ASAP Rocky played teacher for a day while instructing Harlem students on music and life lessons on the latest episode of Celebrity Substitute.
Fresh off the release of his fourth studio album, Don’t Be Dumb, Rocky visited Harlem’s PS 125, where he taught elementary schoolers how to write their own verses and filmed a “Punk Rocky” remix video.
While the class was mostly lighthearted, around the six-minute mark, student Zaire asked Rocky if he’d ever been bullied in school, just as he has. After revealing that he had been a victim of bullying, Rocky gave the class some tips on how to protect themselves both physically and emotionally.
“You kids tend to be cruel to each other,” Rocky explained. “You don't know it. When you get older, you'll identify, ‘That wasn't really nice.’ Take it with a grain of salt. It'll be all right, though.”
“I would recommend doing karate ‘cause it’s discipline and it'll get those bullies
off your back,” Rocky told Zaire.
The rapper, who shares three children with Rihanna, later took the kids to the studio to record “IDK,” with student Nia being a standout contributor. In her verse, she warned the haters to “Keep praying, ‘cause I come slaying.”
“That was beautiful. And you dress really nice, too,” Rocky told Nia. “So, I know you're not lying about your bars. I might need to hire you for some ghostwriting. Appoint me to your agent later.”
Rocky’s first album in eight years, Don’t Be Dumb, released on Jan. 16, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and moving 123,000 equivalent units in its first week.