Drake To Produce Sitcom

07/31/09 2:36pm

by Bianca Marcus (CHARTattack)

Drake spent nearly eight years on teen series Degrassi: The Next Generation, so he's no stranger to television.

Now, the bright lights of television are calling Drake (real name Aubrey Graham) back. According to reports, the Young Money rapper is attached to a Toronto sitcom called Us And Them.

A rep for Drake says that the entertainer won't act in the comedy, but will assist in producing the show.

"Us And Them is something he has been working on for some time with some of his actor friends," the rep told MTV News. "They will be continuing to develop the show, but Drake won't be starring in it."

While on Degrassi Drake played character Jimmy Brooks, a high school basketball phenom who began using a wheelchair after being shot. The actor-turned-rapper wants to move toward lighter material, though, saying he'd love to try his hand at comedy.

"I just want to be part of real films," said Drake. "I don't want to play a basketball player all the time or a rapper. I don't want to be, like, typecast because I do music.

"I always tell [my management] my dream is to be in a movie with Will Ferrell or Michael Cera. I'm a big fan of all those. Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old-Virgin and Knocked Up and Superbad. I'm a big fan of those movies. I feel like I've had the training and I'm surrounded by enough funny people that I could probably pull it off.

"My goal is to get deep into acting. I want to be like this generation's Will Smith, just Canadian and light-skinned."

Drake's debut album, Thank Me Later, drops this year.

You can see the Toronto native as part of the America's Most Wanted Music Festival on these dates:

July 31 Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 1 Wantagh, NY @ Jones Beach Theater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 2 Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 4 Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 5 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 6 Cleveland, OH @ Blossom Pavilion w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 7 Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 8 Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 9 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 12 Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 13 Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
Aug. 14 Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 15 Concord, CA @ Sleep Train Pavilion w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 17 Vancouver, BC @ GM Place w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 18 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 20 Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 22 Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em
Aug. 23 Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center w/Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and Souja Boy Tell'em