Russell Wendell Simmons Research Paper

Russell Wendell Simmons, born October 4th, 1957, is an American entrepreneur, author, and producer. Williams was born and raised in Queens, New York. His father is a public-school administrator and his mother is a New York City park administrator. He has two brothers, Daniel Simmons JR., and Rev Run of Run-DMC. In 1975, Simmons attended the City College of New York where he met Kurt Walker. This new friendship caused Russel Simmons to join in the hip-hop phenomenon. Simmons has played a crucial part in bringing hip-hop to the stage. He is the co-founder of ‘Def-Jam’, which has acted as a launch pad for Jay Z, Ludacris, and many other stars in the music industry. After dropping out of college with only a few credits left, Simmons began promoting

Even then real-estate mogul Donald Trump had a few words to say about Russel Simmons. Trump said, “Russell is raising the bar for us with our power to be responsible, not just for ourselves but for our people. I consider him one of the great entrepreneurs out there today. He's a fabulous guy with a tremendous understanding of business" (Reingold 2012). While he’s very serious when it comes to business, Simmons top two values are “family and spirituality. This can be traced back to his close-knit family upbringing (Biography, 2013).” During the time of his huge stardom, Simmons was also able to incorporate his family into his business endeavors. When no one would sign his younger brother Joey and his group, Simmons stepped in and gave Joey’s group, Run DMC, a record deal. Simmons is also a dedicated yoga practitioner and advocate for healthy living. Simmons himself is a vegan and has been since 1999. Because of his strong values, Simmons has a way with forming relationships with other people. Simmons has been very open with sharing personal details about his tough upbringing and his successful business tactics with anyone who will listen. Simmons also has a kind heart. This is shown through his work in various charities. In 2012, Simmons was able to raise $2 million for inner-city arts programs through the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation that he founded in 1995 (Biography, 2013).

Many women have been coming out expressing their concern in Hollywood. Simmons has expressed how deeply sorry he is and has also stepped down in all of his business ventures. Simmons released a statement saying, “This is a time of great transition. The voices of the voiceless, those who have been hurt or shamed, deserve and need to be heard. I have been thoughtless and insensitive in some of my relationships over many decades and I sincerely and humbly apologize. I will convert the studio for yogic science into a not-for-profit center of learning and healing. As for me, I will step aside and commit myself to continuing my personal growth, spiritual learning and above all to listening” (Maglio