Russell Simmons
US hip-hop entrepreneur and former chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
| Russell Simmons | |
|---|---|
| Image | |
| Born | 4 October 1957 Queens, New York, United States |
| Died | |
| Nationality | United States |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur; record executive; former chairman, Foundation for Ethnic Understanding |
| Known for | Co-founder of Def Jam Recordings; chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (from 2002) |
| Parents | |
| Spouse(s) | Kimora Lee Simmons (m. 1998–2009) |
| Children | Ming Lee Simmons; Aoki Lee Simmons |
| Sibling(s) | |
| Education | |
| Predecessor | |
| Website | http://www.russellsimmons.com |
Russell Wendell Simmons (born 4 October 1957) is a US entrepreneur and record executive who co-founded Def Jam Recordings and later chaired the New York interfaith charity the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (FFEU).[1][2] He joined the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding after being honoured by Rabbi Marc Schneier's synagogue in the 1990s, served first as secretary and from 2002 as chairman, and became the public face of its Black–Jewish and later Muslim–Jewish programmes.[3][4] Form 990 filings list him as chairman through at least 2017; he is absent from the organisation's 2025 GuideStar board extract.[5][6]
Early life and business
Russell Simmons was born on 4 October 1957 in Queens, New York, the second of three sons of public-school administrator Daniel Simmons Sr. and parks administrator Evelyn Simmons. He grew up in Hollis, Queens. His younger brother Joseph Simmons became "Run" of Run-DMC; his elder brother Daniel Simmons Jr. is a painter who later worked on Def Poetry Jam.[1][7]
He promoted early hip-hop acts and managed Run-DMC, then co-founded Def Jam Recordings with Rick Rubin in 1984. The label released work by LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Jay-Z and others. He sold his stake to Universal Music Group in the late 1990s (reported figures range from about US$100 million to US$120 million).[1][7][8] Through Rush Communications he developed Phat Farm, Def Comedy Jam, Def Poetry Jam and related media. In 1995 he and his brothers founded the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.[2][1] He married model Kimora Lee Simmons in 1998; they divorced in 2009 and have two daughters.[7]
Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
Path to the chair
Variety reported that after Marc Schneier's synagogue honoured him in the 1990s, Russell Simmons offered to become secretary of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, then chairman.[3] New Voices in 2005 described him as chairman working "side-by-side" with Marc Schneier, with Rush Communications named as his company.[4] Inside Philanthropy dates the chairmanship to 2002.[2] He was still calling himself chairman on X in July 2017: "I am the Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding (@FFEUnyc) and my job for the past 20 years or so is to point out the..."[9]
Black–Jewish work and the Farrakhan track
In June 2001 Newsweek reported that Russell Simmons hosted a closed meeting at his penthouse near the World Trade Center between Marc Schneier and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, with Cornel West and Martin Luther King III also present. The magazine framed it as an attempt to repair Louis Farrakhan's standing with American Jews.[10] Variety later quoted Russell Simmons saying Marc Schneier was the only Jewish leader who showed up to a post–Million Man March meeting he had sought with Elie Wiesel, Israel Singer and others, and that the next day Louis Farrakhan "quoted the rabbi 20 times" at a hip-hop summit.[3]
In March 2007 the New York Daily News reported that Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League called Russell Simmons a "hypocrite" after he co-chaired a Detroit event for Louis Farrakhan at which the minister urged the audience to read texts the ADL called antisemitic. The paper noted Russell Simmons's "I Am a Jew"–style anti-antisemitism commercials with Jay-Z and his role at the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. Russell Simmons said he was "just trying to get an open dialogue".[11]
The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and the Jewish Journal later described a public-service announcement co-starring Russell Simmons and Jay-Z that denounced antisemitism and likened it to racism; the FFEU site dated the spot to 2007 and said it aired heavily in Europe.[12]
Muslim–Jewish work, events and honours
From 2007 Russell Simmons and Marc Schneier presented a global Muslim–Jewish programme, including the Weekend of Twinning / Season of Twinning. In 2012 they travelled to Israel for what Russell Simmons called the "holy grail": pairing Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger and Jerusalem Grand Mufti Muhammad Ahmad Hussein in the twinning scheme.[3] He hosted Foundation for Ethnic Understanding fundraisers at his New York and Hollywood homes, including a 26th-anniversary event on 30 September 2015 at which he announced a gift from Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, and a March 2013 young-leadership benefit honouring Ali Naqvi's circle.[13][14] On 8 March 2007 he and Marc Schneier presented the Joseph Papp Racial Harmony Award to Max L. Siegel at a New York spring benefit.[15]
On 12 February 2009 the NAACP gave him its Vanguard Award, citing in part his chairmanship of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding. The World Jewish Congress noted that Marc Schneier was then head of WJC United States and a WJC vice-president.[16] In 2014 he and Marc Schneier were honoured at the US Capitol for 25 years of Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Black–Jewish work, with remarks from Chuck Schumer, Henry Waxman, James Clyburn, Jerrold Nadler and others.[17] C-SPAN lists him as chairman of the organisation.[18]
Money and in-kind role
Public Form 990s list Russell Simmons as chairman at US$0 compensation.[5] No itemised grant from the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation or Rush Communications to the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding was found. His documented contribution is convening, celebrity recruitment and the use of his homes as fundraising venues.[13][3]
2017 allegations and withdrawal
In November–December 2017 multiple women accused Russell Simmons of sexual assault. He denied violence, apologised for being "thoughtless and insensitive", and said he would step aside from the businesses he founded so as not to be "a distraction". He left Def Jam Recordings, clothing lines and the board of the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.[19][20] He does not appear on the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding board list GuideStar published as of 18 September 2025.[6]
- 1990s – Honoured by Marc Schneier's synagogue; offers to serve the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.[3]
- June 2001 – Hosts Marc Schneier–Louis Farrakhan meeting at his Manhattan penthouse.[10]
- 2002 – Becomes chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding.[2]
- 2005 – Described as chairman in New Voices; organisation running Project Scorecard on congressional race votes.[4]
- 2006–2007 – PSA with Jay-Z against antisemitism; spring benefit with Joseph Papp Racial Harmony Award; ADL clash over a Louis Farrakhan event he co-chaired.[12][15][11]
- February 2009 – NAACP Vanguard Award, citing FFEU chairmanship.[16]
- 2012 – Travels to Israel with Marc Schneier for mosque–synagogue twinning involving Yona Metzger and Muhammad Ahmad Hussein.[3]
- 2013 – Young-leadership benefit at his home; West Coast push for Muslim–Jewish work.[14][12]
- 2014 – Honoured with Marc Schneier at the US Capitol for 25 years of FFEU Black–Jewish work.[17]
- September 2015 – Hollywood fundraiser at his home; announces Will Smith / Jada Pinkett Smith gift.[13]
- July 2017 – Still describing himself as chairman on X.[9]
- November–December 2017 – Sexual-assault allegations; steps back from companies and the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation.[19][20]
- 2025 – Not listed on FFEU GuideStar board extract.[6]
See also
- Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
- Marc Schneier
- Joseph Papp
- Louis Farrakhan
- Def Jam Recordings
- Rush Communications
- Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 BlackPast, Russell Simmons (1957– ) BlackPast.org, 21 April 2011.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Inside Philanthropy, Russell Simmons Inside Philanthropy, 26 July 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Variety, Russell Simmons and Rabbi Team to Reconcile Communities Variety, 4 August 2016.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Michael Dubitzky, Calculating the Politicians New Voices, 27 January 2005.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 ProPublica, Foundation For Ethnic Understanding Nonprofit Explorer, accessed 24 September 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 GuideStar, Foundation for Ethnic Understanding GuideStar, board as of 18 September 2025.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 QNS, Hollis’ Russell Simmons left impression on more than music QNS, 13 October 2011.
- ↑ Biography.com, Russell Simmons Biography, 2 April 2014.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Russell Simmons, I am the Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding X, 4 July 2017.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Newsweek, Top-Secret Session Newsweek, 12 June 2001.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 New York Daily News, Simmons called tone Def to Farrakhan spiel New York Daily News, 12 March 2007.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Ryan Torok / Jewish Journal, The Muslim-Jewish side of Russell Simmons Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, 27 February 2013.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Margaret Lenker, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith Donate to the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Variety, 5 October 2015.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Black Tie Magazine, The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding Black Tie Magazine, 19 March 2013.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Getty Images, The Foundation For Ethnic Understanding Spring Benefit Getty Images, 8 March 2007.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 World Jewish Congress, Russell Simmons honored for intercultural understanding World Jewish Congress, 20 February 2009.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 The Yeshiva World, Rabbi Marc Schneier, Russell Simmons, and FFEU honored at Congress The Yeshiva World, 2014.
- ↑ C-SPAN, Foundation for Ethnic Understanding C-SPAN, accessed 24 September 2026.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 National Jeweler, Russell Simmons Steps Down from Businesses after Accusations National Jeweler, 1 December 2017.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Naeisha Rose, Hollis icon Russell Simmons resigns from business after sexual misconduct accusations QNS, 8 December 2017.