Drake's first live performance was likely a warm-up for an Ice Cube concert and was paid just $100 Canadian.
Drake retweeted a post on Instagram from Flyer Vault, an archival account dedicated to "documenting the history of Toronto's clubs and concerts," which contained an invoice from his possibly first live performance.
The concert took place on August 19, 2006, at the now-closed Kool Haus venue, with Drake collecting the meager $100 fee that night, where he opened Ice Cube's show.
Drake confirmed the authenticity of his invoice and fee, writing on his Instagram stories: "This is for anyone getting $100 for a concert right now… keep it up."
It is, of course, necessary to note that at the same time Drake was being paid $100 to open Ice Cube's concert, he was also starring in the hit Canadian teen drama series 'Degrassi: The Next Generation'.
But while the series provided him with a steady basic income, especially for a teenager, Drake said he used his salary to support his family.
"My mother was very ill. We were very poor, almost broke,” Drake said in a 2011 interview with Complex.
“The only money coming in was from Canadian TV, which isn't that much money when you break it down. A season of Canadian TV is less than a teacher's salary, I tell you that. It's definitely not something you can go get," he said.
It would be a lot easier for many up and coming artists to take Drake's advice and "move on" if there were some fundamental changes in the music industry that would make making music more sustainable.
The vast majority of streaming revenue, for example, still goes to the top 1% of artists, which certainly includes Drake.
Meanwhile, the ostensible panacea for artists who don't make money from streaming, touring, has become even more financially precarious than ever.
The constant threat of COVID-19 and canceled concerts, combined with inflation and high fuel prices, have made touring increasingly expensive and difficult.