Run’s House doesn’t only give viewers a unique opportunity to see into the lives of Rev. Run (Joseph Simmons), his wife and their children. It’s also a chance to get to know more about Rev. Run’s brother, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons.
Russell Simmons been famous for years in his own right, of course, as the co-founder of Def Jam Records, creator of Phat Farm fashions, and spouse (now separated) of Baby Phat fashionista Kimora Lee Simmons. Through Run’s House, though, we get the chance to see his behind-the-scenes personality and the dynamic between him and his siblings.
Although he and his brother might sometimes have differing views on their spiritual paths, both Rev. Run and Russell Simmons seem committed to the idea of taking action to make positive changes in the world. To that end, Russell recently teamed up with some other big names to send an open letter to the current slate of presidential candidates.
Russell Simmons teamed up with his colleague from the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, and health and spirituality author Deepak Chopra to put out a letter to the major candidates, including, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, Duncan Hunter, Dennis Kucinich, John McCain, Barack Obama, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Fred Thompson. (Hunter, Kucinich and Thompson have dropped out of the race since the letter was drafted.)
The trio came up with six questions for the candidates, hoping to generate a dialog about the issues they feel are of primary importance.
The questions included asking the candidates to discuss their thoughts on being inclusive of people who might not be part of the political mainstream, the importance of diversity, issues related to the environment, poverty, the war in Iraq, and how to move towards, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. put it, a “beloved community” where all humans are treated with respect , justice and love.
The three have requested answers to their questions, and have promised to disseminate the answers unedited to their own network. With the reach that the Run’s House uncle has with hip-hop, and his ability to motivate others to take actions, a savvy candidate might determine responding to the query could be an excellent way to put his or her views in front of a new and receptive audience.
– Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: XXLMag
(Image courtesy of MTV)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
