Hailed as the hip-hop pioneer and one of the Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years, Russell Simmons has played a pivotal role in bringing hip-hop music to the forefront. He is the co-founder of the record label, Def Jam, which successfully acted as a launchpad for Beastie Boys, Jay Z, Foxy Brown, and Ludacris, among many other stars in the music industry.
A film producer, record producer, entrepreneur, and successful businessman, He dons many hats and apart from his music empire he also owns a successful clothing line, Phat Farm. He is also the owner of the clothing lines, Argyleculture and American Classics. He regularly contributes to the Huffington Post and is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Slavery Memorial. An environmentalist at heart, he practices veganism and Ahimsa and was presented with the PETA Humanitarian Award in 2001. Let’s know more about him through this article.
What is Russell Simmons famous for?
- A film producer, record producer, entrepreneur and successful businessman.
- An influential figure in the genre of hip-hop music and passionately brought marginalized voices to mass audiences.
Where is Russell Simmons from?
Recalling his early life, Simmons was born in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. Talking about his nationality, he is American and his ethnicity is mixed. His birth sign is Libra.
Similarly, He was born to Daniel Simmons Dr. and Evelyn Simmons. He has two siblings Daniel Simmons Jr., and Joseph Simmons who are painters. From the beginning of his childhood, he had a keen interest in hip-hop music and he began to learn from a very early age.
Where did Russell Simmons go for education?
Concerning his education, Simmons completed his graduation from August Martin High School. Later, he also attended the City College of New York in Harlem.
When did Russell Simmons begin his music career?
- Moving towards his career, Simmons began his career with hip-hop music. Later in 1983, he co-founded the hip-hop music label Def Jam Recordings along with Rick Rubin. In 1996, Rick sold his share of the company for $120 million to Universal Music Group.
- Furthermore, he produced and acted in the 1985 film Krush Groove. Additionally, he is the chairman and CEO of Rush Communications. Moreover, He along with Stan Lathan produced television hits HBO’s Def Comedy Jam and Def Poetry Jam.
- Back in 1996, the veteran entrepreneur also co-produced the hit film The Nutty Professor in which Eddie Murphy has starred.
- Besides this, he has also co-founded a prepaid debit card provider RushCard. Apart from that, he has been also taking part in social works.
- Since 1999, he has been working for citing animal rights along with the environmental and health benefits. Furthermore, He also became the chairman of the board of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in 2002.
- Moreover, he is also a supporter of the Somaly Mam Foundation. Also, this famous producer was at number 23 in the list of 200 Most Influential Social-Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists Worldwide listed by Richtopia.
- In 2011, he published his book titled, Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All, which was written as a guide to achieving much abundance and wealth. The book is a blend of spiritual wisdom and street-smartness.
- In 2017, He was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 23 in the list of 200 Most Influential Social-Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists Worldwide.
- On December 13th, 2017, The Los Angeles Times published an investigative report in which five women accused Simmons of sexual misconduct, including an alleged rape.
- On the same day, The New York Times published the accounts of four other women who accused him of inappropriate conduct, including three alleged rapes. In response to the allegations, He stated he “never had a sexual encounter that was not consensual or lawful. Ever.”
Is Russell Simmons married?
Reflectin on his personal life, Simmons was previously married to Kimora Lee Simmons. The couple tied their knot in 1998 after being in a relationship for several months. Together, they also welcomed three children; Jamel Simmons, Aoki Lee Simmons, and Ming Lee Simmons. However, they couldn’t carry their relationship for so long and divorced after 11 years of marriage in 2009.
During his married life, he has been in several extramarital affairs. Before his divorce, he was in a relationship with Veronica Webb, Amber Smith, Katie Rost, and a few more. Furthermore, he was also seen with some other gorgeous women Karin Taylor, Cynthia Bailey, Julie Henderson, and much more.
Additionally, there were also rumors of a couple of relationships with Sophie Monk and Mary Young. Moreover, he was also seen with Shannon Elizabeth, Hana Nitsche, Sasha Volkova, and Melissa George. Currently, he is enjoying his single life and living beautifully.
How much is Russell Simmons worth?
Being a record executive and entrepreneur, Simmons earns a decent amount of money and fame through his profession in the field of the entertainment industry. Based on some online reports, his estimated net worth said to be $340 million at present. However, his salary is yet to be disclosed.
How tall is Russell Simmons?
Observing his body statistics, Simmons stands a height of 5 feet 9 inches and weighs around 86 Kg. Similarly, he has a pair of black eyes and he is bald. Besides this, there is not any information regarding his other body measurements. In the case of an update, we will let you know.
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