While he was quietly working on music and waiting for his big break, Pardi worked as a substitute teacher at a Hudson Valley middle school — that is, until his students discovered his alter ego. Once the administration found out he was the artist behind "Oyyy" (which was his first single released in 2013), he was let go from the school. During a January 2019 interview with Billboard, Pardi said "the school wants [him] to come back" now, but he's probably a bit too busy for a substitute teacher gig these days.