Rapper Drake is set to star in the new series of gritty London-based drama Top Boy, I can reveal.

Last year it emerged he had bought the rights to the Channel 4 show after it was dropped by the broadcaster.

And Ashley Walters, 34, who plays Dushane, tells me producers are creating a significant role for the Canadian megastar after meeting with him last week.

He explains: “We met up to start talking about the show and we are working out a role for him.

“He loves acting, of course he wanted a part.

“He’s going to be really hands on and is getting stuck into it.”

While Drake has mastered the music world –he holds 23 positions in the UK singles charts – he has also dabbled with the small screen.

For six years from 2001 he starred in Canadian soap Degrassi: The Next Generation.

But he was forced to quit after focusing on his beats.

(Image: Channel 4)

Drake, 30, has previously told of his desire to return to acting, saying: “Although music is my focal point now, I’d love to do a film. That was the life that I lived before and it would be interesting to live it again.”

Top Boy fans can expect a third series to appear on Netflix in 2018 with rapper Skepta also set to star.

Talking about working with Drake, Ashley adds: “He is such a down to earth, nice guy.

“He’s so famous you would expect him to be this crazy character but he’s actually quite boring, in a good way.

“I had a meeting with him and I brought all of my kids along.

“My eldest was chatting away in his ear for ages and he was just cool.”

Must be all that Hotline Bling.