Drake’s Residual Checks From ‘Degrassi’ Are Not as Big as You’d Think
There are many actors who could probably go a lifetime living off their residual checks alone — from Will Smith and Martin Lawrence to Miley Cyrus and Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. But that’s not the case for everyone.
For Drake, it seems he only brings in small change for his work on Degrassi: The Next Generation, even though it was a pretty big deal in its time. In a throwback post, he showed off a residual check that wasn’t nearly as hefty as you might expect.
What is ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation?’
A spinoff in the Degrassi franchise, Degrassi: The Next Generation is a Canadian teen drama following the lives of various groups of students at a local high school.
Drake played Jimmy Brooks, a wealthy kid who ran with a large friend group that included rebel Spinner Mason, social chameleon Marco Del Rossi, musician Craig Manning, and “it-girl” Paige Michalchuk. Jimmy had hoped to pursue a basketball career in the future, but his dreams were shattered when a school shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down.
The show debuted in 2001, earning praise from viewers and publications such as The New York Times for its honest depiction of teenage life. Degrassi: The Next Generation ran for 14 seasons before wrapping in the summer of 2015.
Drake’s residual income from ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’ is not that much
Two years after the show wrapped, Drake took to Instagram to show off some earnings. One would think he would be getting at least a few thousands of dollars for his work, but nope. He posted a photo of a check for just $8.25, captioning the image: “Degrassi money still coming in don’t sleeeeeeeep…💰💸💵💴💴💶💷”
It’s wild seeing how much he’s bringing in, given his past comments about his work and income from the show. Previously, he told Complex that it helped him and his family financially when they were “poor, like broke.”
But then again, he did say it still “wasn’t much money when you break it down. A season of Canadian television is under a teacher’s salary, I’ll tell you that much.”
Drake’s music career took off after ‘Degrassi: The Next Generation’
Luckily for him, Drake’s music career has been on a steady incline ever since he broke out with 2009’s “Best I Ever Had.” He has gone on to release dozens of hit singles and several successful albums, including the Grammy-nominated Scorpion (2018).
That album included songs such as the viral “Nonstop” and “I’m Upset” — the video for which featured Drake and several members of the Degrassi cast.
He is set to release his highly-anticipated sixth album, Certified Lover Boy, next and has since achieved a $180 million net worth.
