Kendrick Lamar Returns to His Former High School for Groundbreaking Ceremony With Dr. Dre and Will.i.am

Kendrick Lamar returns to his former high school for a groundbreaking ceremony along with Dr. Dre and Will.i.am.

On Thursday (May 7), Kendrick Lamar returned to his high school alma mater Centennial High School in Compton, Calif., to help celebrate a new construction project on the campus. Also in attendance was veteran hitmakers Dr. Dre and Will.i.am, who are also supporting the school’s new transformation.

K-Dot graduated from CHS in 2005, while Dre attended the school during his freshman year in 1979, but transferred to Fremont High School in South Central Los Angeles due to poor grades. Other CHS alumni include West Coast hip-hop pioneer Alonzo “Lonzo” Williams, producer DJ Quik and rapper-songwriter Jason “Problem” Martin.

This will be Centennial High School’s first major building project in 70 years and the new facility is reportedly projected to cost $270 million. Slated to open in 2029, this modern, state-of-the-art campus will serve about 1,800 students and replace the existing school building.

“Sometimes you hear that term full-circle. Well, this is a full-circle moment for me because I did actually attend this high school,” said Dr. Dre during his speech. “Well, sometimes I attended,” he jokingly added.

“On this day, I’m making a commitment and that commitment is to let go of the notion of giving back. Instead, I’m embracing the power of investing forward,” he continued. “Now you may not know this about me, but I only in invest in things that have a powerful impact.”

“And today isn’t just about a new building, it’s about the promise I kept to the city that made me, point, blank, period. And this groundbreaking is where the vision we shared for years finally hits the pavement,” he added.

Kendrick didn’t speak at the ceremony, but his beaming smile revealed his stamp of approval for this new state-of-art school for his alma mater.

See Dr. Dre and Will.i.am Speak at Kendrick Lamar’s Former High School’s Groundbreaking Ceremony

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