You may be cool, but are you “throw a pizza party for 2,000 kids and shut down a school” cool? Because SZA most definitely is.
The Grammy-winning artist took to Instagram Monday night to say she was paying for lunch for students from her old high school, Columbia High in Maplewood, New Jersey, on Tuesday. SZA told anyone who was interested to head to nearby Sabatino’s and grab a slice.
SZA, born Solana Rowe, was raised in the small town about 12 miles west of New York City and is one of the most famous graduates of Columbia High. In just seven years she racked up 24 Grammy nominations and four wins in total. An inductee into the school’s hall of fame, she’s also spoken out about the bullying she experienced there and how it motivated her to succeed.
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Given the history, some thought the lunch offer was a hoax at first, but it was the real deal – students thronged the pizza joint, favorably reviewed by the Stool Presidente himself, and cops had to shut down the main road through town because of the crowds.
Photos posted by local parents to social media showed crowds of kids (well, more than 100 in total), standing eight deep or more outside the restaurant just after 11 a.m., waiting to be served. (Parental reaction was split, with some slamming it as a publicity stunt, but most praising it as a kind thing and not the worst use of two hours of the kids’ time.)
A Playboy eyewitness (who happens to live down the street) observed orderly crowds around noon Tuesday, with cops managing the line at the pizza parlor’s door and school staff directly student traffic up and down the block.
