Drake has caught the acting bug again and will be starring in the U.K. crime drama Top Boy.
In recent years, Drake’s relationship with the U.K. Hip-Hop scene has blossomed into a very fruitful one, not just for himself, but for several of the grime artists he’s worked with overseas such as Skepta, who he managed to provide more exposure to in the United States.
Now, he’s expanding by bring his long dormant acting career back after recently purchasing the rights to the London-based drama, Top Boy. He intends to revive the show for its third season after it was dropped by Channel 4 and was picked up by Netflix.
Now that he has managed to cop the Top Boy’s rights, he’s also been tapped to play a significant role. Ashley Walters, who plays “Dushane” on the show tells The Daily Mirror that the producers intend on making him a “significant” character.
“We met up to start talking about the show and we are working out a role for him,” he said. “He loves acting, of course he wanted a part. He’s going to be really hands on and is getting stuck into it.”
Drizzy Drake has been a longtime follow of the crime drama and has shown his appreciation for over the years with various shout outs in raps like “Know Yourself” and even Tweeted about it.
@AshleyWalters82 is too incredible!! Everybody on Top Boy gives such incredible performances. That show is just too good.
— Drizzy (@Drake) October 9, 2014
In the same interview Walters commented on what it’s like working with Drake.
“He is such a down to earth, nice guy.” he said. “He’s so famous you would expect him to be this crazy character but he’s actually quite boring, in a good way. I had a meeting with him and I brought all of my kids along. My eldest was chatting away in his ear for ages and he was just cool.”
Though he has not had a major role in a film or TV show since his Degrassi days, he’s maintained his acting chops occasionally with various, but memorable Saturday Night Live appearances and his extended music videos and short films such “Hold On We’re Going Home”, “Jungle”, “Please Forgive Me” and several cameos in films like Think Like A Man Too, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, and Ice Age: Continental Drift.
Looks like Drake has an Emmy and Oscar set in his sights too to keep those Grammy’s company.
