Comments on: Is Russell Simmons A Hypocrite?

By: DJ Sammy

DJ Sammy — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 08:50:46 +0000

Hey! Interesting insight into s Really Going On. I have often thought about this myself. I think listen to rap music is somewhat related. On Sunday I have the day off, so will look more into it.

By: Russell Simmons Calls Barack Obama A “Mouse” - www.openentrance.com - What’s Really Going On

Thu, 10 May 2007 00:55:20 +0000

[...] Simmons out. I am pretty sure it is I can’t figure him out. Less than a week after his world tour against the lyrics in rap music, Russell has called Barack Obama a “Mouse” because of [...]

By: Chuck D Speaks on Russell Simmons Crusade - www.openentrance.com - What’s Really Going On

Thu, 03 May 2007 09:47:16 +0000

[...] Is Russell Simmons A Hypocrite? [...]

By: MYESHA

MYESHA — Wed, 02 May 2007 16:10:54 +0000

PEOPLE ARE NOT AWARE THAT DON IMAS GOT INTO ALL THAT TROUBLES IS NOT BECAUSE HE CALLED THEM HOES IT IS BECAUSE HE CALLED THEM NAPPY HEADED!!! WITCH MAD HIM COME OFF AS RACIST!!! PEOPLE NEED TO TAKE THE TIME OUT AND LOOK AT WHATS REALLY BEHIND THAT MATTER! AS FOR RUSSELL MAN HE DID WHAT HE FELT HE HAD TO DO BECAUSE HE IS WHO HE IS!!! NOT SAYING ITS RIGHT NOT SAYING IT WRONG!!!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 02 May 2007 15:32:59 +0000

It’s weird the way all of this went from Don Imus making the comment to everyone blaming the hip hop community or black people. How did the fingers get pointed back toward us. First i dont blame Rap, or radio for the comment somebody else made cause 1st and formost he is a grown man. Nobody made him say that. 2nd when songs are played on the radio they are already sensored. Then when you go purchase cd they have a clean version of the cd and an explict version. My point is if you dont want to hear it don’t by it. Then retailers are not supposed to sell the explicit version of Cd’s to young people. Who’s buying them. And who’s allowing them to sell them. When I was growing up my grandmother always taught me not to point my finger. And that’s exactly what’s going on. And Oprah I have no comment on her because I watched the show and she really didnt want to let people speak their mind if it wasn’t what she wanted to here. I am Black and i don’t blame the Hip hop community or anybody else for his comment I blame him and only him. We are all guilty of calling somebody out there name.

By: Jason Pimpton

Jason Pimpton — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:58:44 +0000

i don’t care if rap is entertainment or the experiences of someone’s life. the message can be delivered intelligently which is the basis of hip hop which is something that offends me. hip hop and rap are not the same so when people refer to them as such it shows me that they are confused about the subject. hip hop is a movement for the advancement of the people, art, and culture. rapping is the ability to deliver lyrics in a rhyme form or poetry set to music. hip hop artist are “judged” by thier lyrical ability and message as are rappers. but the subject matter is what makes the difference. for example…”NAS” = Hip Hop … “Too Short”….Rapper any questions?

By: keli

keli — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:23:48 +0000

first of all, i believe Russell has no other choice but to take this action due to the pressure and brutal punishment the Oprah show gave him and the three other members of the hip hop industry that joined him on the pannel. whether he wants a cure for what ever the real problem is or not, a man at his statue and position must speak on this topic in this manner.

By: JUstMYwOrD

JUstMYwOrD — Tue, 01 May 2007 22:00:58 +0000

Truthfully I don’t think what Simmons is saying is really an issue of hyprocrisy, as much as it is an issue of relevance. There is very little relevance to the dicussion of the appropriate or inappropriate lyrics that come from our music, television shows, movies etc., when the topic is approached from this non-embracing standpoint. This whole “which came first the chicken or the egg” quandary is futile in determining responsibility for societies problems of violence, sexism, racism, clasism, etc. As always, our society of late irresponsibly plays follow-the-leader with whatever the media dictates to be the problem or social issues of our day. When the media promotes something, we make a choice to react or not to, this is not how things ought to be. And although I can see clear instances of life immitating art ( just look at our teenagers and what they try to immulate for example) I do not for a milasecond condone that. Art as well as the media’s voice should be a reflection of a responsible society, not the deflection of one. When society remains in control of what is relevant and what is not, art and media follow suite, art was meant to immitate life, not the other way around. If an artist creates what he see’s in the world around him, his art is a clear expression of himself and how he effects/ influences everyone else. In this way an artist both reflects and molds, as pointed out by another commentator. But what we reflect will always determine what we mold. If we perfect our craft what we create and mold should then create and mold and so on. However, it seems to be all but forgotten, that art and music are meant to inspire, and as the question was once posed by the musically gifted and legendary Lauryn Hill, “then how come we aint gettin no higher?” Too many people want to slap the lable art on what is in reality trash. If what you expressed creates choas, promotes self hatred, etc, you need to check the source of your Self-expression. Cause the right expression of self will bring everyone up, and visa versa. Trash should not be censored it should be thrown away! This uncovers the broader issue of why we as a society can’t agree on what is inappropriate expression. Although I don’t believe in private censorship, I do believe in public censoring. On some platforms people indeed have freedom of speech, but lets keep it rational, okay? We need to re-define the areas of public and private domain. I can’t just walk into somebody’s house,look at a man and tell him his wife and daughter are nappy headed hoes, but infact through television, radio,and movies that is what people can now express–Imus is not the first and he won’t be the last. The funnier and wittier they are at doing it, the more tolerant we are of their degrading expressions. People are not willing to say that because no one wants to be responsible for putting censors on the “THE STANDARD” of what we (collectively) use to define our moral compass in society. Eeryone wants morality to be a private issue, but as in the issue of Imus, we see why it shouldn’t be. However, overall Morality has become an issue of personal preference rather than public concern, so in this case life follows after whatever someone else promotes as life. But if the “artist” and I use that term loosley, does a innaccurate portrayal of life, then were does that leave the veiwers? The media should not determine what we allow, we should. And I partially disagree with the commentator who says that if we don’t like the art then don’t endorse it, that is only part of the problem–we have to oppose it collectively, (just like people did with Imus, not just individually)-I’ve said this before in previous blogs–you can’t identify a problem and then just try to protect you and yours. You can build a wall around your self to keep others out, but as the problem outside your wall grows bigger, the more pressure that wall is taking and eventually, it’s coming down and the problem is coming in, that’s just commen sense. I can teach my daughters that they are not hoes, but what happens if they are at school, or in the mall or anywhere and someone violates them by treating them as such. I can teach my sons that they shouldn’t steal, but what happens when he gets robbed or shot for his wallet/clothes/etc? The problem is, like I said before, no one wants to be accountable to anyone in this society, we all want to do what makes us happy, we’ve replace accountability and love, with indifference and personal preference on too many issues. Rules and too much focus on morality is a restriction for people, so it seems better to allow every man to be an island, and set up places for people to express their individual veiws, as long as the veiws are not expressed outside these designated areas, the person is not held accountible for the way they are impacting society (ie., strip clubs, gentlemen’s clubs, rap videos, music, movies, etc.) What we see on television or hear on the radio, is a direct result of our collective moral neglegence. The real hypocrisy is that we don’t care about what the next man is doing until it hit close to home, but by then it could be too late.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:04:22 +0000

I agree I think Russ is being hypocritical in that
if this Imus fiasco wouldnt have went down he wouldnt
be vocal about this. I dont mind when people change
their minds about stuff but what I watch for is why?
Is it genuine and sincere change or is it motivated by
pressure or political reasons. I never really cared
for dude anyway cause I felt on one hand what he says
about economic empowerment is good and we need that
power in our communities but on the other hand I think
he says and does stuff for the spotlight and aint
really sincere with it. Most of the guys he signed to
Def Jam werent super vulgar though ( LL, Beastie Boys,
EPMD, Method Man, and Jay-Z to name a few). Rap was
definitely a scapegoat in this. It reminded me of the
times as a kid we got in trouble and instead of
accepting the blame we say well so and so did it too
and that’s what I saw mainstream white America doin.
Yes I feel we need to cleanup this crap we listen to I
been feeling that way for a long time but…there are
ho’s out there we know some, there are ignorant drug
dealin niggas we know some, there are men and women
who act like bitches we know a few. What I’m sayin
is that rap is a form of entertainment and this form
of entertainment has always been a reflecton of
society. We see things on regular TV that we wouldnt
have believed possible when we were young from partial
nudity to adult language. The sad part is that the
rap that gets publicized and played only reflects the
negative part of that society. Where were the calls
from white America when we were callin each other
bitches, niggas, and ho’s 2 months ago, 2 weeks ago,
or 20 years ago? Who signed these acts to begin with?
Who writes Jay-z and Puffy’s checks? For too long
older white men (Jimmy Iovine, Jerry Heller, Clive
Davis to name a few) have capitilized off our misery
and made tens of millions of dollars by dictating to
labels what the sound of our culture is going to be.
It’s long over due that we change the options of what
we listen to as far as rap goes on tv and radio.
There are so many other good artist who make good
music who dont promote that.

By: TGIV

TGIV — Tue, 01 May 2007 16:54:47 +0000

I don’t think that Russell is being hypocritical. Rap music made Russell, not cursing, degrading women, or violence. Rap AND cursing & degrading women & violence or NOT synonymous. People seem to forget that. Snoop dog can still flow just as tight without yelling out Hoe and Bitch and Nigga every other line. That man has skills!

Here is a very important concept…The human mind is the most powerful thing on earth. Videos like the “SECRET” and books like “Think and Grow Rich” are examples of this concept. What the mind believes becomes our reality. Deviance and degrading language are so common place now it is accepted and promoted in our society. The more the human mind hears over and over again a concept or idea the more the mind believes it. If all of your life you are told that you are fat, trust me your brain will believe that. The brain doesn’t know any better. The more we are inundated with “hoe” and “bitch” and brothas getting shot hour after hour and we walk down the street chanting the lyrics the brain makes that your reality. Trust me life will imitate art.

Russell doesn’t curse nor does he degrade women (publicly at least) so I think that the man is sticking to his guns.