The difference between blues, jazz, rock n’ roll and rap is that rap stayed poor. Even the white rappers are poor. It’s scarier to look at poor people; it makes everyone uncomfortable. Their pain is something that people would like to see swept under the rug.
RUSSELL SIMMONSI 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.
More Russell Simmons Quotes
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I feel the choices our president Barack Obama is making now are safer and better.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
Your purpose is to act on the resources God gives you. If God gives you a bucket of fish, you have to distribute those fish. If you don’t, they’re going to rot, attract a bunch of flies, and start stinking up your soul.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
I signed Jay-Z because he was on fire. I wasn’t a genius. The record was great. I put it on The Nutty Professor soundtrack and we signed him.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
There are poor white people who hear rap music and feel it is about them, because it is. That’s why you have an Eminem and a Bubba Sparxxx and rappers like that.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
I kind of think that artists throughout history, poets throughout history have been criticized for sharing what’s on people’s minds and I don’t think it’s any different now.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
There’s something about the authenticity that Hollywood is missing when it comes to urban culture.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
You will be a great entrepreneur if you operate with a real sincere wanting to serve.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
Art is a way to express yourself and through that you can escape a bad situation.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
I’m always surrounded by smart talented people. I had talented partners. Stan Latham for one. Talent scouts.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
Antisemitism is just another form of racism. It’s the same sickness, whether it’s about Christians, about Islamophobia, which is horrible. It’s all wrong. It’s all the same.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
I think that diversity is key for the next American entrepreneurs. They want to be a part of this society where there is so much diversity they have to have people from all the experiences.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
There are no failures, only quitters.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
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 -
The world belongs to the people who say, ‘I can’.
RUSSELL SIMMONS -
It is only through opening your hearts will you be able to see that by promoting freedom for all, you are unchaining yourself. I guess I’m an optimist.
RUSSELL SIMMONS







