Drake Says He Got High Before ‘Degrassi’ Audition Because Of 'Peer Pressure'

6 July 2023 | 4:34 pm | Jessie Lynch
Originally Appeared In

Before he was a Certified Lover Boy, it's common knowledge that Drake kicked off his career as wheelchair-bound Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi.

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Before he was a Certified Lover Boy, it's common knowledge that Drake began his career on the teen soap, Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Prior to his gargantuan music career, Drake - really name Aubrey Drake Graham - portrayed wheelchair-bound rising basketball star Jimmy Brooks on the popular TV series from 2001 until 2009.

Now, the rapper has taken a stroll down memory lane via a contemplative audio recording posted to Instagram, where he dished that he got high before the life-changing audition.

"Someone asked me the other night what my biggest fear is, and I’ve never really had a good answer for it, but my answer was that all this is for nothing," Drake began.

"Kind of the idea that, like, one day, life ends and it just all goes black. And I guess that question, like, sent me, you know, obviously deep into a spiral of thought. And it makes me think about my life and how surreal it feels at times." he continued before delving into an anecdote about his Degrassi audition that ultimately would change the trajectory of his life.

"I go back to this day when I was like 13 or 14. I had an audition for a TV show that ultimately shaped my life, and before my audition, I went to this kid’s house. And I, out of, I guess, a desire to be accepted, I would succumb to peer pressure, and I got high with these kids right before my audition," he explained.

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"I kind of wonder, like, if something bad happened that day or, you know, maybe I’m still high, maybe I’m in some coma. And this is just, like, me playing out my ideal life."

"And yeah, that concept has stuck with me for a lot of years. I mean, it feels like reality, it feels tangible. But I definitely wonder sometimes," he concluded.

The revelation comes following the news on June 23 that the Canadian rapper would be releasing his first book, Titles Ruin Everything/A Stream of Consciousness by Kenza Samir and Aubrey Graham via Instagram.

“I don’t know if I have ever wanted people to buy or support something more in my life,” Drizzy captioned the post. “Our first book is available tmrw on @drakerelated and other select retailers.”

The Hotline Bling hitmaker also took out ads in publications such as the New York Post and Los Angeles Times which featured a QR code that linked to a website called TitlesRuinEverything.com, where the upcoming LP was revealed in a short, simple statement.

“I made an album to go with the book,” the statement on Drake's website read. “They say they miss the old Drake girl don’t tempt me. FOR ALL THE DOGS."

The poetry book is available now via his merchandise site drakerelated.com and other select retailers.

"Aubrey Drake Graham is a cultural phenomenon — a record-breaking musician, style icon, creative entrepreneur, and actor," a description on the book publisher's website read. "Graham has been writing and having fun with poetry as a means of personal expression for quite some time."

"Flowing across 168 pages, the provocative musings translate Graham's wit and talent for wordplay into potent stanzas," it continues. "Together, these meditations on fame, romance, and relationships offer an unfiltered view of the artist's inner world."