Before there was , there was Aubrey Graham: actor and star of the hit teen drama, Degrassi: The Next Generation. He played the role of Jimmy Brooks, who would come to be known as Wheelchair Jimmy after the character suffered paralysis from getting shot in the back. Back then, young Aubrey could never have predicted that he’d go on to become Drizzy, 6 God, or any of his other rap monikers, dominating hip hop for years on end. It was a different era for the Toronto native, and on this fine Throwback Thursday.
Drake posted a screenshot from a lo-fi video of himself back in his Degrassi days on Instagram, with visible in the background. In the shot, Drake is rocking a sideways white fitted cap and some rather baggy pants with the deepest pockets known to man. He opted for a simple caption, “JB,” referring to Jimmy Brooks’ initials. The post got tons of love, including a few comments from his former Degrassi co-stars. “Bieber Unscripted,” Lauren Collins, who played Paige Michalchuk, wrote. “Oh the old days!” commented Miriam McDonald, who played Emma Nelson. If there’s one lesson that Drake’s taught us, it’s to never forget where you came from.