Source: ET Canada (2007)
Reporter: Rosey Edeh
Subject: Aubrey “Drake” Graham
In the summer of 2007, Drake was living a double life. By day, he was Jimmy Brooks on the set of Degrassi: The Next Generation; by night, he was in the studio until sunrise, fueling his rap career on a diet of “McDonald’s and General Tao chicken.”
In this raw archive footage from July 2007, reporter Rosey Edeh interviews the 20-year-old star about his transition into music, his upcoming tour with Ne-Yo, and the release of his breakout single.
The Origin of “Replacement Girl”
Drake reveals that he wrote the hook for “Replacement Girl” while driving back from a friend’s university, long before R&B singer Trey Songz was attached to the project. He describes the track not as a song about cheating, but about finding someone who makes you feel “comfortable” and “pure” amidst the chaos of the club scene.
Pineapple Juice & Chivalry
The interview features a candid (and slightly awkward) moment where Drake laments his lack of free time, wishing he could just “sit by my uncle’s pool and sip pineapple juice with a girl.” He quickly laughs off the specific beverage choice, but the sentiment leads into a deeper conversation about his mother.
Drake insists that despite the bravado of hip hop, his mother instilled a deep respect for women in him that prevents him from writing lyrics that degrade them.
“I would never directly disrespect and cheat on a woman or make her feel low, or make her feel inadequate. That’s just what my mother instilled in me.”
Archivist Note: While this raw footage is pristine, the broadcast version of this segment is infamous for a voiceover error where the narrator identifies Drake’s character as “Jeremy Brooks” instead of Jimmy Brooks.