Sometimes, taking a short term L can help enable a lifetime’s worth of success. That’s a lesson Tyler, The Creator has just distilled through a quick, but revelatory interaction with a fan.

Yesterday (July 19), a fan asked the former Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All front man which moment constituted the biggest of his career. He responded with a quote tweet that included a surprising answer: getting the boot at his old job.

In the quote-tweet, Tyler wrote: “Getting fired from Starbucks.” He didn’t offer up any details, but it’s not the first time he’s spoken on his stint at Starbucks. Speaking on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” six years ago, Tyler remembered his two-and-a-half years working for the company, a place he said he said he stole pastries from all the time.

“[His manager] firing me was the greatest moment of my life,” Tyler remembers of the instance, which was preceded by a shift manager telling him he’d be fired in nine minutes. The Call Me If You Get Lost artist spent his remaining time by calling his mom and eating some pastries until it was time to be let go.

The “LUMBERJACK” rapper didn’t get into any metaphorical reasons for why getting let go was the best moment of his life then or now, but there’s a chance that being fired gave him the resolve he needed to become a superstar. By the time he was 19, he was well on his way to doing so. Now, for the last several years, he’s been among hip-hop’s elite.

Tyler’s revelation arrives just over a month after he released his Call Me If You Get Lost album. Filled with dynamic production and plenty of quotable bars, the project debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart while also getting critical acclaim from folks across the net. Clearly, Tyler’s only leveled up since leaving his day job.