Russell Speaks...Sort Of!

Russell Simmons has blessed us with his words, whether or not they are words of wisdom is for you to decide, but he has finally opened his mouth. He actually typed the words for his Huffington Post blog entry, well, maybe he didn't type them, maybe his assistant did, but he wrote them, I think. Maybe he dictated them and someone else wrote them down, but you know what I mean. Look, when you have as much money as Russell has you don't really have to do anything for yourself ever again. Anyway, I have to say that after reading his blog entry, Russell Simmons is currently suffering from "affluenza".

I say that because it seems that Russell has forgotten where he comes from. He sounds like he's always come from money instead of hustling to get what he now currently has. He created the most iconic hip hop record label ever, the seminal Def Jam. Russell has made a lot of money off the backs of young Black kids that were routinely harassed by cops and yet he says, "Police in general get a bad rap, and the vast majority are good, loyal souls". I say prove it Russell. Show me a "good, loyal soul" that wears the shield because as a Black man, I have NEVER met one. I am at the point where I think it's harder to find a good cop than a bad one. That the kind of cops you're talking about are like unicorns, if they DO exist, they are impossible to find. Why don't you talk to Public Enemy or better yet, DMX about the good and loyal souls of most cops. I am pretty sure they'll look at you and laugh in your face.

Hip hop and the police force hate each other, I can find no other way to say it and for Russell to finally offer his take in regards to what's going on in Ferguson, MO. by riding the fucking fence is offensive to me. I tried my best to not see red when I read where Russell said, "Although we do not have all the details..." regarding Mike Brown's shooting as if we need them. Regardless of what "details" come to light, an UNARMED BLACK TEENAGER WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT! What more details would you like Russell? It wouldn't have mattered if he stole gold bullion from the Federal Reserve, he did NOT have a gun so that officer, Darren Wilson couldn't have possibly feared for his life. Isn't that the bullshit line that cops give us when they've used deadly force? Isn't "I feared for my life" what those good, loyal souls" said when they pumped more than 50 bullets into the car that Sean Bell was killed in, another unarmed Black man. Or how about Johnathan Ferrell, the college football player gunned down by Randall Kerrick, another "good, loyal soul". Ferrell was seeking help after being in a car accident and Officer Kerrick shot an unarmed Ferrell 10 TIMES!

When Russell stated towards the end of his...blog that "The community must also receive training on how to deal with the police..." I damn near threw up. What Russel fails to understand is that when someone becomes a cop, they've been HIRED to serve and protect. I didn't get HIRED to be a Black man so I don't need or require any training and neither does anyone else from the community. When you get a job, you get training, when you're born you weren't hired, you were born. I laughed out loud when I read that line. The entire thing made Russel Simmons appear seriously out of touch with those that look like him, as if he forgot where he came from, and how he made his money. He once said that Public Enemy was his favorite group, after reading what he wrote I have a really hard time believing that.

You can read for yourself what Russell said here...

Russell's Words.