Russell Simmons

Background

Simmons was born on October 4, 1957, in New York City, the U.S. His mother Evelyn Simmons was a park superintendent, while his father Daniel Simmons Sr. was a public school administrator. His brothers are artists Joseph Simmons and Daniel Simmons Jr. His astrological sign is Libra. His parents strongly supported both the arts and the civil rights movement. When Simmons was eight years old, his family moved to the Queens neighborhood of Hollis. There, the teenage Simmons became involved in drugs and joined the Seven Immortals street gang. A few years later, one of his fellow gang members was assassinated by a rival organization, therefore ending his time as a gang member. He briefly attended City College of New York in 1975 before dropping out and going on to promote local musicians such as Kurtis Blow.

Simmons’ career has taken him from the Queens’ slums to the pinnacle of the music industry and beyond. His mother financially helped him launch a music-producing company. Simmons began as a young hip-hop producer and has since expanded his business to encompass music production and publishing, clothes, film, and Broadway, and he shows no signs of slowing down. Simmons, his younger brother Joey, and two pals, Darryl McDaniel and Jason Mizell, created Run-D.M.C., which would go on to become one of the most important rap groups in history. Their image, paired with their words and beat, helped them become M.T.V’s first rap act.

Rick Rubin, a New York University student who loved punk rock music and was greatly influenced by hip-hop culture, was introduced to Simmons in 1984. The two collaborated to create Def Jam Productions to introduce hip-hop artists to new audiences around the nation. While still remaining true to his cherished hip-hop beginnings, Simmons has continued to reinvent himself and go into other industries throughout his career.