Customer Reviews

Journeys in Black: Russell Simmons

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My students are interested in rap, hip hop and of course R/B. What better way to explain some of the forerunners in rap than to let them see pertinent clips of some of the people who were pioneers in that genre. "A picture is worth one thousand words."

This felt more like reading an article in "Black Enterprise" than seeing a rap special. For "urban" youth interested in the business world, this may be the doc to see. Of all the "Journeys in Black" episodes, this one interviewed its subject the least. That's not surprising since Simmons doesn't know how to enunciate and may have a lisp. I never knew he was MC Run's brother. This doc showed that Simmons can mingle with white CEOs and low-income rappers. He has one empire that hasn't fallen due to expansion. They interview white CEOs often explaining why they are in the rap business, but there's a woman interviewed who was a CEO of Def Jam and it would have been great to find out what being a woman in that position was like. This doc. describes Simmons as an avid woman-chaser before married life. It's hard for me to imagine that since he's so soft-spoken, unassuming, and plain-looking. I wish Simmons the best, but this documentary did not move me the way others have.