What Drake Was Doing Before He Became A Famous Rapper

Drake debuted onto the music scene in 2006 and has since become one of rap music's biggest names. With a career spanning more than 15 years, the Toronto-born chart-topper's success shows no signs of slowing down.

As of this writing, all five of his studio albums have reached the top spot on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. As for hit singles, Drake currently has an impressive eight No. 1's and 45 top 10 hits on the U.S. Hot 100. As previously reported by Billboard, Drake set a new historic record by being the first-ever artist to have three songs debut in the top three simultaneously on the Hot 100. He also currently holds the record for having the most top 10 hits on the same chart, surpassing Madonna, per BBC.

According to Chart Masters, Drake has sold 56.8 million equivalent album units and 137 million units of downloads and ringtones for his singles. As of 2020, the "Hold On, We're Going Home" hitmaker is worth a whopping $180 million and has an annual salary of $70 million, per Celebrity Net Worth.

While Drake became a household name around the world for being a musician, he actually first entered the entertainment industry doing a different profession. Keep reading to find out what.

Drake's early career saw him playing a lead role on television

Before the No. 1 hits and platinum plaques, Drake first started off in the world of entertainment as an actor, going by the name Aubrey Graham. According to IMDb, the Grammy winner appeared in television shows for nearly a whole decade before making waves on the rap scene. In 2001, Drake made his acting debut in an episode of the Canadian crime drama, "Blue Murder." That same year, he landed a lead role as Jimmy Brooks in "Degrassi: The Next Generation," a character he played for eight years until 2009.

Drake also made appearances on other television shows, such as "Soul Food," "The Border," and "Being Erica." While working on the small screen, he also landed a big-screen movie role in "Charlie Bartlett." While pursuing a career as an actor, Drake had dreams of being a rap star and had been trying to get noticed for some time. When talking to W magazine in 2015, he explained he was working non-stop and was told to choose one profession over the other.

"Back then, I'd spend a full day on set and then go to the studio to make music until 4 or 5 a.m. I'd sleep in my dressing room and then be in front of the cameras again by 9 a.m," Drake said. "Eventually, they realized I was juggling two professions and told me I had to choose." he laughed, adding, "I chose this life." We're pretty sure Drake has no regrets with that decision.