years old |
| Birthday | January 28, 1960 |
| Birthplace | United States |
| Birth Sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Mixed |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Height | approx. 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) |
| Weight | approx. 55 Kg (121 lbs) |
| Body Measurements | approx. 36-28-40 inches |
| Bra Cup Size | 36 C |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Shoe Size | 5 (US) |
| Children | Aubrey Drake Graham |
| Spouse | Dennis Graham |
| Net Worth | approx. $1 Million |
