Drake Was Once Paid $100 to Open For Ice Cube
Grammy-winning rapper Drake emerged at the turn of the last decade as an actor-turned-rapper with an undeniable talent. Like Ice Cube before him, Drake worked hard to make a name for himself as a rapper. So in the early days of his career, he took every opportunity he could get, including being the opening act for Ice Cube himself.
Drake was an actor before he was a rapper
Before he was a rapper, Aubrey Graham was best known for playing Jimmy Brooks on the hit kids’ show Degrassi: The Next Generation. During his time on the show, he began to record music and work toward his goal of becoming a rapper.
In 2006, Drake released his debut mixtape, Room For Improvement. He often juggled working on Degrassi with late nights in the studio, sometimes showing up to the Degrassi set late in the mornings.
In August 2006, Drake performed his first-ever concert at Toronto’s now-defunct Kool Haus venue. He performed as an opener for former N.W.A. rapper Ice Cube.
Drake was paid $100 to open for Ice Cube
In October 2022, Drake reflected on getting to open for Ice Cube on his Instagram Stories. He also revealed that he was paid about 100 Canadian dollars, equaling about 73 USD today.
Drake posted a photo of he and Ice Cube’s compensation for the show with every other number redacted except for his pay. “This is for anybody getting 100 a show right now… keep going,” the “0 to 100” rapper captioned the photo.
Drake’s 2007 mixtape Comeback Season proved that his rap career wasn’t a fluke, and that he was on his way to a successful career. His 2009 mixtape So Far Gone solidified his spot as one of rap’s newest superstars. He released his debut album Thank Me Later in 2010.
Ice Cube thought Drake’s time in the spotlight was over in 2018
Throughout the early and mid-2010s, Drake became one of the most bankable rappers in the world, racking up dozens of entries on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and selling millions of albums worlwide.
In 2018, Ice Cube spoke about Drake’s success on the Sana G Morning Show. After so many years at the top of the rap heap, Ice Cube believed that Drake’s time on top was coming to an end soon.
“He had a good run,” Cube said at the time. “You’ve only got a three-year run in the rap game. You’ve only got three years at the tip-top of the rap game before you have to find your place in this thing. That’s just a pattern. Everybody. Wayne when he was hot, three years on top. T-Pain. Three years on top, looking for someone else.”
Drake’s net worth in 2022
In the years since his breakout, Drake has amassed a sizable personal fortune. As of 2022, his net worth sits at a comfortable $250 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He’s achieved this through massive world tours as well as brand deals and other lucrative sources of income.
Needless to say he’s come a long way from earning peanuts for musical performances or small checks from working on a Canadian TV show.
“We were very poor, like broke,” he told Complex back in 2011. “The only money I had coming in was off of Canadian TV, which isn’t that much money when you break it down. A season of Canadian television is under a teacher’s salary, I’ll tell you that much. It’s definitely not something to go f***ing get.”
