Crossword Clue: One-named Canadian rapper
Here's the answer to the One-named Canadian rapper crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: DRAKE
The answer to "One-named Canadian rapper" is DRAKE. Drake is a 5-letter word made up of 2 vowels and 3 consonants, beginning with D and ending with E. In a crossword grid it occupies a 5-square slot, and each of its letters also forms part of a word crossing it — so even if the clue stumps you, the crossing entries will usually hand you enough letters to fill it in.
Origin & meaning
Drake is the Canadian rapper and singer who rose from acting on 'Degrassi' to global music stardom. He holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries.
Common usage
Drake turns up frequently in crosswords precisely because of that letter mix. Short, vowel-friendly words like DRAKE are a constructor's best friend: they interlock cleanly with longer entries and help a grid come together without awkward letter clashes. When you see a 5-letter slot and already have a crossing letter or two, DRAKE is often quick to confirm — especially once the D or E is in place.
Crossword trivia
Because it is only 5 letters long, DRAKE appears far more often in daily mini and themed puzzles than longer, more obscure words. Regular solvers come to recognize it on sight, and it is exactly the kind of entry worth committing to memory: the more common short words you know cold, the faster your solve times become.
Stuck on this clue?
If "One-named Canadian rapper" has you stuck, don't force it — jump to the clues crossing this slot instead. Filling in even one or two intersecting letters usually makes DRAKE obvious. That crossing-first approach is the single most useful habit for improving at crosswords, and it works on everything from the quick daily Mini to a full Sunday grid.
This clue in different puzzles
The clue "One-named Canadian rapper" is just one way to arrive at DRAKE. Across different puzzles and editors you may see the same answer clued as "'Hotline Bling' rapper". Recognizing that a single answer can wear many clues is one of the fastest ways to level up as a solver.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing DRAKE into the grid took no time at all."
- "Drake is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'One-named Canadian rapper' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in DRAKE almost immediately."
- "Once the D was confirmed by the crossing word, DRAKE was the only entry that fit."