any area of life. Sean “Diddy” Combs walked into Def Jam Records and said,”I will get you coffee, let me hang out here for free.” So after three months of sending him to Starbucks, they said, “Well, give him something else to do. Maybe we should put this guy on the payroll, give him minimum wage.” But he kept working.
How do we get the word out to young men about taking advantage of mentorship, internships and apprenticeships? We have to represent success. Rappers and hip-hop artists represent a certain lifestyle on purpose: to sell records. Young people are interested in that. However, where are the rest of us who are living different types of lives? How are we representing our lives? I know some people who are living fabulous, beautiful lives. Why don’t we talk more about Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons and let these young men understand that he is living a very meaningful life? I would put Richard Parson’s life up against any hip-hop artist’s life.
Why have you embraced this issue? What do you get out of this? I’ve been blessed with opportunity and information. Ultimately money and education are two different things that provide additional choices. Money can’t buy happiness — we’ve all heard that — but money can buy choices. Education can’t buy happiness, but education can provide choices. Having more choices increases your likelihood of manifesting your destiny. We all have a destiny, but most of us need choices to figure out what that is. I’m encouraging individuals to seek out ways to expand their choices and expand their opportunities.