Renowned journalist and talk show host Tamron Hall earned laughs from the crowd in her commencement speech at North Carolina A&T. During her address, Hall caught the attention of the soon-to-be-graduates with a reference to Kendrick Lamar's latest and most popular song, ‘Not Like Us.'
Lamar has dominated social media with his public beef with rapper and artist Drake. Lamar's ‘Not Like Us' and ‘Euphoria' diss tracks are number one and three on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Drake's ‘Family Matters' also charted on the list, ironically ranking seventh behind Metro Boomin, Future, and Kendrick Lamar's first diss track towards the Canadian musician, ‘Like That.'
“You all… expected different things when you entered university, and all of a sudden, the world changed and you proved to be more resilient than you ever imagined, but you also started building a brand,” Hall said. “To quote the great philosopher, Kendrick Lamar, sometimes, you gotta pop out and show people. This is your time to pop out and show people.
“This is your time to show your brand,” Hall continued. “What is your brand? What do you stand on? What does it stand on? When people say, ‘Oh he can't do that, she can't do that,' someone in the room will say, ‘Oh yes they can, because I know her brand. I know her, I know him. I know what he can do, I know what she can do.' So, you are at a pivotal point of establishing your brand. What are you willing right now to say out loud you want?”
Outside of the Kendrick Lamar reference, much of Hall's address focused on independence. Many students in the 2024 graduating class enrolled in college mere months after the pandemic abruptly cut off their senior year. As the world rebuilds itself and creates a new normal, Hall encouraged the North Carolina A&T graduates to blaze their path.
“I believe greatly in the ability of faith and the things that faith can bring,” she said. “You stepped out on faith and applied to come to this university. You stepped out on faith in the middle of a global pandemic to keep going.
“If you don't bet on yourself, who will,” Hall asked. “Your families will love you, they will root for you, but there is a certain beat to when you look yourself in the mirror as I shared with them, and you say, “I'm putting all my cards on my and not allowing the world to make you feel like it's a bad thing.'”
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