Everyone remembers the wheelchair. If you grew up in the 2000s, you probably remember exactly where you were when Jimmy Brooks got shot in the back by Rick Murray. It was the "Time Stands Still" episode, and it changed everything for a young actor named Aubrey Graham. But while that shooting happened in Season 4, it didn't mark the end of his time at the school. People always ask when did Drake leave Degrassi, and the answer is actually a bit more complicated than just a single graduation date.
He didn't just walk away one day. Honestly, it was a slow fade that turned into a "you can't do both" ultimatum from the producers. By the time he officially moved on, he wasn't just Aubrey anymore; he was becoming the Drake we know today.
The Long Goodbye: Season 7 and 8
Most fans consider the Season 7 finale, "Pass the Dutchie," to be the real end of the Jimmy Brooks era. That was the graduation episode. Jimmy finally got to walk across that stage with the help of crutches after years of being confined to his wheelchair. It felt like a natural stopping point for the character.
But if we're being technical about when did Drake leave Degrassi, he actually popped up one last time. He made a guest appearance in Season 8, specifically in the episode "Uptown Girl: Part 2." It was a small bit where he’s seen in a recording studio, which is pretty ironic considering what was happening in his real life at the time. After that, he was gone for good. Well, until he brought the whole cast back for the "I'm Upset" music video years later.
The timeline looks roughly like this:
- Main Cast Years: 2001–2007 (Seasons 1 through 7)
- Final Guest Appearance: 2008 (Season 8)
- Official Transition: 2009 (The release of So Far Gone)
Why the Producers Forced a Choice
There’s a lot of drama surrounding his exit that didn't make it onto the screen. In a 2015 interview with W Magazine, Drake got real about how his music career actually got him kicked off the show. It wasn't that he hated acting; it was that he was exhausted.
Imagine this. You're on set at 9:00 a.m. to film scenes as Jimmy. You work all day. Then, you hit the recording studio and stay there until 4:00 or 5:00 a.m. grinding on mixtapes like Room for Improvement. You sleep for maybe three hours in your dressing room before the cameras start rolling again. The producers eventually caught on. They realized he was juggling two massive professions and told him he had to choose.
He chose the booth.
The Wheelchair Controversy
Wait, there's more. Years after he left, show writer James Hurst dropped a bombshell. He claimed that Aubrey actually threatened legal action at one point because he wanted Jimmy to walk again. Apparently, his friends in the Toronto rap scene were teasing him, calling him "soft" for being in a wheelchair on TV.
Hurst told him something that kind of stuck: "Tell your friends in the rap game that you got shot. How much harder can you get?" Aubrey reportedly backed down after that and realized how much the representation meant to kids who actually used wheelchairs. It’s a wild bit of behind-the-scenes history that shows just how much he was struggling with his dual identity back then.
Life After Degrassi High
Once he left the halls of Degrassi, things moved fast. He wasn't some "teen star tries to sing" gimmick. He was So Far Gone.
By 2009, he was the biggest thing in hip-hop without even having a debut album out yet. The transition worked because he leaned into his past instead of running from it—eventually. For a few years, he seemed a bit distant from the show, but he clearly made peace with it. He still posts those $8.25 royalty checks on Instagram to this day, joking that "Degrassi money still coming in."
Key Takeaways for Fans
- The Official Exit: Drake's last series-regular appearance was in Season 7, but his final guest spot was in Season 8 (2008).
- The Reason: He didn't just "graduate." He was essentially given an ultimatum by producers because he was spending all night in the studio and was too tired to act.
- The Legacy: He played Jimmy Brooks for 145 episodes, making him one of the longest-running characters in the franchise.
If you’re looking to revisit his best moments, start with the basketball games in Season 1 and work your way up to the "It's Tricky" performance in Season 7. It's a trip to see him transform from a lanky kid with an afro into a global superstar.
Your next move? Go back and watch Season 4, Episode 7 ("Time Stands Still"). It is widely considered the best episode in the show's history and features the performance that proved Aubrey Graham had serious acting chops before he ever picked up a mic for real.