Question: Is hip hop dead?
Russell Simmons: Hip hop’s been dying or dead every single year since it’s inception. So as long as it’s eight of the top eight downloads last week, I feel it’s not dead. It still has a tremendous influence in American pop culture; it’s still the greatest brand building community in the world. They have all kinds of inspiration and influence for American mainstream, they made the President by shifting race dialogue, when Run DMZ got on MTV there were no black people at all except Michael Jackson, and they changed a lot in America and the way people see each other. Jay-Z’s not dead, as far as I can tell, artists last. LL Cool J is on a number one show. Ice-T’s not dead; he’s 45.
I’m 51, I’ve got new businesses that are hip hop-related, and they’re growing. I don’t feel hip hop is deal. I don’t feel there are any good signs that would say that. I guess young people do download quicker than people who might buy a Whitney Houston record or something but that’s just what they do. Hip hop is being consumed as much now as ever and that’s an important statement and it has as much affect on American mainstream culture now as ever, and that’s another good statement. So, it’s hard to predict the death of a cultural phenomena that’s transformed American in so many ways.
Recorded on October 27, 2009
Discuss
peter mcnally on November 4, 2009, 6:17 PM
Russel Simmons created and runs an empire built on hip hop,he needs to step away from the plate to give an honest view on the death of hip hop.
My opinion, who’s the new voice ? who’s taking hip hop to newer places ? I don’t see it…..
Rap is a form of the blues,hip hop is a result of culture, Jay Z and the others use the ghetto as a symbol, the street to them is Wall Street,hip hop was the street and always will be.
They have all been products of the street and I’m glad they have set positive examples for kids today but they are not the street,the street today is as bad as ever.
Nicolas Pineda on November 5, 2009, 9:34 AM
The problem with the statement “hip hop is dead” is that you have to know what hip hop is before announcing it’s death.
Hip Hip – the ground breaking cultural phenomenon fed from the bottom up – D E A D
Russ knows very well that there is very little in Hip Hop that comes from the streets sans for the violent and derrogatory images. I still live in the ghetto and can tell you first hand that there is a lot more than that going on.
Hip Hop- the machine that (like rock) generates millions, if not billions of dollars, is controlled by a white majority and has little to no social awareness- ALIVE and WELL
Russ, who clearly isn’t white, is part of that majority. In fact, if Hip Hop were Rome Russ could arguably be Ceasar. He has power, but not necessarily control. So, to ask Russ this question is to ask a Ceasar if Rome will ever fall.
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