1. Russell Simmons
Born October 4th, 1957, in the Jamaica neighborhood of
Queens, NYC
Founder of Def jam Records
Mother Evelyn, Father Daniel, Brother Joey and Danny
Brother Joey is “Run” in the hip-hop group Run D.M.C. who
Def Jam Records signed, and produced their first album
Attended a City College in NYC, for sociology, dropped out
senior year and discovered Def Jam records with his room
mate
Attended integrated middle and high schools
Became involved with drugs and gangs in his high school
years
Mother gave Russell two thousand dollars to start his
company after he dropped out of City College

2. Def Jam Records
 First artist- Kurtis Blow, who was the first big star in the music industry
 Promoted and signed off artists like Beastie Boys, Aerosmith, Run D.M.C., and
actors like Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and Chris Rock
 Def Jam Records was all about making an album not a single

3. History of Rap
 Simmons was introduced to rap in the year 1977
 Before it became a global franchise it was popular in poor neighborhoods of
New York City as a way for African Americans to express themselves
 Eventually evolved in clubs and block parties
 Local performers developed their own unique style of music to keep their
audiences alive
 The “break” in the song gives dancers a chance to perform hard moves and
emcee’s a chance to speak rhymes over the beat, which soon became known
as “rap”

4. What did he do after the music
industry?
 Simmons did more than music, he was also a movie and television producer.
 Through 1985 and 1987 Simmons produced two movies, Krush Groove, which
was taken from his life story, and Tougher Than Leather, both including music
from Def Jam Records. He also produced a movie by the name of The Nutty
Professor which starred Eddie Murphy in 1996.
 Simmons in 1992 launched a hit series with producer Simon Lathan and the
Brillstein/ Gray Company
 The hit series was known as Def Comedy Jam including comedians like Chris
Rock, Bernie Mac, and Martin Lawerence.

5. After producing?
 Russell Simmons soon founded the clothing company Phat Fashions LLC in
1991.
 In 2009 Simmons produced yet another hit television show which was showed
on HBO, Brave New Voices. The show is a poetry slam where troubled teens
can perform their own poetry. The kids are put in groups from different cities and
compete against each other.

6. Citations?
 Mitchell, Elvis. Black List. New York: Atrie,2008. Print
 Simmons, Russell. Life and Def Sex, Drugs, Money, and God. New York: Three
Rivers,2002. Print
 Business Leaders. North Carolina: Moragn Reynolds, 2009. Print.