Drake Reportedly Needed To Be Convinced To Rap On "Degrassi"

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Apparently, it took some convincing to get Aubrey to drop a few bars on "Degrassi: The Next Generation."

It's been over a decade since Drake emerged as a frontrunner for this generation's Mt. Rushmore of rap but it's been even longer since he was a regular face on Degrassi: The Next Generation. He played the role of Jimmy Brooks, a high school basketball star that was infamously shot and placed in a wheelchair for the remainder of his time on the show. However, Jimmy's musical ambitions were highlighted on a few occasions which revealed that even Drake's character had bars.

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Despite the massive platform, Drake was reportedly adamant in separating his rap aspirations and acting career. According to Degrassi EP Stephen Stohn, who spoke to PageSix during ATX TV Festival, there were many unsuccessful attempts to get Drizzy to rap on the show. "He would play us mix tapes and we really tried to talk him into letting us use some of his music in the show and getting him to rap and sing," Stohn said. 

Drake stood "firm" on his decision, even after pressure from producers attempted to get Jimmy Brooks deeper into music. His music side was one side of his career and the acting was another,” Stohn continued. “We did manage to get him to do some rap, but it did take some convincing.”

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However, Stohn admitted that he didn't predict the level of Drake's success. "We knew that the music was compelling, we had no idea how compelling it would be," Stohn added.

Of course, Degrassi played a massive role in Drake's overall success, even as a rapper. While Wayne continued to refer to his artist as "Wheelchair Jimmy" for years to come, Drake brought the cast of Degrassi: The Next Generation together for 2018's "I'm Upset" music video.


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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