00:00Hey everybody, sorry I can't be there.
00:04I guess you know who I am,
00:06but I'm a huge supporter of Essence Festival.
00:09I'm really sorry I can't be there today.
00:12But I can't wait to touch down
00:14on the shores of Durban, South Africa
00:16for the very first ever International Essence Festival.
00:20I am, like I said, just a huge fan of Essence.
00:23I've been a part of it for years.
00:25My girl, Michelle Ebanks, you're in great hand.
00:28Essence represents joy in class, beauty and achievement.
00:32And it's been my calling as an entertainer,
00:35as a media personality and as a motivational speaker
00:38to elevate that same mission.
00:40Now a lot of the issues we talk about
00:42every day in America on my radio show, on my talk show,
00:47are so powerful that they resonate globally.
00:50So we talk about improving our relationships.
00:53We talk about positioning ourselves for success in life.
00:57And we talk about extending economic opportunities
01:00for all people.
01:01Now personally, I've had an extraordinary journey
01:03of business success.
01:05And I'm committed to investing time, energy and resources
01:08to strategically develop business and commerce in Africa.
01:13And there is no better platform
01:15than my friends at the Essence Festival
01:17to bring together our communities to celebrate our culture
01:22of black experience and to create and accelerate economic
01:25opportunities for everybody.
01:27I might tell a joke or two, but we are all going to leave
01:31with the knowledge and inspiration to connect our business
01:34interests in the United States and Africa.
01:37So thank you all for having me.
01:39I look forward to seeing you all in November.
01:42I'll be there.
01:43Tell everybody I'm coming.
01:45Red carpet, all that, I need all that.
01:48Drums, everything.
01:51Everybody.
01:53Two animals.
01:56Two animals.
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