USA Today recently named Russell Simmons one of the "Top 25 Most Influential
People of the Past 25 Years," calling him a "hip-hop pioneer" for his
groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television
and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy.
Russell Simmons has been instrumental in bringing the powerful influence of
hip-hop culture to every facet of business and media since its inception in the
late 1970s. From producing and/or managing such early hip-hop artists as Kurtis
Blow, Run DMC, Whodini and the Beastie Boys to signing seminal luminaries like
Jay Z, Foxy Brown and Ludacris, Simmons' groundbreaking vision was crystallized
with partner Rick Rubin in the creation of the seminal Def Jam Recordings in
1984, launching the cultural revolution known as hip-hop.
Russell Simmons has been the master architect of that phenomenon, envisioning
and creating the trends in popular culture. His fashion empire Phat Farm, which
begat Baby Phat and Run Athletics, put the definitive stake in the ground for
hip-hop clothing and others followed.
His film and television production company with partner Stan Lathan - Simmons
Lathan Media - created the wildly successful HBO's "The Def Comedy Jam,"
"Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry," "The Nutty Professor," the Tony
Award-winning stage production "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on
Broadway" and the international hit on MTV, "Run's House."
Simmons has put his imprint on the financial services industry, as well,
leveling the playing field for all to have access to the American Dream with
the Unirush Company's RushCard.
In 2006, Simmons broke new ground yet again, becoming the first African
American to launch a major jewelry company - Simmons Jewelry Co. (SJC)- with
partner and SJC president, Scott Rauch. Major retail chains followed, carrying
the company's collections, now distributed to over 2000 stores.
In 2008, Russell released a new book entitled Do You! 12 Laws to Access the
Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success, which combines effective
business practices with a spiritual foundation to be the best you can be. The
book was a top 4 New York Times Best Seller, and was featured on The Oprah
Winfrey Show.
And, with Accel Partners' Jim Breyer, Russell co-funded the Simmons' founded
unique, personalized internet portal for the hip-hop community - Global Grind -
with the purpose of connecting young people around the world, a generation that
Simmons has strongly encouraged, nurtured and supported, and one that has
proven to be more giving, loving and compassionate than the generation before
them. Simmons' newest ventures are two hot clothing collections - Argyle
Culture and Atman.
Russell Simmons' interests extend far beyond the business world, and he spends
a great deal of his time and considerable energy working for social, political,
and philanthropic causes, pushing hip-hop on to new plateaus of power and
relevance. Russell and his ventures are driven by a personal and corporate
belief that hip-hop is an enormously influential agent for social change, which
could be responsibly and proactively utilized to fight the war on poverty and
ignorance. In 1995 he, along with his brothers Danny and Joseph Simmons (Rev.
Run of Run DMC), founded Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The organization
is dedicated to providing disadvantaged urban youth with significant exposure
and access to the arts, as well as offering exhibition opportunities to
underrepresented artists and artists of color. He is also Chairman of Rush
Community Affairs and the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, dedicated to
bringing all religions and ethnicities together. The organization's president
is Rabbi Marc Schneier, also head of the World Jewish Congress. Following the
historic Hip-Hop Summit Russell organized in June of 2001, he co-founded the
Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) with civil rights activist Dr. Benjamin
Chavis. HSAN's mission is to harness the cultural relevance of hip-hop music as
a catalyst for education advocacy and other societal concerns fundamental to
the well being of at-risk youth throughout the United States. HSAN enables
artists to use their celebrity to give back to the community. Among HSAN's
major initiatives is helping to spearhead the first changes to the Rockefeller
Drug Laws since 1973, orchestrating getting $300 million added back into the
New York City education budget, Hip-Hop Team Vote - a 50-city grassroots force
that worked throughout 2004 to register and mobilize young voters across the
country, as well as three successful years of the "Get Your Money Right"
Financial Empowerment International Summits. HSAN has traveled the country and
the world implementing over 60 Hip-Hop Summits empowering young people around
the issues of education, financial literacy and voting.
In 2006, after a trip to Africa to see how some diamonds were positively
affecting the lives of Africans where they are a natural resource, he created
The Diamond Empowerment FundÔ (D.E.F.) to help Africans help Africa and
sensitize the diamond industry to the plight of the Africans. Simmons Jewelry
Co. has created a special collection of jewelry - The Green Initiative - which
is giving back to Africa through D.E.F. He also serves on the Board of
Directors of Petra Nemcova's Happy Hearts Fund, which gives aid to children
throughout the world who are victims of natural disasters.
Russell Simmons is a native New Yorker who attended City College of New York.
Russell and Kimora Lee have two daughters, Ming Lee and Aoki Lee.
