When rapper NLE Choppa gives a challenge, it seems the young people in his hometown will rise to the occasion and surpass the goals.
On Tuesday, Oct. 18, the 19-year-old rapper, whose real name is Bryson Lashun Potts and who attended Cordova High School, visited Cornerstone Prep Denver School to congratulate the students in the elementary school for reading 26 million words.
The kids participated in the first NLE Reading Challenge, but now, will they be able to rock with his second one? The chart-topper believes so.
“I’m back here because I’m trying to start spreading the message to get them to read 40 million this year. Last year, they read 26 million, which is crazy! So this year I’m trying to see if they can exceed that goal, 40 million,” he said to FOX 13.
Each scholar at the school have been dared to read at least 100 books or 100,000 words this new school year.
With only a quarter of the year in, 20 scholars already have read more than 100,000 words.
“They don’t even just see me as a rapper in me anymore at this point,” NLE says. “I think I’m a part of the faculty at this school. It’s just like a big brother little sister/brother bond and just to know that I got them and I’m never going to lead them astray.”
The “Walk Em Down” rapper said his being there, even challenging the kids to do something difficult, make them see him more as a celebrity.
“I feel like seeing me here letting them know that somebody cares, not even just a somebody, but somebody they look up to,” teenager said, further sharing how powerful it is for him to give back in a way that strengthens kids minds.
He hopes other rappers will follow suit.
“It made me feel so powerful, because the same way I feel the running statistic with a rapper is that we can tell the youth to pick a gun up, pick a drug up pick this up or do this, and for me to be able to be here and use my life for a positive, I feel like it inspires so many other rappers. Just like if they say something in the song if they preach the negative in their song to at least on the balance on the flip side, try to come back and do something beautiful for the community and the kids,” he said.
Maybe the challenge is not just for the kids but for his peers also. Now, who is going to top him with this outstanding service project?
