by Fred Topel
“Buddha didn’t stop struggling with women until enlightenment.”
– Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons sat all by himself at NBC’s party on the rooftop of the Beverly Hilton hotel. Well, not totally by himself. The young girls he came with were talking amongst themselves, and celebrities kept stopping by to meet him (hence the photo opp with Jimmy Fallon).
The Oxygen Channel, an NBC cable arm, is producing a documentary on Simmons’ business. Running Russell Simmons shows the viewer what it takes to maintain Simmons’ multi-faceted life, by following the assistants who coordinate all his endeavors behind the scenes. It is scheduled to premiere Nov. 2.
Even with all of Simmons’ productions in music with the Def Jam label he co-founded with Rick Rubin, its on air components like Def Comedy Jam and Def Poetry Jam, business isn’t even the most interesting thing about Simmons. He’s a vegan, he’s an animal activist, he’s an author, he has several clothing lines – and as a philosopher he’s a force to be reckoned with. He practices Buddhism, yoga and meditation, and his work is layered with his own, honed ideology. His biography, Do You!, talks more about spiritual peace than running a record label.
Everything Russell Simmons says is wisdom, so if he’s sitting on the roof by himself, you take that opportunity and learn as much as you can from him. The questions aren’t even really that important, merely a means to get Simmons talking about philosophy, music, politics, dating, and so on.
Read our exclusive interview with Russell Simmons on SuicideGirls.com.
