TOP Boy star Ashley Walters has revealed the most unlikely of fans of the hit East London drama – Canadian rapper Drake.
The Take Care star loves the Channel 4 show so much, he even offered to fund a third series after it was cancelled.
Walters, formerly of grime group So Solid Crew, said that the rapper was prepared to stump up the cash to move Top Boy to the US.
In an interview, Walters said: “Drake thought Top Boy was proper. This was via text. I was speaking to Future mainly, Drake’s manager. We were going back and forth. And we were like, ‘Put a deal on the table’.
“Eventually they got in contact and asked, ‘What’s happening with series three?’, I told them Channel 4 had cancelled it.
“They said, ‘That’s sad, but we’re going to do something about it’. Furthermore Drake was like, ‘You need to break America’. He wanted to help.”
Walters added: “We were going into meetings. Top Boy is the sort of brand we knew would sell to Netflix and Amazon. The numbers speak for themselves.
“So we had that power and the production company still owned the rights. And Drake made an offer and they turned it down. I don’t know what is going on with it – but I heard they are talking about a Top Boy Chicago.”
Top Boy — which also starred rapper Kano — aired eight episodes across two series to critical acclaim. It finished its second run in September 2013, its take on life on the streets of London gaining a loyal fanbase.