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You have to be present, awake and happy now.

Russell Simmons

My experiences have been, from the very beginning, cultural and creative. And my business has been a way of exposing the culture, exposing the artists so that the world could hear and see them.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Artist Creative Culture
Gangsta rappers, they call them. Not nearly as gangsta as the things that inspire them.. you know, a gangsta government that we operate under.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Gangsta Government Rapper
There is a subject – there is a research that says a man thinks about sex every 12 seconds. And so when an artist expresses something that’s sexual in music it is a reflection of our reality. If we want that reality changed, then we have to do things that affect the core.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Artist Reflection Sex Something
A large portion of American citizens, especially people of color, have lost confidence in our criminal justice system. Many have called for appointing special prosecutors when a police officer kills or injures a civilian.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Broken Color Justice
You have to be present, awake and happy now.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Awake Happy Now Present
[Performing artists] are making greater percentages. People are going to live events more and it’s a big success story for everyone – except the music industry itself.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Artist Events People
The biggest impediment to get the laws changed was the lobbyists. Whether you’re talking about healthcare, jobs going overseas, or tax reform, you’re always coming up against lobbyists.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Biggest Changed Lobbyist Overseas
Mistakes only cost you when you don’t acknowledge them.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Acknowledge Cost Mistake
The world belongs to the people who say, ‘I can’.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Belongs People World
It’s always marketeers building their own careers.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Building Careers
I am very lucky that I have talented and creative people around me. Also, mediation has been a very big part of my freedom, because it allows me to watch all the things going on and allows me to focus.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Creative Focus People
You’ve got to do things that promote what’s important.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Important Promote Things
I just said let’s get some poets on tv. And when they said that sounded unlikely, I made it worse. I said, no man, I want to put a bunch of black poets on stage, too.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Believe English Men Speak
I mostly eat healthy. I just do. I’m not a vegan for health reasons – although obviously I’m 20 pounds lighter than when I started. I stayed 20 pounds lighter. I feel better. My friends say I look better. All that’s true. But I’m a vegan for compassionate reasons.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Better Feel Healthy Looks
Black actors on the road, flying around the country working as poets. Those people are inspirations for millions of kids who write.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Country Inspiration Writing
Needing nothing really is the ultimate goal. And to have nothing to do with things.
RUSSELL SIMMONS

Goal Ultimate Ultimate Goal

You have to be present, awake and happy now.

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You have to be present, awake and happy now.

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