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On February 7, 2015, Kid Cudi stopped by his former high school in Shaker Heights, Ohio, where he delivered an inspiring message about youth, ambition, and persistence.

“At one point I didn’t feel like I was smart enough to pass that test, or I didn’t feel like I was smart enough to go this college,” Cudi told students. “With music it was like, nobody’s going to take that from me.”

For about 19 minutes, Cudi recalls how music gave him a means to find himself and show the world “what Scott can do.”

“There was things that I was dealing with as a youth at this school that I didn’t talk to people about, that probably kept me from putting my best foot forward with my academics,” he shares. “The music was a platform for me to express myself and also realize that I’m not that crazy, that there’s other kids out there that might be depressed or lonely, dealing with suicide, things like this.”

He closes with one poignant piece of advice.

“One thing I want you to take from this is that we are all the commanders of our own destiny,” he says, later adding, “It’s scary, but if you believe and if you want it, and if you want to work hard enough for it, it can be so. Cause there’s no difference from me and you . . . We can all win.”

Watch the speech in its entirety above.

SOURCE: YouTube | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty

SEE MORE ON TUD:

#YouGoodMan: On Kid Cudi, Black Men, & Mental Health

Kid Cudi Checks Into Rehab For Depression, ‘Suicidal Urges’

Kanye West Praises Kid Cudi, Calls Him ‘The Most Influential Artist Of The Past 10 Years’

True Strength: Celebrities Who’ve Been Open About Their Mental Health Issues
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