Rapper and entrepreneur Sean Combs will deliver Howard University's 146th commencement speech to the class of 2014, May 10.
Combs, a Howard student in the late 1980s, dropped out of college (1990) at the age of 19 to pursue his musical dreams. Also known as P. Diddy, Diddy, Puff Daddyand Puffy, Combs floated an all-music TV channel, Revolt.
Howard University's president, Wayne Frederick, says that Combs' entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at this school.
"We are honored to have Mr. Combs serve as our speaker," Frederick said in a statement. "He sat in classrooms where our students sit, walked 'The Yard,' and like many students, his entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at Howard."
Past Howard graduation speakers include Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell and Maya Angelou among others.
The University will also honor a group of pioneers in the fields of journalism, the arts, business and medicine at the convocation ceremony. The 44-year-old hip-hop singer and music mogul will receive an honorary doctorate in the humanities for establishing his own business and brand. Other personalities include CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, transplant surgeon Clive Callender, jazz legend Benny Golson and PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi at the convocation ceremony.
Combs has established himself as a master brand builder, pop culture icon, actor, producer and entrepreneurship among others. He is the youngest music executive in history and was also recently named 'One of the Most Influential Businessmen in the World' by Time Magazine and CNN.
Comb's musical albums include 'Forever,' 'We Invented the Remix,' 'Last Train to Paris' and 'MMM.' He earned an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor for 'A Raisin in the Sun' and also won a BET Award in 2007 for Best Male Hip Hop Artist, the Celebrity Cafe reports.
As a chairman, chief executive officer and founder of Combs Enterprises, Combs manages wide range of business including REVOLT, Bad Boy Entertainment; Combs Wines and Spirits (Ciroc Vodka and DeLeon Tequila) and the Blue Flame Agency, North Dallas Gazette reports.
Before tasting success Combs struggled as a freshman and sophomore to make a decent living. While studying business administration at Howard, Puff worked at an airport shuttle service and interned at Uptown Records, Smoking Section reports.
Deemed an excellent motivational speaker, Combs is expected to deliver a speech that will inspire young students.
