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Rap mogul and reformed “gangsta” rapper Percy “Master P” Miller addressed more than 1,000 NAACP members Wednesday (July 11) on the state of young black America, as the youth keynote speaker for this year’s NAACP convention.

The Detroit News reports the No Limit Records founder and CEO was chosen after the event’s original speaker, former president Bill Clinton, cancelled.

No reason was given to explain Clinton’s no show.

“It was on his calendar and it was on our program,” said NAACP communications staff member Deidre Malone. “We are not quite sure if the NAACP got a solid confirmation that he was coming, but we got a confirmation about an hour ago (10 a.m. Wednesday) that he won’t be able to make it here today.”

Master P focused on telling young people to believe in themselves, while delivering a solid address to the crowd, which met to discuss issues facing young African-Americans, such as poverty, education, politics and health.

“It’s so important that our youth understand what knowledge is all about and believe in themselves,” the rapper said in an interview before the event. “We need to glorify the positive stuff.”

The NAACP keynote address comes on the heels of Master P’s recent declaration that he will not use profanity in his music following the Don Imus radio scandal.

The mogul is currently preparing to release Hip-Hop History, his first father-son album.

The release, which features Master P’s son Romeo, is slated to hit stores September 4.