The Jiggarati

Attention conspiracy theorists: Russell Simmons is an agent.

How else do you explain his behavior this year? He spent the early part of the year on radio and television defending ignorant rappers.Russell gave these self-serving, poor product producing, no talent having hacks a pass and wanted us to do the same. He went as far as telling an audience (on Oprah Winfreys show) to think of them as “poets”.

See? This is what happens when you start believing your own hype.

Remember those old skool jams? Russell wasn’t rhyming on those cuts. Remember when UTFO and ‘em started rockin the bubble goose?That wasn’t a Russell creation. So who the fuck is Russell Simmons anyway? Think about that for a second. This man does not have a legitimate piece of hip-hop and yet he is the most recognizable face (in terms of success) attached to it.

Now, before anyone starts talking shit, let me explain to you why Russell (and others ) are not as powerful as we think. Do you know who the following people are? William Socolov, Arthur Russell (Sleeping Bag Records), Rick Rubin (Def Jam Recordings), Steve Plotniki and Corey Robbins (Profile Records), Jerry Allen (BDP Records), Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy Records), Lyor Cohen, and Percy Miller. These are the people behind the scenes that make the decisions. Guess how many are black? One. Percy Miller AKA Master P. I don’t like Master P either but I cant front, he is the ONLY brotha in the business that owns 100% of his masters and the first rapper to be worth over $100 million. If you want to learn about business, follow this cat. Cuz for all the posing, P-Shitty, Jay-Z, and Suge Knight do for the cameras, when you bottom line it: they are bought and paid for. But I digress. A face is needed to convince the public that rap is a credible industry that can bring great success. Enter Russell. But do some diggin people! Who really owns Def Jam? Who owns Phat Farms? If you blurted out Russell, go to the back of the class.

I’m getting way off topic so let me get to my point. Whenever something that is so blatantly wrong happens involving black folks, white folks go scrambling to find someone black to place in front of the camera to say “no, it’s all a misunderstanding”. Russell Simmons has become the ‘go to’ guy. Then, Russell gets the nerve to say he wants to ban all rappers from using the words 1. nigga 2. bitch 3. ho. Aint that some shit? Apparently the man does not see the irony in complaining about something he not only helped create but defended a few months earlier. I don’t advocate the use of the words and they do need to go away……..however my immediate response to this situation was more of a finger pointing blame. Here it is:

You want 3?

Too late punk

Damage already done

You created this

So get ready…..

Eat your words

Swallow your pride

Be more humble

Say you’re sorry

Take your lumps

You want change?

Keep it moving

Walk the walk

Do unto others

Toss the bling

Shun the idiocy

Encourage conscious flows

Skool the fools

Cross your fingers

Pray it works

If it doesn’t

We’re all fucked

I repeat, Russell Simmons is an agent, and so was Tookie.