I caught rap music pioneering wig owner Russell Simmons speaking at Barnes & Noble bookstore at Union Square. I dipped into the bookstore to try and snatch some ZZZ’s before the College Music Journal events popping off later that nite. Russell Simmons just happened to be there to talk about the DefJam anniversary coffee table picture book.
Say what you like about Russell being an unapologetic shill for himself and you would be correct, but also know that he has been at the forefront of Hip-Hop’s musical and cultural dominance. Russell did this to shift the paradigm from the gatekeepers who would only admit disco acts onto the pop music playlist
I always knew that rap music had died once it became a form of popular culture’s experience, but rap music would not have even made it that far if Sylvia Robinson’s design would have flourished. Russell concedes that the SugarHill Records founder only wanted to use rap to make 12″ dance singles.
Disposable artists? Isn’t that what rap music is all about now?
