Drake Recalls Being A Lost Kid, “I Dropped Out Of High School Against My Mother’s Wishes” [Video]

Young Money's Drake has recalled his dark childhood days, battling through his mother's apprehension toward him dropping out of high school and giving up on acting before becoming a rap star.

While he didn’t encourage his fans to skip out on education, Drake did stress the importance and value of staying true to your passion.

“At one point in my life, I was a kid who was lost,” Drake revealed in an interview with radio personality Sana G. “I knew I wanted to do music, but, I dropped out of high school against my mother’s wishes, who happens to be a retired teacher. A lot of people told me it was the wrong decision, that leaving acting was the wrong decision. A lot of the things I was doing was not the smartest choices but passion is what drove me. I’m not advising you to drop out of school, I’m just advising you to follow your heart and if you really believe in something and you project that, I believe that it does come back to you, so, I aligned myself with great people which I feel like is the key to success and here I am.” (106 KMEL)

Writing via Twitter over the weekend, Drake’s labelmate Nicki Minaj stressed the importance of taking school seriously.

“Congrats barb!!! Dats awesome!! 🙂 —> RT @MissTahj: @NICKIMINAJ Guess what nicki..im going 2 be valedictorian of my senior class! :),” she tweeted Saturday (September 5).

“LUV IT! 🙂 –> RT @AmyMacedo: @NICKIMINAJ I’m ready for back 2 school HB! What u think? 🙂 #PinkFridayhttp://plixi.com/p/43220243”

“Dear barbz, this year I want u to truly shine in school. Promise me you’ll focus. Put the phones & ipods away and shine. Luv alwayz, HB.” (Nicki Minaj’s Twitter)

Last year, Drake and Minaj’s Young Money labelmate Shanell aka SNL hit up SOHH to reflect on her school days.

“I was a little outcast,” Shanell jokingly revealed about her school days. “My whole thing was I moved from Massachusetts which is the East Coast to Atlanta, Georgia which is the South. And when I first moved to the South, they were looking at me like, ‘What!?’ because it was so different. I had to just maintain what I knew and maintain myself and I always kinda stuck out like a sore thumb but it was okay, I learned to love it. I was different, I was an outcast but nobody ever made fun of me, I was maybe like the girl in school that everybody knew but I didn’t know them. Nothing was intentional, it was just what I knew and where I came from.” (SOHH)

In the past, Lil Wayne was featured in an education-based commercial to promote a “Get Schooled: You Have The Right” program.

“Growing up in a tough neighborhood is something I know a little about,” Weezy said in the commercial’s intro. “It’s not easy and you have to rise up and stand out. Right now, fewer than one in ten lower income students can expect to earn a bachelor’s degree. Odds like that, a better life seems harder to come by. America needs a stronger educational system and the time is now for bold reform. We owe the next generation a brighter future. Motivate. Educate. Elevate. Get Schooled. (“Get Schooled”)

Check out Drake’s interview below: