It’s safe to say Tyler, the Creator caused an “Earfquake” at Hawthorne High School on Friday afternoon.
The graduating class at the South Bay High School gathered in the school’s auditorium for what they thought was a spirit rally. Little did they know rapper Tyler, the Creator was waiting, ready to surprise them with words of inspiration and iPad Pros.
Surrounded by screaming teenagers and a sea of recording phones, the rapper was taken back to when he was a student at the school from 2005 to 2006. He shared memories of doodling on his pants, rap battling in the courtyard and skating down El Segundo Boulevard with dreams of being famous.
“Being from this city, man — it’s kind of like a weird place, because it’s not Inglewood and it’s not Manhattan Beach, it’s just its own little world. I always would tell myself, ‘One day I’m really going to make it out of this place and make something of myself,” said the rapper from the center stage.
The event was hosted by with Apple Music, who had named the 34-year-old rapper as its artist of the year. Prior to Tyler’s appearance, the streamer brought together local vendors like Crenshaw Juice Co. and Happy Ice, a photo booth and a DJ for the seniors to enjoy.
Tyler, the Creator speaking to students at South Bay High School on Friday afternoon.
(Apple Music)
After Tyler finished his speech, senior Kennesha Sylester was one of the first students to get her iPad. She said that she knew someone was coming to surprise the class, but she had heard a rumor that it would be YouTuber Mr. Beast.
“To be honest, him revisiting the school that he attended shows he really cared for the school. Every time I look [at the iPad] I’m going to think about how I got it from Tyler, the Creator,” Sylvester said. “I admire him so much for how he expresses himself and really does whatever he wants.”
In light of Tyler’s hallmark year, he saw it fit to return to the halls where it all began and give back to the community that raised him. He attended both freshman and sophomore year at Hawthorne High School before founding the quirky hip-hop collective Odd Future. The group would be both Tyler’s introduction to the music industry and his ticket to global stardom.
Students at South Bay High School holding up iPads gifted to them by Tyler, the Creator.
(Apple Music)
Now nearly 20 years later, he’s one of rap’s biggest names. Within a year, he headlined music festivals including Governors Ball, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Osheaga, as well as his own festival Camp Flog Gnaw. He embarked on his biggest world tour yet for his eighth studio album, “Chromakopia.” While he was on the road, he simultaneously released his latest record, “Don’t Tap the Glass” over the summer, which yielded one of the biggest tracks of his career thus far, the funky earworm “Sugar on My Tongue.” Both of these projects have earned him five Grammy nominations.
Outside of music, he’s also established himself in the realm of fashion with both his streetwear brand, Golf Wang, and his luxury brand Le Fleur. This month, he’s also due to make his feature film debut in the upcoming “Marty Supreme.”
He left the senior class with one last piece of advice: “I know it sounds corny sometimes, but let me be the example. You could be whatever you want to be in this life. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Don’t let the version that you are today dictate the version that you plan on being. Rock this s—.”
Then he resumed pointing at members of the crowd, yelling, “You got an iPad,” referring to the forever viral clip of Oprah Winfrey giving out free cars.
This story originally appeared on LA Times
