Oliver El-Khatib

Oliver El-Khatib is a Nordic-Lebanese Canadian producer, manager, and entrepreneur born on October 1, 1982. He founded the brand October's Very Own (OVO) and serves as the long-time manager of Drake. Growing up between Toronto and London with heritage spanning Canada, Lebanon, Finland, and Iceland, El-Khatib built a career rooted in music discovery and street culture before scaling OVO into a global entity.

Quick Facts

Born

1 October 1982

Birthplace

Ontario, Canada

Occupation

Producer
Manager
Entrepreneur

Label

OVO Sound

Lore & Background

El-Khatib's journey began in his teenage years, drawing inspiration from skateboarding culture while visiting Toronto record stores like Play De Record. He studied album notes and listened to 88.1FM on Saturday mornings to discover new music. After leaving school in his later teens, he interned at the now-defunct clothing store Lounge, where he first met Drake. In grade nine homeroom, he had already connected with Noah James Shebib (40), another future OVO co-founder. By 2007, El-Khatib was a buyer for Unitedfront, overseeing menswear boutiques Ransom, Goodfoot, and Nomad. The following year, he assumed blogging duties as the sole writer for October's Very Own, promoting music and fashion outlets that interested the crew.

Reader's Guide

To understand El-Khatib's impact, look at his hands-on approach from 2008 to today. He started as the only blogger for OVO, writing about fashion and music before managing Drake's entire career path. A key turning point was 2015, when he partnered with Apple Music's Beats 1 to create a radio platform dedicated to industry trends and local talent. His production credits on Thank Me Later and executive role on More Life highlight his dual focus on business and sound. While often described as a self-proclaimed worker who spends little time in the spotlight, his strategic moves—like forming October Firm in 2015 and securing major brand deals—have defined OVO's trajectory from a Toronto blog to an international fashion and music powerhouse.

Did You Know?

El-Khatib suggested the specific drum sample from Tears for Fears used on the song "The Resistance."
OVO Sound Radio launched with its very first episode airing on July 11, 2015.