Russell Simmons
Biography
Simmons attended City College of New York but left his studies to begin promoting local rap music acts, including Kurtis Blow, John Chavous and Run-DMC (whom he would later sign to his record label), and producing records. In 1982 Russell met electronic music pioneer Bruce Haack and collaborated on the recording of a track called ‘Party Machine’. Although the single was never released, it is now considered the ‘blueprint’ of electro/rap music and one of Russell’s first recordings before his hip-hop career was launched. In 1984, he met Rick Rubin and they founded Def Jam Records, signing the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, Public Enemy among other acts.
Personal
Simmons met model Kimora Lee in November 1992 at New York’s fashion week. They dated for six years and married on December 20, 1998 on the Caribbean island of Saint Barthlemy. Officiating was Russell’s brother, the Reverend Run, now an ordained minister. The couples 4-acre, 49,000 Square Foot, 10 bedroom marital home is located in Saddle River, New Jersey and includes both indoor and outdoor pools, a wine cellar and a movie theater. Just down the road is the home of his brother, Joseph Simmons, aka Rev Run. In March 2006 the couple announced their separation with their divorce finalized in January 2009. They would continue to work together on Phat Farm and Baby Phat clothing lines.
The Simmons have two daughters, Ming Lee (born January 21, 2000) and Aoki Lee (born August 16, 2002). They both model for Baby Phat Kids Collection.
Charity
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Simmons joined 22 other top executives in the apparel and home fashions industry to form Fashion Delivers Charitable Foundation, Inc. to unify the apparel and home fashions industry to donate new products to help needy individuals and families who fell victim to one of the USA’s worst natural disasters. In supporting the new charity, Phat Farm underwrote a t-shirt design contest with 100% of the proceeds going to Fashion Delivers.
In May 2009, Simmons was appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Slavery Memorial at the United Nations to Honor the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Simmons is also a supporter of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, established to ensure that any child in America who wants to learn and practice the Transcendental Meditation program can do so.
Def Jam
Def Jam became just one piece in Simmons’ corporation, Rush Communications, which included a management company, a clothing company called Phat Farm, a movie production house, television shows such as Def Comedy Jam, a magazine, and an advertising agency. Simmons sold his stake in the record company for $100 million to Universal Music Group in 1999. The up and coming component of Rush Communications is the sneaker company Run Athletics which was started in 2003, a company that produces the Legacy and Arthur Ashe shoes.
Other projects
Recently, Simmons brought his show Def Poetry to Broadway as a live show, earning awards for the youthful and multicultural cast.
Simmons internet project 360degreeshiphop.com was a commercial failure and resulted in a highly publicised bankruptcy.
Simmons, in partnership with a financial institution,Unifund, released a line of re-loadable Visa debit cards aimed at consumers who would otherwise have problems obtaining a credit card account. These prepaid cards include the RushCard and the Baby Phat RushCard.
In July 2006, Simmons, in addition to other members of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, was named a Goodwill Ambassador of CISRI-ISP. According to the press release, Simmons’ appointment will help “launch an awareness campaign utilizing hip-hop as a vehicle to address war, poverty and HIV/AIDS, in support of the UN Millennium Development Goals as well as the CISRI-ISP fight against severe poverty and malnutrition. On August 24, 2006, Simmons hosted a reception in support of Republican United States Senate candidate from Maryland, Michael Steele . In December 2006, Simmons was criticized for claims that he made following a tour organized by De Beers, of Botswana’s Jwaneng mine, one of the world’s richest diamond mines. This was part of a nine day, three country trip through Africa. Some expressed concern that this was part of a larger public relations effort organized by De Beers to counter expected controversies following the release of the movie Blood Diamond. Simmons’ response was that he felt too much focus had been put on “conflict diamonds” and that his job was “to take what’s good and make it better”.
Simmons has since gained attention by calling for the removal of the words ‘nigga’, ‘bitch’ and ‘ho’ from the “clean” radio edited versions of rap songs..
In July 2007, Simmons, frustrated that the Howard Stern Show would not book him as a guest to promote his recent book, vented on the Jay Thomas radio show by calling Howard Stern a nigger and bad mouthing Stern show producer Gary Dell’Abate. When Stern heard this, he called Simmons a hypocrite for using the word nigger and immediately booked Simmons for the show on July 24, 2007, to talk about it. The two are now friends.
In 2007, it was rumored that Simmons met in Detroit with filmmaker, producer, entertainment business consultant Dionciel Armstrong to discuss his plans to buy a stake in Armstrong’s Rap Files Enterprises, Inc., which produces a monthly newspaper, DVD series, and internet video magazine, to produce a “Nigga Free” publication. Dionciel hadn’t made a decision to partner with Simmons but the two have plans to partner in film, business, and publications in the future.
In October 2008, Simmons conducted an entrepreneur competition entitled “Race to BE” in New York.
Self-help book
In March 2007, Gotham Books announced the publication of Simmons’ new book Do You! 12 Laws To Access The Power In You To Achieve Happiness And Success. The book is co-written with Chris Morrow and features an introduction by Donald Trump.
References
^ Russell Simmons on his vegan diet, Obama and yoga at Youtube
^ Russell Simmons Named Editor-in-Chief of Global Grind Reuters, 29 January 2009
^ 2007: Richest In Hip-Hop
^ Russell, Kimora Lee Simmons Split People.com, 31 March 2006
^ Secretary-General pledges to fill gap in knowledge about causes, effects of transatlantic slave trade United Nations
^ Press Conference David Lynch Foundation
^ Hip-Hop Summit Action Network Press Release
^ Change the Game Press Release
^ US music mogul, rights groups clash over diamonds Reuters
^ Rap Mogul Wants Racist Lyrics Ban BBC News
^ Russell Simmons Kicks Off ‘Race To Be’ Entrepreneurship Competition At NYSE On Oct. 2
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Russell Simmons
Hip-Hop Guru article in 29 Apr 7 NYT
Bio and photo of Russell Simmons Crain’s New York Business 40 under 40 1992
Russell Simmons’ Written Portrait Of His Family
Current information on Def Poetry Jam
Biography from Salon
Bishop E. Bernard Jordan
Russell and his brothers featured in the documentary film, Lemonade Stories.
Russell Simmons Interview on CBC
Russell Simmons Interview on Soundslam
Voices on Antisemitism Interview with Russell Simmons & Marc Schneier from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum
Russell Simmons Interview on NPR Onpoint
Interview with Riz Khan on Al Jazeera English, 20 June 2007
Is There A Future For Spoken Word? @ dropmagazine.com
Run Athletics
Categories: American music industry executives | American television producers | American fashion designers | American vegans | People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals | People from Queens | 1957 births | Living people | African AmericansHidden categories: Articles with hCards
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