Famed hip-hop artist and music producer Pharrell Williams attended Norfolk State University’s fall commencement ceremony over the weekend, speaking from the podium and offering some empowering words to the hundreds of new graduates. During the event, the “Happy” singer was also recognized with an honorary doctorate and a marching band uniform from the Virginia-based HBCU, causing Williams to get teary-eyed and emotional at the honor.

“You chose an HBCU, and since big corporations look to us, people of color, for what’s culturally relevant, for what’s hot or what’s next, of course, they’re scrambling to understand why we all choose an HBCU,” Williams

addressed the crowd during his speech.

“It’s been our secret, but the secret is out. The corporations are here, the smart ones anyway. And it’s wild. Four hundred years ago, they invested in us. They used to invest in us as a property…but now, they are here to invest in our intellectual property.”

Sharing photos of Williams posing with his degree along with university officials, and another of him wiping away tears after being presented with the marching band’s uniform, Norfolk State University

said via their Instagram, “During our 107th commencement on Saturday, Norfolk State honored keynote speaker Pharrell Williams with an honorary doctorate, then presented him with a Spartan Legion Marching Band uniform declaring him an honorary member of the Spartan Legion. Guess which honor moved him most.”

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The 48-year-old Virginia native told the New York Times in 2017 that he never attended college, but it looks like he’s more than happy to be a part of Norfolk State University’s legacy. Let us know in the comment section what you think about Williams’ honorary recognitions.