Kendrick Lamar Plays Principal for the Day at Providence High School

Kendrick Lamar is currently touring the country, but he took some time out of his busy schedule to visit with students at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence, Rhode Island, on Friday.

As part of the Get Schooled Celebrity Principals for the Day program, the Compton MC encouraged the nearly 1,000 students to stay in school and stay focused on their studies.

“Without education you don’t have anything,” said Kendrick, who was a 4.0 student at Centennial High School in L.A. and was the first in his family to graduate from high school. “My teachers were great positive influences in my life. My middle school English teacher was probably the reason I became a rapper. He used to encourage me to write poetry and would challenge me, which helped me improve my vocabulary and made me enjoy writing.”

The students earned a visit from K-Dot after winning the Get Schooled National Attendance Challenge. During an interview with one of the students, he told them that his current favorite song is James Blake’s “Retrograde.”

He was also joined by “106 and Park” co-hosts Shorty da Prince and Paigion while judging a Dougie dance-off between students. Before leaving, Kendrick jumped into the crowd for a photo opp.

Past Get Schooled Celebrity Principals for the Day have included Nicki Minaj, Ne-Yo, and Big Sean.

Photo credit: Gail Oskin/Getty