“He told me he was a fan of my videos and I sort of got him into it,” says Orillia-Gamer, who hung out with the rapper at his swanky Toronto mansion
An Orillia gamer makes his mark in the celebrity world.
Cody Burnett, or @Xposed as he’s known on Twitch, averages 7,000 to 11,000 viewers when he goes live around 10:30pm each night. He has nearly 4,000 subscribers to the live streaming service and nearly half a million followers.
The Twin Lakes Secondary School graduate recently signed a deal with stake.com that gives him money to play with and in return he keeps a percentage of any winnings he makes playing casino games.
“It’s pretty crazy to imagine,” Burnett says of his career. “Obviously you always want to dream big, and I’ve always dreamed since I was about 10 years old.”
The 25-year-old has been vaping on Twitch for seven years, playing casino games and Call of Duty. He never thought he would achieve the success he has now, but it’s all quickly become a reality.
“I quit my regular job at a call center, old Nordia, about five years ago,” he said. “I’ve just never looked back since.”
After signing Burnett, stake.com partnered with Canadian Grammy-winning rapper Drake. Burnett was recently invited to help Drake set up his own stream.
“I would say Drake is my top 3 of all time when it comes to music,” Burnett said. “It was a bit nerve-wracking meeting him for the first time.”
After the Star Street element wore off, Burnett says hanging out with Drake — at his Toronto home — was no different than hanging out with a friend.
“He told me he was a fan of my videos and I kind of made him do it,” he said. “It was pretty cool to hear that.”
Burnett, who isn’t usually a big drinker, had his very first whiskey with the famous rapper, who can often be seen courtside at Toronto Raptors games.
“His bartender offered me a shot and I declined the first one,” he said. “As we neared the end, I was offered another shot and I took it. If I hadn’t, I probably would have regretted not having had this cool experience.”
While hanging out with Drake is a career highlight for Burnett, his most notable achievement came a few months ago when he paid off the mortgage on his parents’ house as a Christmas present.
“It meant the world to me,” he said. “Every child dreams of being able to help their parents in this crazy way.”
Growing up, Burnett says his family was always stressed about paying bills and worked hard to stay afloat.
“To be able to help them after they’ve raised me and paid for everything in my life… it’s nice to be able to return that favor,” he said. “It was just something special.”
Looking ahead, Burnett is hoping to capitalize on any additional opportunities that may arise.
“I will stay motivated,” he said. “I want to keep doing great things and keep climbing.”
Burnett says people didn’t always believe in him throughout his life’s journey, but he encourages everyone, especially the local youth, to continue to pursue their passions as he did.
