Editor's Note: Russell Simmons was nominated for a 2011 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction
Russell Wendell Simmons was born in Queens, New York on October 4, 1957, the
middle of three sons to bless the marriage of Daniel and Evelyn Simmons, a
public school administrator and NYC parks administrator, respectively.
Russell and Rick Rubin co-founded Def Jam Records, the legendary hip-hop
label, in 1984.
Russell parlayed his success in music into several fashion lines, most
notably, Phat Farm and Baby Phat. Meanwhile, as Chairman and CEO of his
umbrella organization, Rush Communications, he also ran an ad agency,
produced movies and TV shows, and published a magazine.
Forbes Magazine recently named Simmons one of "Hollywood's Most Influential
Celebrities." And USA Today dubbed him 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, jewelry, finance,
television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy.
From creating his seminal Def Jam Recordings to writing his New York Times
best-seller
Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness
and Success, Russell is recognized globally for his influence and
entrepreneurial approach to both business and philanthropy. Since giving
back is of primary importance to him in all aspects of life, he has
consistently leveraged his influence in the recording industry, fashion,
television, financial services, and jewelry sectors to advance the interests
of a host of charitable causes.
A devoted yogi, Russell also leads the non-profit division of his empire,
Rush Community Affairs, and its ongoing commitment to empowering at-risk
youth through education, the arts, and social engagement. Furthermore, he
serves as UN Goodwill Ambassador for The Permanent Memorial to Honor the
Victims of Slavery and the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
Here, he talks about his new book,
Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All, a
how-to tome which champions meditation over materialism as the path to true
wealth.
Russell Simmons -
The "Super Rich" Interview
with Kam Williams
Kam Williams: Hey Russell, thanks for the time. I don't know if you remember
me, but we met at that party you threw for Soledad O'Brien. I came over and
told you I'd been trying to interview you for years. Thanks for finally
hooking me up.
Russell Simmons: My man! Of course I remember you. I felt bad. How was that
possible?
KW: A lot of publicists have never heard of me.
RS: Well, it's great to talk to you. What's going on, baby?
KW: I didn't get to tell you that I grew up in the same neck of the woods,
in St. Albans, which is right next to Hollis.
RS: Yeah, same thing.
KW: What gave you the idea to write the book?
|
"You see the drug dealers counting twenties and tens,
and you
want to grow up to be just like them."
I saw people hanging on the corner. I
didn't know any better. I was lucky enough to go to college and start to
feel differently. There, I developed the courage to do something original
that I was passionate about, which was music and hip-hop. I started throwing
parties, and became an entrepreneur of sorts. It just kinda evolved. I
didn't have a drive to be anything in particular until I found a passion,
which is what this book is about. Finding a dharma, a way to really give.
But I wasn't fortunate enough to have something I wanted to be all my life,
until I started to achieve it.
KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles says: Jerry Lewis used to sing a song that said,
"Money isn't everything ... unless you're very poor." How 'easy' is it to
give this kind of spiritual advice when you're rolling in dough?
RS: Well, there's a story in the book about a guy who lives in a shanty
house. He knows he's got to find some bread and water each day, yet his
mind's at ease. God always provides, and he lived to be 100. Then, by
contrast, there's the anxiety-prone billionaire who's always worried about
the stock market and ends up dying in his fifties. So, you have to ask
yourself, "What do we want money for? What does it do for us?" If you say
money makes us happy, then examine that. Is it the toys? Is it the
simplicity, the ease that money can provide? That's not the ease that we're
seeking. It has to be to calm the mind. I say this because, when you need
nothing, you can operate from abundance. Jesus taught two sermons. One for
the masses, which said, if you act in accordance with these laws, then God
will take care of you. The second one said, "Operate from abundance if you
can." So, the anxiety-filled followers were able to pay their taxes by
listening to Jesus. But His disciples only needed to put their all into
service. I have so many illustrative stories I could relate, like Puffy's,
who on the way up wanted to make sure he was doing everybody's job. He
enjoyed the work, but not because he was going to get this or that. That's
the real rap.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have any advice for an aspiring film maker
living on ramen?
RS: Larry, stay on your hustle. You ain't gonna starve no matter what
happens. Living on ramen! My guess is he's most likely overweight. We suffer
from neediness, when in fact we already have everything. If he's focused on
being a filmmaker, and not anxiety-filled and worried about living on ramen,
he will make headway. And in no case will he starve. What is he looking for?
KW: Filmmaker/Author/Professor Hisani Dubose asks: What is the most
effective way to raise money for indie movie projects in 2011. What does
someone like him [Russell Simmons] look for before investing?
RS: Big buzz. Shoot a good little pilot to get it off the ground. Everything
requires that you do the work. And if you do good enough work that people
start to be inspired by it, then they join on. No one signs on just because
you have an idea.
You have to keep building any business, to make it attractive. If you throw
a record out the window and it don't stick, you gotta keep pushing it. Then,
one day, it's on the radio, listeners start requesting it, and people come
looking for you. You can't chase people down with your idea; you have to
turn it into equity first.
KW: Kristopher Seals asks: What are some ways a person can start up a
business with little available capital? What are some of the biggest
obstacles facing minorities looking to enter the business arena?
RS: I can
tell you that there's something about black culture that's infectious, that
crosses all boundaries, that gives you an edge. If he's open to integrate,
then give him a job. No company that markets any product can operate without
input from black people. There's a void, a white space. Fill that. Don't
carry the burden. A lot of time black people only speak to each other
instead of to the whole room. We gotta get out of that habit.
KW: Dante Lee, author of "Black Business Secrets," asks: What was your most
fatal business decision? And what is the biggest business lesson you've
learned?
RS: I learn from every bad decision, so none of them are my worst. When I
lost the Beastie Boys, I learned that you have to have patience when you're
developing artists.
KW: Ola Jackson asks: "How does your spirituality and belief in Buddhism
conflict with the opulent lifestyle of self-indulgence and materialism
associated with rap music.
RS: I think rappers are truth-tellers. I don't think mainstream American
culture is any closer to the simplicity that I'm advocating. I'm not a
Buddhist, by the way. Long before there was a Buddhist faith, there were the
Yoga Sutras. Those teachings are more prescriptions for happiness, than
religious dogma. As you know, I'm not a religious man, although I do work
promoting dialogue among all religions as Chairman of the Foundation for
Ethnic Understanding.
KW: Legist/Editor Patricia Turnier says: In the past, we saw more rap songs
about socially-conscious themes, such as MC Lyte's "Eyes Are the Soul,"
Tupac's "Brenda's Got a Baby" and Queen Latifah's "Ladies First." What needs
to be done to bring back this type of hip-hop?
RS: Well, I think the climate changes in society. Themes come and go, and
rappers are only reflections of that. Right now, we're very fearful, because
the economy is very bad… People are struggling… and that's fertile ground
for some of the negativity that you're hearing on some of the records.
KW: Professor Mia Mask asks: Isn't there a contradiction between the
messages in your book and the messages in rap music?
RS: Why does she think I'm an ambassador for rap? Jesus hung out with the
wine bibbers, but his message wasn't advocating getting drunk. I have one
foot in pop culture and one foot in the real world, which is spiritual. I
know what's real, and I know that pop culture can be frivolous. But I think
American culture, in general, is frivolous. And I certainly don't think that
rap culture is any more frivolous than mainstream American culture. I don't
think hip-hop is as unconscious either. Rappers may say things that shock
you, but I think they are poets who hold a higher moral ground than the rest
of American society. That's my opinion. Just because Kanye West said "George
Bush doesn't like black people," doesn't mean it's true, but it does mean
that a lot of people shared that thought.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
RS: No, I just go to work everyday, and I try to give and be a servant,
although I might forget at times. But I know my mission. Through meditation
and prayer, I find myself present, awake and giving for some part of the
day. The most I can hope for is to become a better servant.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
RS: That's a good question. I'm not quite sure. Different things at
different times.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
RS: Yes, I guess I'm afraid sometimes. But I generally rid myself of it. I
don't carry a lot of fear around with me.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
RS: Yeah, I can say I'm mostly happy. Compared to what? Am I eternally
blissful? No. But do I find moments when I'm ecstatic about being alive?
Yes! And I have those moments more and more often the more I meditate,
practice yoga, and live by these principles.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
RS: A few minutes ago being interviewed by Sean Hannity. He says such
things. You have to learn to laugh all the time. It's a practice of life.
It's a practice of happiness. In yoga, you smile and breathe in every pose.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
RS: I'm on a liquid diet, but I'm going to have some popcorn at the movies.
Decoded Click to order via Amazon.com by Jay-Z
|
Clip Russell Simmons' reality TV-series, Running Russell Simmons
Related Links
Russell Simmons Hosts Soiree for
Soledad O'Brien
http://aalbc.com/reviews/russell_simmons_hosts_soledad.html