Get ready for “MTV Cribs” with a twist. As first reported by BlogTO, music superstar Aubrey “Drake” Graham is now offering a very intimate glimpse into his personal life via an interactive virtual tour of his extravagant Toronto mansion. Remember that house? That little 50,000-square-foot number that reportedly cost tens of millions to build? Drake is now ready and willing to give you a walk-through of the place, displaying (almost) every inch crafted by Canadian architectural/interior designer Ferris Rafauli.
What’s the catch, you ask? Well, while you’re perusing the palace, Drake’s marketing ploy encourages you to spend some bank on the many consumer products the Canadian-born rapper’s hawking as part of “The Embassy” tour promoting the 10th anniversary of his Grammy-winning “Take Care” album.
To (virtually) access the mansion, guests enter the Drake Related website and are quickly whisked away to a shot of the massive home’s façade, where the entertainer’s luxe cars are displayed in his spacious motorcourt. An arrow just outside the front door leads inside to the recording studio, lounge and primary bedroom, with each room displaying a handful of items with clickable links — click them, and you too can purchase Drake-approved merch and other goodies. For now, much of the mansion is still restricted from prying eyes, but there are indications that the master closet, garage and full-sized basketball court will also soon be offered on public display, plus other areas of the shopping mall-sized structure.
As for what is currently online, the bedroom offers interactive links to El Chico Studios and Better World Fragrance House, which sells a Carby Musk candle that’s said to “smell like Drake.” Users can view a candlelit version of the room by hitting a button next to the bedside lamp, with that scene revealing links to Certified Lover Boy wares and Wet by Drake cologne.
Unfortunately, the shopping tour experience debuts at a particularly bad time. Drake — along with Travis Scott, Apple and LiveNation — are facing multiple lawsuits seeking billions in damages linked to the Astroworld tragedy that claimed 10 lives earlier this month.
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Image Credit: drakerelated.com In the studio, fans can explore more Certified Lover Boy merch and commemorative Take Care designs, including a “Marvin’s Room” T-shirt and limited-edition vinyl recording of the album. Additional links lead to Drake’s October’s Very Own (OVO) Sound record label and clothing line, while another promotes his golf brand NOCTA.
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Image Credit: drakerelated.com The last room currently available is the lounge, which features similar links to the Take Care designs. Drake’s first album, “So Far Gone,” is also highlighted with a vintage-inspired album T-shirt, magnetic letter set and special-edition album.
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Image Credit: drakerelated.com Fans were first introduced to Drake’s lavish Beaux Arts-style mansion a little over a year ago by Architectural Digest. Nestled within Toronto’s affluent Bridle Path neighborhood, on a 2-acre parcel surrounded by 4.4-meter fences and situated directly across the street from singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s pad, the place features an elevator, a 10-car garage, gym and an awards room, plus an NBA regulation-size indoor basketball court topped by a 21-square-foot pyramid-shaped skylight.
Other highlights include an expansive entry hall bathed in limestone sporting beveled inserts of Nero Marquina marble underneath a faceted antique mirror ceiling framed in bronze. At a whopping 3,200 square feet, the master retreat has a two-story closet, and a headboard with a backside that doubles as a whiskey and champagne bar. The bath features a 4,000-pound tub carved from a single block of faceted black marble; and the opulent canary-yellow lounge has a foliate ceiling of concentric backlit hexagonal panels wrapped in Alcantara faux suede topped by a Venini-glass sunburst chandelier.
There’s stunning artwork on display throughout the house, including a duo of sculptures by Kaws flanking the home’s entrance, along with a custom bronze and marble chandelier by Rafauli. Crowning the massive great room is a bespoke Bösendorfer concert grand piano designed by Rafauli and Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, and a one-of-a-kind light sculpture showcasing 20,000 pieces of hand-cut Swarovski crystal.
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Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest -
Image Credit: Architectural Digest No word on whether virtual tours of his Los Angeles digs will go live in the future. The singer owns a three-home estate in the gated Hidden Hills community an hour northwest of central L.A., and he recently rented an even more epic $65 million Beverly Hills mansion.