Kid Cudi's message to his former high school is simple: “We are all the commanders of our own destiny.” These were his words during a Ted Talk delivered at his former high school in Ohio back in February, video of which recently surfaced online.

Entitled "Hi, I'm Scott," the video explored his decision to leave Cleveland after graduating from Shaker Heights High School, and what it took to go from a mediocre student to a famous rapper.

"Music was my Plan G," he said. "I tried everything that I thought was a traditional thing a young boy should do." This list included sports in high school and his brief enrollment in community college taking introductory film classes.

The 19-minute Youtube clip invites those commanders of destiny to see him as a regular guy with a work ethic. He told them about the fear that came with his move to New York City and how he had to embrace that fear as well as work many retail jobs to support his aspirations. He also encouraged the students to pay more attention now while they're young, giving examples of times when his lack of focus in high school and college limited his ambition.

With his class photo in the background, Kid Cudi kept the talk to his life and implored the students in attendance to accept life's curveballs. "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. I just really wanted this sh-t. I wanted it bad. And I didn’t want to be a failure. And nobody’s a failure in this room. Don’t ever think that. We can all win.”

Watch the whole talk on YouTube here.