Russell Simmons supports Irv Gotti's bid for Def Jam presidency

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Def Jam has been in ruins for years. Recently, Irv Gotti returned to the spotlight to discuss a number of topics. Among the topics Irv Gotti spoke on were Def Jam. Since Jay-Z's departure from the label, Gotti said there is no one over there who cares. Irv Gotti then made a public plea to allow him to take over the label.

Given his run-ins with the federal government, Irv Gotti said he would understand if Def Jam did not want him. Regardless of who it was, Irv said it had be someone who cared. Desite his near decade-long beef with Chris Lighty, Irv Gotti said he would be a good choice. But, it had to be someone in hip hop who cared about hip hop.

No I.D. was recently hired as the Vice President of A&R at Def Jam and he stayed away from the situation. Russell Simmons, the founder of the label, recently spoke on Irv Gotti's comments. Simmons said he thinks Irv Gotti would be a good choice, he also likes how he is lobbying for the job. Aside from Gotti, he also said he likes DJ Khaled or Chris Lighty for the job.

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Jay-Z, Rick Rubin, and Russell Simmons at Def Jam 25th Anniversary dinner

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Russell Simmons willing to fund Occupy Wall Street clean-up

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Enraged by the childish behavior of the federal government, American citizens took matters into their own hands. For weeks, left wing citizens upset with the government said they needed an organization of their own to vent their frustrations. The final result was Occupy Wall Street.

Members of the hip hop community quickly began gravitating to the movement. It was then when conservatives labeled Occupy Wall Street as a violent movement. Russell Simmons was among the hip hop members who joined the movement.

With the Wall Street executives wanting the people to vacate the premises, they want the people to clean up. In an attempt to avoid the violence, Russell Simmons has stepped in. Simmons said he would fund the clean-up, in an effort to avoid conflict with his friend, the mayor.

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Kanye West and Russell Simmons Occupy Wall Street [VIDEO]

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Kanye West and Russell Simmons at Occupy Wall Street [PHOTO]

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Russell Simmons joins Occupy Wall Street movement

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

For nearly two weeks, protesters have been lining up on Wall Street for their Occupy Wall Street movement. With the economy slumping and a recession looming, the people are filling the streets of cities around the country. Lupe Fiasco joined the Occupy Wall Street movement a few weeks ago.

Lupe Fiasco was quickly joined by Immortal Technique. When he joined the movement, Immortal Technique said:

“We talk about democracy so much, but we have supported so many governments around the world that are the farthest thing from a democracy, as long as they give us access to their natural resources, as long as when we say jump, they say, ‘How high?' That's it.

We have employed bin Ladens' plenty of times, when it serves our purpose. We employed Saddam Hussein when it served our purposes. And I say ‘we' because we are the people that have a responsibility to change that sort of behavior in this country. And if we don't, we will suffer the same fate as everything that never evolved.”

Now, the original president of hip hop, Russell Simmons, has joined the movement, along with Murs. When he joined the movement, Russell Simmons wrote a letter on his GlobalGrind.com website.

Read the letter below:

“For far too long in this country we have allowed the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer.

I believe in a nation where everyone gets a fair share of the fruits of our labor and where everyone pays a fair share for what they receive.

I am asking the United States government to raise my taxes and not allow the Republicans to use this economic recession as an opportunity to strip the basic programs that protect our most vulnerable.

Lastly, I am demanding that the big banks and corporations stop unduly influencing our government to make decisions that are not in the best interest of the majority of our citizens.

We need to re-examine our whole American political system that allows corporations and their lobbyists to rule over the people.”

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LL Cool J to receive "I Am Hip Hop Icon" award at 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards

By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer

Three years ago, LL Cool J released Exit 13, which was his final album with Def Jam. Over twenty years before, LL Cool J helped launch the label with his music. After a highly successful career as a rapper, LL Cool J decided to move into the movies.

LL Cool J currently stars in "NCIS: LA" as one of the main protagonists, Sam Hanna. His roles in films and television shows led to LL to devote all his time to the screens. Previously, LL Cool J would take time out to record an album.

Despite being fully focused on television projects now, LL Cool J has considered coming out with another album. While LL has no new album in the works, he will be honored for his work on previous albums. At the upcoming BET Hip Hop Awards, LL Cool J will be given the "I Am Hip Hop Icon" award, which has previously been awarded to Ice Cube, Russell Simmons, Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, and Salt-N-Pepa.

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