Nick Cannon is in many ways a Renaissance man. The veteran entertainer who has worked in comedy, music, TV and film, plus behind the scenes as a producer and entrepreneur, joined "Salon Talks" to discuss his new music and reflect on over two decades in entertainment. One common thread in nearly all of Cannon's work is young people. "The youth keep me focused," he said on "Salon Talks." "I want to speak to them. I want to inspire them." Cannon shot to fame as a teen comedian on various Nickelodeon programs. Today, he's chairman of Teen Nick and developing programming at the network.

Cannon opened up to Salon about his new album, "Model Music," out this summer, which he created with female role models of all kinds in mind. His improv show "Wild 'n Out" is in its 11th season and just featured an all-women's cast in celebration of Women's History Month. "Sexism," Cannon says, "is the biggest problem in the world."