Famous People dictionary
Champagne Papi
[sham-peyn pah-pee]
What does Champagne Papi mean?
Champagne Papi is a nickname and Instagram handle of Canadian rapper and R&B recording artist Drake.
Where does Champagne Papi come from?
Though he has accumulated many nicknames (including “Drake,” as his given name is Aubrey Drake Graham), Drake began using Champagne Papi in 2011 when he started posting on Instagram under the handle @champagnepapi, which now boasts over 40 million followers.
Many fans point to 2011–13 as when Drake grew into his Champagne Papi persona. During this period, Drake’s style and music became influenced by the culture of the West Indies, and he began sporting longer hair, chain necklaces, and muscle v-neck t-shirts associated with flamboyant, macho men there, colloquially called papis in Caribbean Spanish.
While champagne may be Drake’s drink of choice, it is most likely used here to evoke sophistication, elegance, and romance. Papi is Spanish slang for “daddy” or “dude,” frequently associated with a type of Caribbean machismo.
Examples of Champagne Papi
Who uses Champagne Papi?
When fans use the name Champagne Papi to refer to Drake, they are most often talking about his style and his persona, especially as conveyed through his massively popular Instagram posts. They might also use Champagne Papi in romantic or sexual contexts—or fantasies.
Fans reserve Drake’s other nicknames for different scenarios, including Wheelchair Jimmy for his days on the TV show Degrassi, Ovo and 6 God for his Canadian roots, and Drizzy or Heartbreak Drake for his rapping and lyrics.
Note
This is not meant to be a formal definition of Champagne Papi like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of Champagne Papi that will help our users expand their word mastery.