youngsters.

America's award-winning public speaker Les Brown -- the self-styled "motivator'' -- urged rap lovers to find fresh inspiration.

His comment came during a sparkling 60-minute speech to 200 people at a Hamilton Princess banquet on Friday night.

"You can't leave children listening to rap that is promoting sex and violence,'' he declared.

Mr. Brown was invited to Bermuda by Mind, Body & Soul Productions to pass on tips on how to fulfil ambitions.

His message was that everyone had the potential to realise a dream.

But people had to believe in their own "greatness'', and surround themselves with winners. Not negative energy-sapping gloom and doom merchants.

Among a VIP audience were the Premier the Hon. Sir John Swan, Prisons Commissioner Mr. Edward Dyer, and UBP backbencher Mrs. Grace Bell.

Some raised eyebrows at the cost of the Les Brown experience -- ranging between $125 and $145 per person.

One was 14-year-old Berkeley Institute pupil Damon Ming.

"I think the amount of money cut off a lot of people from coming,'' he said.

"A lot of people I know should be here.'' Twenty-one-year-old Zina Edwards suggested young people should have received sponsorship to attend.

It was unfair to expect people to cough up $295 for the banquet, and a special "motivational'' Saturday seminar.

Nevertheless, Mr. Brown, whose fiancee is international singer Gladys Knight, received a rapturous reception.

Sprinkling his speech with jokes and anecdotes, Mr. Brown, hailed as one America's top five speakers, quickly won over the audience.

He told how he had pulled himself up by his boot straps from the most unpromising start in life.

Labelled "retarded'' at school, and a failure at exams, he said his inspiration was a teacher.

This teacher hammered into him the message: "There is greatness within us.'' The young Brown quickly moved on -- to grass-cutting, a spell as a janitor, and later a disc jockey.

And, all the while, as he hauled himself up the career ladder was the burning ambition: to buy his mother a home.

Now, with his tapes and videos top sellers in the multi-billion dollar motivational market, and his own talk show, Mr. Brown has achieved that ambition.

But for those seeking motivation to change their lives for the good, Mr. Brown warned there was no quick fix.

It was as difficult as losing weight, he said. But people had to keep telling themselves: "It's worth it.'' The Premier hailed Mr. Brown's speech as one of the greatest he had ever heard.

Mr. Brown had come forward with a powerful message -- which needed to be spread, said Sir John.

"Tonight we have been blessed with a gift. The question is what to do with that gift.'' Sir John urged everybody in the audience to become "Messiahs'' of the Brown message.