Photo Credit: Gregg Deguire | Getty Images

After dropping his second studio album, Harverd Dropout, Lil Pump’s management released a statement that the young Miami rapper would be giving Harvard’s graduating class of 2019’s commencement speech. Was this all a marketing ploy for the new album release? 

Sadly, it looks like it was. As previously reported, Angela Merkel will be the sole speaker at Harvard’s 2019 graduation. Harvard responded to Pump’s team, 

Lil Pump is not speaking at any commencement related or other official University events. The only thing we are aware of that he is doing a live interview with WHRB Harvard Radio this Thursday and is taking questions from audience/listeners. That, though, is a Harvard Radio student event, not a Harvard University event.

 

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TOMORROW. @lilpump is coming to Harvard! Signature colorful dreads flailing, ominous ink on display, and superhero-sized charisma in plentiful supply, Lil Pump (born August 17, 2000) tore through hip-hop like a tornado, amassing over 2 billion audio and video streams and counting. Lil Pump’s breakout hit “Gucci Gang” is a RIAA 4x platinum smash that topped singles charts across North America and Europe, streaming to #2 on the US Spotify Chart and #12 on the Global Chart, while garnering over 880 million combined YouTube views for its climactic, larger-than-life video. In 2018, Lil Pump’s “Esskeetit” music video racked up 382 million YouTube views and closed out the year achieving the biggest-ever global debut for a hip-hop video on YouTube for “I Love It”—his collaboration with Kanye West. After surpassing 76 million views in under a week, it eclipsed 406 million global views and counting. What’s more, Pump made headlines with stellar performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and BET’s 2018 Hip-Hop Awards. Meanwhile, Billboard touted him in its coveted “21 Under 21” feature. Come to Lil Pump: Harvard x Harverd Activation for an exclusive live interview, audience Q&A, pop-up shop and merch! Thursday, Feb. 28 at the WHRB Studio, 389 Harvard St. HUID only. Doors open at 7pm. Link to event in bio.

A post shared by WHRB 95.3 FM – Harvard Radio (@whrb95.3) on Feb 27, 2019 at 8:18am PST

Harverd Dropout is available on all streaming platforms, you can stream it here.