Diddy delivers rousing speech as he kicks off first day of his new school in New York (photos)

Rapper, business mogul and would-be educator Diddy (Sean Combs) on Monday delivered a rousing speech as he kicked off the first day of classes at a new charter school, Capital Preparatory Harlem Charter School he co-founded in his old Harlem neighborhood, New York.

“Great schools and great education make a big difference,” Combs told the cheering crowd. Unfortunately, too many people don’t get the opportunity to succeed, no matter how hard they try. This is leveling the playing field here at Capital Prep.”

“The advantages (of having a celebrity like Combs) are clear,” Steve Perry, the co-founder of the school said. “Mr. Combs has made a significant commitment to this.”

The Hartford school, according to Diddy and Steve Perry features a no-excuses approach to student discipline and extended instructional time for students

More photos.