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Russell Simmons

March 30th, 2008 Posted in Speaker

Russell Simmons is perhaps one of the most uniquely appealing figures to be presenting a motivational spoken program today. With the rare ability to unite listeners of all ages, races and social classes, he is an ideal choice for transcending nearly any corporate audience.

Recently named one of USA Today’s “Top 25 Most Influential People of The Past 25 Years,” Mr. Simmons is a pioneer in hip-hop music, urban fashion, television and film, as well as helping to give a new face to modern philanthropy.

Mr. Simmons is a motivating figure. Born in the late 50’s in Queens, New York, he attended City College of New York, but found a more immediate career path in promoting local acts from the emerging rap music scene. He 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 and in 1984, he partnered with the now-legendary record producer Rick Rubin and founded Def Jam Records, quickly producing and managing acts such as LL Cool J, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Whodini, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys. He later did the same with Jay Z, Foxy Brown and Ludacris.

In 1984 when Def Jam was founded, it essentially launched the cultural revolution known as hip-hop. Mr. Simmons has been the man behind the plan since then and has been able to incorporate many aspects of business and pop culture into one seamless empire. As the founder, owner and CEO of Rush Communications, he is now one of the most wealthy and influential hip-hop moguls in the world.

It was his ability to encompass his entire vision in his efforts that has allowed him to go so far. In addition to his successful career in the music industry, he has also been able to integrate fashion into the mix, now a textbook play in the modern rap star’s arsenal. Phat Farm and their spin-off brands of Baby Phat and Run Athletics literally started the revolution of hip-hop clothing endorsement lines.

Television and film have also played a major role in Mr. Simmons’ notoriety and success. Simmons Lathan Media, a joint venture with partner Stan Lathan spawned the astoundingly 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.”

In another truly masterful observance of sharp wit and insight, Mr. Simmons took a swing at breaking into the financial industry and introduced the Unirush company’s RushCard. With the aim of giving even the disadvantaged a fair shake at the American Dream, The RushCard allows even those without the credit the chance to qualify for a traditional credit card, the opportunity of having the benefits of a traditional bank account or credit card with a prepaid debit card that doesn’t carry all those expensive penalty fees, high interest rates and risk of slipping into debt. This is only one of many marks of the projects which Mr. Simmons picks that are beneficial to those in our world who are the most in need.

There are far more examples to laud Mr. Simmons’ business acumen, but the point has already been conveyed. With the selling off of various entities within his empire, he has been able to place himself in a position to be of great help to others. 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. Mr. Simmons 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 under-represented artists and artists of color.

This is part of the message he brings to corporate audiences. Personal responsibility, accountability and selflessness are keys to anyone’s success. Thinking of others first and oneself later is exactly the mentality that led him to create the vastly successful path he has; and he hopes some of the insights he brings to new audiences will open their eyes as well. “The basic message that I want to give to corporations and their employees about corporate culture is one of inspiration and the most service. The idea that only the leaders or presidents or CEO’s of these companies are servants and that their job is to make everyone there better is a false one, because everyone in the building has the same role. Almost every single person, in fact every person in every company, no matter what level they are on the food chain, is a servant that can do their part to improve a company’s culture. The fulfilling thing about your job at that company has to be your investment in it, not your payoff from it.”

These wise words seem to go against the grain of what some in the corporate climate may believe is right, in a dog-eat-dog environment, however Mr. Simmons’ success should attest to the fact that there is truth in his words. “When someone has the right attitude and they come to work every day with the inspiration to invest and give back, then as a giver, they will then become a great receiver. The cycle of giving is what brings an intern to the presidency.”

He also conveys the importance of not only competence in one’s endeavors, but also a willingness to continually improve. “Of course, part of giving is studying your craft. Studying, working hard at your craft, and working hard on your ‘self.’ What your ‘self’ means is that you can know that your real fulfillment comes from service and building others up. Once you know that, you become that much better at your job.”

Mr. Simmons tries to promote this philosophy that has worked so well for him to anyone else willing to listen. “I try to promote that to everyone, because it is a message that is so overlooked. You see these self-help books that are manipulative and just not true. If you want to know how to go far and do well, just look to any scripture; in the Bible, Koran, Torah, Yoga-Sutra, Four Noble Truths, anywhere, every religion and every prophet tells you the way to become a good servant. That kind of attitude makes an intern a president, and it makes a president a great leader.”

In his presentation, Mr. Simmons gives many wonderful and colorful examples of this principle in action, from the many people he knows that have made great success out of adversity. “I give great instances of many people who came to me as interns or without any significant kind of role where they were, and they worked so hard in their service that they built themselves up. And what happens is that people will start looking to you for leadership. If you fix your boss’ coat and they ask ‘How does it look?’ That’s leadership. If you help someone with their grammar when they ask, ‘How does this paragraph sound?’, That’s leadership. Everyone can get noticed and climb up that way. This path is the shortcut to success.”

Many of these philosophies and more are included in a book Russell was inspired to write after long and hard contemplation over the things that have made his life successful, yet peaceful as well. He is a practicing vegan and also an avid yoga enthusiast. All in all, he is clearly a well-balanced and happy individual, and who wouldn’t want some advice from a guy like that?

Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success combines Russell’s effective business practices with a focus on a strong spiritual foundation to help readers become the best they can be. Soon to be released in paperback format, the book was a top 4 New York Times Best Seller and even impressed the big “O” so much that she featured Russell and his book for an entire hour segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

His life has been blessed, and he knows it is his duty to use the gifts he has been given to help others and to spread peace and happiness when and wherever he can. He is the 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, and orchestrating getting $300 million added back into the New York City education budget.

HSAN also organized the 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 Fund (D.E.F.) to help Africans help Africa and sensitize the diamond industry to the plight of the people. This was just after Simmons broke new ground yet again in 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. Simmons Jewelry Co. has even 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.

And, with Accel Partners’ Jim Breyer, Russell co-funded Global Grind Simmons’ unique, personalized internet portal for the hip-hop community 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.

Its clear that with all of the humanitarian and philanthropic work he has done, Russell Simmons is in a rather good place to discuss all manners of business, ethics, entertainment, fashion, media and culture. “The message I have is a basic one, the question is can I deliver it in such a way that it inspires people? None of the messages that these guys give you in their motivational speeches are any different, they all want to inspire investment and hard work and dedication. None of the message should be different, with the exception of the way you deliver it.”

As a self-made entrepreneur, Russell Simmons has raised himself to the level of the 3rd richest entrepreneurs in hip-hop. He is a philanthropist, an activist and an inspiring figure. With anecdotal stories to engage your audience, real-life experience to teach them, and an incredibly wide appeal, this one-of-a-kind mogul is the perfect choice for motivating and inspiring your next event’s audience.

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Jay Kemp
International Speakers Bureau
(214) 276-6713
jay@internationalspeakers.com