Lil Pump has managed to pull of a bit of a ruse, using his record label to help convince the media and fans that he would be speaking at at Harvard University.
If you were going to name any of the world’s most prestigious universities, Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts would have to be pretty high on that list. As such, it seems pretty unbelievable that divisive rapper Lil Pump would deliver the 2019 commencement speech at the facility, right? Well, not for some.
To give a little bit of backstory, in August of 2017, Lil Pump celebrated the release of his breakthrough single ‘Gucci Gang’ by Tweeting the words, “I REALLY DID DROP OUT OF HARVARD TO SAVE THE RAP GAME.”
While some folks thought it sounded fishy that a then-17-year-old rapper who liberally uses the phrase “essketit” would have gone to Harvard, it turns out they were pretty correct. Despite being a high school dropout at best, Lil Pump continued this brag by even calling his recently-released album Harverd Dropout.
I REALLY DID DROP OUT OF HARVARD TO SAVE THE RAP GAME
— Lil pump (@lilpump) August 31, 2017
To promote this new record, Lil Pump’s record label sent out an email on Monday revealing that the young rapper would be speaking at the historic grounds of Harvard University.
“As officially confirmed by WHRB Harvard Radio today, the multi-platinum selling modern icon and history-making teenage superstar will deliver the 2019 commencement speech at Harvard University,” wrote Warner Bros.
“This honor places him in good company with a bevy of game-changers, thought leaders and Nobel Peace Prize winners throughout history who have addressed the graduating class of the world’s most prestigious university.”
“Given his status at the forefront of the culture and position as a voice for the youth, Harvard University handpicked Pump to be its ‘youngest commencement speaker in history.’ This serves as a testament to his undeniable influence on the current generation.”
Lil Pump will be joining the likes of former alumni, presidents, and Nobel Prize winners as the youngest person chosen to give the commencement speech at Harvard University this year. pic.twitter.com/exsZRVGDcJ
— DailyRapFacts (@DailyRapFacts) February 25, 2019
To add to this announcement, Lil Pump explained that, “You don’t gotta graduate from Harvard to do this speech.”
“I dropped out, so they called me like they called the guy that made Windows and PCs and shit before I was born,” he continued. “You just need a cap and gown, which I got.”
“When I found out, I was happy to give everyone a lesson. I’m all about the youth. Yes, they are the future. This is a preview of my speech, one word: ESSKEETIT!!!!!!”
However, as Page Six have reported, much of the media were “hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, and lead astray“, with the actual commencement speaker being someone with a lot less face tattoos.
A spokesperson of Harvard University offered up a statement explaining that, “As previously announced, [German Chancellor] Angela Merkel will be Harvard’s Commencement 2019 speaker.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will be the principal speaker at Harvard’s 368th Commencement on May 30. #Harvard19 https://t.co/otHfJJQUvc
— Harvard University (@Harvard) February 25, 2019
While it undoubtedly seems as though Lil Pump’s marketing team managed to tick all the boxes by getting everyone talking about the rapper and his fictitious commencement address, it seems pretty wild that a lot of people actually believed he would be making an appearance at Harvard University.
In related news, Lil Pump has been in the headlines quite a bit lately, having been accused of racism due to the lyrics on his track ‘Butterfly Doors’, and being accused of using an unauthorised sample on his “sexist” song, ‘Racks On Racks’.
Most recently though, he made the confusing claim that he’s the reason why SoundCloud exists. He still hasn’t clarified that one though, and it doesn’t look like fans will be able to ask him at Harvard University in May.