Treating people with respect, being thankful for opportunities and taking pride in his work is what Aubrey Graham is all about. Add an alluring beat and clever lyrics and you have Drake, a rapper with a conscience.

Already well-known for his portrayal of Jimmy Brooks on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Graham is spreading his wings and exploring another side of the entertainment industry: music. Working tirelessly on his music career, Aubrey is garnering a lot of attention for his work as hip-hop alter ego, Drake.

“I took my life style from mediocre to good and now its sittin’ at amazing” rhymes Drake in his hit song, Replacement Girl featuring R&B sensation Trey Songz. Sitting at amazing is right, as Drake is living his dream. For years he strived to make what he calls “genuine music”, and if the record charts are any indication, Drake is on the right track.

There is big buzz around this Drake and Trey Songz collaboration, and there’s talk of the two recording an album together. An instant friendship was formed when they met in Atlanta to record Replacement Girl. The duo recently shot a video in Toronto for the single. In the spirit of the genre, the video is fashion-driven with beautiful people — part of Drake’s rapper faade. “Shooting the video was an amazing experience,” explains Drake. “We had a lot of fun, and I loved working with Trey. You see what works and what you can accomplish on a limited budget.”

Drake is steeped in music history; with family members that have written for and played with legends in the industry. His father wrote songs for the Rev. Al Greene, and played drums for Jerry Lee Lewis.

No wonder Drake is focused on cutting a legitimate, mainstream album with “timeless” tracks.

He may be Drake to his music fans, but he will always be Jimmy Brooks to his Degrassi following. The show begins shooting Season 7 this spring, and Aubrey is gearing up for it. He is looking forward to catching up with his Degrassi family.

Whether he’s acting as Jimmy or rapping as Drake, there is little doubt that Aubrey Graham is on the road to success.