Russell Simmons Calls Obama A “Mouse” And Lauds Edwards’ Yoga Skills
April 30, 2007 | Permalink
In a recent interview, Russell Simmons talks about Barack Obama and John Edwards.
Simmons displays indifference about Obama’s campaign and even refers to him as a “mouse”…
Deborah Solomon:What do you make of Barack Obama, who recently said that rap musicians should reform their lyrics?
Russell Simmons:What we need to reform is the conditions that create these lyrics. Obama needs to reform the conditions of poverty. I wish he really did raise his money on the Internet, like he said. I wish he really did raise his money independently.
Deborah Solomon: What are you saying? I think about one-fourth of his campaign contributions came from small donations made over the Internet, even though he collected more than any other Democratic candidate from Wall Street people.
Russell Simmons: So at the end of the day, he’s controlled, too. That’s my point. He’s a mouse, too, like everybody else.
Simmons expressed a more positive view of John Edwards (maybe it was the yoga?)…
Deborah Solomon: Are there any presidential candidates who inspire you?
Russell Simmons:I talk to John Edwards more than I talk to anyone. He has said more things about the conditions we need to think about. He went to yoga with me. He did the whole class, an hour and a half. He sweated like crazy. He’s in good shape, but it was hard on him.
This interview is telling…
- This interview underscores the tension between Obama and the Hip-Hop community. I don’t believe this tension has surfaced yet, but when it does, it won’t be pretty for Obama.
- Simmons’ remarks also reminds us that Edwards is a very strong candidate. I think what makes Edwards so powerful is that he’s in a position to get plenty of attention, while avoiding the intense scrutiny that frontrunners face. He clearly has worked towards establishing strong relationships with important demographics.
*UPDATE 5/10/07* - Yestday, Russell Simmons posted the following message clarifying the above quoted remarks on his myspace page:
Sphere: Related ContentA recent comment I made about Dennis Kucinich was taken out of context. I stated that I would like to hear more from Dennis Kucinich in the debate because I believe he has very relevant, important and useful ideas to add to a discussion.
When I appeared on “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” on April 25, I was asked about the Democratic Primaries and I said that I had not yet picked a candidate. Donny then asked if a change had to be made right now, what would it be. At that point I said I would put Dennis Kucinich in office.
I believe that all of the democratic candidates have good qualities and any one of them has the ability to start a process of changing our relationship with the world and improving the lives of the poor in this country.
When I am ready to officially support one of the candidates, I will put out an official statement.I’d also like to clarify the part of the interview in the NY Times magazine, where I referred to Senator Barack Obama as a ‘mouse,’ as it has been take out of context in reports in the media. And, I’d like to publicly apologize to Senator Obama for any hurt it has caused. There has, i believe, been more made of my statement that “all of the Democratic candidates are controlled” than i would have expected. The full statement, i believe, was clear in its intention. The statement in its proper context was meant to make a point about all of the candidates and American politics, in general. In the future, i will be more careful in how i express my views. For the record, I believe Senator Obama is a strong, solid candidate and I wish him the best in his run for the Presidency.
I don’t know if I buy into the impact that much. What it shows me is that Simmons is an Edwards backer.
What Russel Simmons said is a simply-minded view. He’s just now a supporter of Obama and it is obvious.
I like the fact that John Edwards has shown a willingness to expand his campaign message beyond just Iraq and healthcare. John Edwards has shown incredible courage in addressing poverty and racism in America and I think that alone shows him to tbe the type of person America needs as its next president
Russell’s opinion is just that, his opinion. He huge part of hip-hop but his opinion does not speak for the entire Hip-Hop community.
I think Russell is a fool. John Edwards is playing him as such too. I think we need a new face in the white house because election after election, the same results keep happening.
SINCE AMERICA,WILL LIKE TO FORGO DEPORTATION OF ILLEGALS,WHY NOT FORGO
CRIMES PEOPLE THAT ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE ON THIER RECORDS.GIVE US A SECOND CHANCE AT THE AMERICAN DREAM AFTER WE DONE WRONG.I NOT SAYING REMOVE CHARGES SUCH AS RAPE OR MOLESTATION,BUT DRUGS AND OTHER NON-VIOLENT CRIMES.ALL I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS MAKE A LIVING AND SUPPORT MY FAMILY WITH WITHOUT BEING JUDGE FOR MY PAST OVER TEN YEARS AGO.AMERICA WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE ALREADY HERE ? I THINK I GET IT IF YOU COMMIT A CRIME AND YOU ARE NOT A CITIZEN WE WILL GIVE A BREAK WITH NOTHING ON YOUR RECORD FOREVER.JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT FROM COREY JONES ,NEWARK,NJ -CMJAUG73
Russell is a sucker. He’s a snitch.
Fuck him hating on Barack.
[...] Found on a website called 2008 Central [...]
Russel has nerve to talk. He does not represent the whole hip hop community. Russel is a theif who stole someones concept to put on an Urban Fashion Awards. I know the people who brought the concept to him originally. He may seem to be this so-called mogul but anyone can be scum, no matter how rich you are!!
Russell is the biggest mouse there is- yes I do agree that Obama is a mouse as well. Obama wants to party with rappers and celebrities. Also, someone must stop Russell, Al Sharpton, and that idiot Jesse Jackson from speaking on behalf of Black perople. Those idiots are not our spokeperson. I do not know anyone who follows them and I am so appalled at them speaking on our behalf.
Russell Simmons is not credible. Am I to take into consideration what a former (and I use this term loosely) cocaine addict has to say about a presidential candidate. He is out of touch with the hiphop community. He is a 50 year old who does not see anything wrong with enabling rappers to degrade women and make living illegal lifestyles glamorous. And this he calls art. He just still gets rich off of it. Whatever
I agree, Russell Simmons, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, etc. do not represent Black people, who ever Black People is supposed to be. I believe society loves when powerful African-Americans bash other African-Americans whether they are artists or presidential candidates. Simmons, should have applauded that a Brotha, has a realistic chance to be the President, and the inspiration it would bring to African-Americans in general especially the youth who embrace all the negative in Hip-Hop and have to deal with the ills of society. Calling Obama a mouse, is so derogatory, he might as well be calling women “whores”.
There is No Way POSSIBLE that THE HipHop Community is Not Backing Obama. He Is A MAn of Great Intelligence With Concerns About Life Issues that affect Those in the Lower and middle CLass Those even lower. We are in Need and Mr. Barack Obama Can Stand In and Address the Issue.
P.S Fuck Edwards he’s with the brother hood. Fuck Russell He’s not the voice of the HipHop Community In fact what the fuck is the hiphop community??We are poor and struggling the brother hood is keeping us down.But I got a trick.
Russel Simmons relationship with hip-hop is like the relationship of a mother of a gangbanger. She knows he’s doin wrong, but her love for him won’t allow her to turn her back on him, no matter how much wrong he does. He’s having a hard time coming to terms with how wrong hip-hop is right now and how much harm it’s causing our community.
Well, you should have thought about that in the past. I think it is fair to judge people by their past…there is no better indicator of future behavior. Its called thinking BEFORE you act. You do wrong then want someone to feel sorry for you and give you a second chance. How dumb is that? Get over yourself, people like you are better off in prison anyway.
whatever- that is a stupid comment because not everyone continues to make the same mistakes over again.you talk like you never did anything wrong in your entire life.if a person wants to change then they will.all hio-hop artist are not better off in prosion.rock n roll music aint exactly innocent either.criminals are involved in everything and comes in all colors.check out the news and court tv.
[...] been a recent fuss over some comments that Russell Simmons made about Barack Obama and Dennis Kucinich. In short, in an interview, he [...]
Simmons is a joke… He got to stop coming up with excuses for the way rappers are degrading our women. It’s not because a lot of them came from poverty that they have the right to degrade women in such ways. There’re a lot of people around the world poorer and in worst situations then African-Americans and you don’t see them making music on how many h**s and b***ches they have or how many they can go through. You can easily rap about your life experiences or about your hood without degrading women. His comment was just ignorant, plain and simple. I used to admire and respect him, now he’s just a joke, a puppet …. a mouse
This is Such bullshit. rappers are not degrading Women at all. They are just exploiting what we all think. Hiphop over all is an art We Can Talk About real Life Situations.We can tap into Fantasy and far out thoughts As well as anything we want. freedom of speech that means we can say what we want if you don’t like it don’t listen to it We are making music for every crowd some like certain things. That doesn’t mean Women are down graded of thought less of. I love women everything about them. they are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. People JUST NEED TO STOP POINTING THE FINGER IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HIPHOP IS NOT TO BLAME FOR THE PROBLEMS IN OUR COMMUNITY TAKE A LOOK AT THE GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION THEY HAVE US BLAMING OURSELVES THEY ARE SUCH LIARS.
For the record, the hip-hop generation doesn’t vote anyway, at least not enough to make a serious difference. I’m glad to know that others feel the same as I do about so called Black leaders (Al, Jesse, etc) NOT being the representatives of us all.
I swear! the next time Russell begins to speak, someone should run across the room and duck tape his azzhole up ……since that is what he uses to speak from most of the time. Everytime I see him on tv, I nearly break my neck …..in a hurry to change the channel. What an idiot! nuff said!
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It took long enough but he has finally showed his true face Look at lydell Obama under Def comendy Jam. I think he is Jealous of Obama you know the instinct place in us by the Slave master. Betray anyother that is getting ahead.
Russel Simmons is very very fine man.
http://comm.globalcountry.net/russell.wmv
Some times fine men may say a thing or two that are thought of as being not so fine.
And some times the said fine man, because he’s awake inside, will quickly come around to making the fine correction.
Russel Simmons understood the odious power of special interests on their political servants.
This is a WORLD WIDE phenomenon, and one of the fundamental wickedness of the ‘divide and rule’ by the well-connected democracy.
With that in mind and without a deep enough appreciation of Barack Obama’s grassroots candidacy, Russel Simmons was rushing to judgment that Barack Ombama was ‘politician as usual’.
Russel Simmons have wisely come around to a different position and took the correct step to endorse Barack Obama, as the best choice to help make American government responsive to ALL Americans, and not to special groups.
Save yourselves from the chain reaction of ‘divide and rule’; and cut the brotha some slack. Barack Obama would have, and rightly so.