COMPTON, Calif. — Rapper MH is spending time in Compton empowering young students to make positive decisions. He hopes his advice will help keep them from the legal trouble he encountered 12 years ago, as a young artist on the rise.

“I just want to tell the youth that they can basically put their mind to whatever they want to put it to and be successful. Because when you’re in the inner city, or what they call the ghetto, sometimes it’s a negative environment. But you could take that and turn it to a positive, if you’re willing to focus and put the work in,” he explained.

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Back on the music scene after serving over a decade in prison for conspiracy to distribute narcotics, MH says his time away has taught him about himself, and he plans on making the most of his second chance.

He is focusing on motivating at risk youth, and continuing his music career.

“It’s like when you go to prison, everybody turns their back on you. Like you’re in the world, trapped in another world. It can be very dark. You know so, but I’m back now. I’m healthy. I got my sanity. I’m blessed. And I’m just here to make a change. I’m gonna do what I gotta do to serve my purpose,” he said of his time in prison.

“Fast success- but it’s gonna give you a long nightmare.”

That’s just one of the nuggets of wisdom MH shared with students in Compton, alluding to his past experiences with drug dealing that sent him to the federal penitentiary.

He reminded the students present that financial struggle does not define their futures nor their self worth.

Additionally, he encouraged them to dream big.

“Believe in yourself before anything," he said. "Never stop dreaming. And hard work. If you work hard, it’s gonna pay off.”