Fetty Wap is ruling the charts, sharing the stage with Taylor Swift, and touring with Chris Brown, but he hasn’t forgotten where he came from. In between tour dates, the “Trap Queen” hitmaker was honored in his hometown of Paterson, New Jersey, on Thursday (Aug. 27) with a day of festivities. Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres presented the 25-year-old, born Willie Maxwell II, with the key to the city, and called him “an inspiration to Paterson’s youth.”

“Without y’all, the world wouldn’t know who I am,” said a grateful Wap, who grew up in Paterson and attended Eastside High School. He didn’t graduate, but the major saluted him for being a different kind of role model, one who forged his own path.

Wap celebrated by hitting the stage for a free back-to-school concert for 1,200 Paterson high school students. He performed hits like “Trap Queen,” “Again,” and “My Way,” as the mayor danced on stage and fans chanted “Fetty! Fetty!”

French Montana also joined him as a special guest, and turned up with some hits of his own including “Off the Rip.”