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American Morning

Russell Simmons on MTV's 20th Birthday

Aired August 01, 2001 - 09:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, you know, for 20 years rap music and hip hop and MTV have all grown up together and gone on to be the biggest, baddest thing on the streets right about now.

Now, joining us to talk about that and how that all happened is Russell Simmons, who is the -- he is also considered as the godfather of hip hop. He's also the chairman of what is it, Jam -- are you still chairman of -- is it Def Jam Records that you're chairman of right now?

RUSSELL SIMMONS, CHAIRMAN, DEF JAM RECORDS: Yes, sir. I'm the chairman of Rush Communications, which includes Def Jam Records.

HARRIS: See, I figured you would know your resume better than me. So glad to have you with us this morning. How are you doing today?

SIMMONS: Very good, thank you.

HARRIS: Good deal. Well, listen, let me ask you first off about MTV and the past 20 years. Your histories have been so well intertwined. What do you make of what it's become today?

SIMMONS: Well, MTV, first, let me say that it's been so progressive in terms of race relations and in terms of programming. When they chose Run DMC and put them on MTV, it was before BET, which was its competitor, the black competitor.

HARRIS: That's right.

SIMMONS: And to that end it's helped to grow all of black culture and business into a mainstream American phenomenon. So MTV for me and for the development of hip hop and even for the development of better race relations in all America, they have done a tremendous job.

HARRIS: And you were the one that brought Run DMC to MTV, correct?

SIMMONS: That's correct.

HARRIS: And would you say that that was the seminal moment for the hip hop movement?

SIMMONS: I'm sorry, sir?

HARRIS: Would you say that that movement, bringing Run DMC to MTV, would be sort of the seminal moment for hip hop, the culture?

SIMMONS: Well, it was, again, there was -- the only black artist on MTV at that time was Michael Jackson. He had his hair strengthened and his nose broken. Run DMC's first line was, or one of their lines on that first record was no curls, no braids, peasy-head and still get paid. It had to do with black urban lifestyle, culture, attitude and it made that kind of lifestyle and that attitude, that rebellious attitude that young blacks had an American phenomenon and the most important influence in American culture.

So it has been a big ride but it has also, again, brought people together in a way that's unprecedented.

HARRIS: Yes, let me ask you something in terms of like a chicken or the egg kind of question. What do you think actually was the biggest boost, that of hip hop for MTV or MTV for hip hop?

SIMMONS: Well, I think that they both benefited tremendously. MTV has been very helpful to hip hop but hip hop, of course, has been the cornerstone in the MTV programming. And so I think we've worked together very nicely.

HARRIS: Do you think anything like that could happen again, because it seems like some of the critics that look at MTV today say that they don't even play enough music anymore. They've got regular programming on through much of the day. The idea of a band or someone like you bringing a Run DMC to MTV and having them come on out of nowhere and exploding on the scene is almost, it will be unheard of.

SIMMONS: Well, no, I don't know that that's true. I think that MTV's job is to stay progressive. And I think they've done a pretty good job of it. Even their original programming makes social and political statements about where young people are today. And so long as they have their finger on that pulse, then they're going to be a great asset to culture in America.

HARRIS: You know, back then when you, back in the day, if you will, when you first got hooked up with MTV. I remember those days. I am that old. But back then Motown was still considered to be sort of like the 800 pound gorilla as far as the music scene goes. What is it that you at Def Jam Records did that Motown didn't do or should have done?

SIMMONS: Well, we just was representing the street. We did what they did, you know? We were honest and we had some integrity. We were young and it was our culture. Motown's culture, the lifestyle that it promoted was past due, you know? So it was time for us to bring something new and we were fortunate enough to have been -- I mean I was young then, see? I was doing my thing. It was honest. It was a real representation of what was going on in the streets.

The good thing about rap is it has not lost its integrity and MTV has not pushed it to do so. They've taken the most progressive rap music and not the most polished. And so in doing so they've given America a real reaction or a real reflection of what was going on in the street and what goes on today.

So I commend them for having the guts to continue that whole process.

HARRIS: You know, right before this interview you heard that one executive talking in that piece that we had about how MTV's secret recipe for success was to evolve or die. What do you think about hip hop right now? Can, will or should it evolve any more as it is from right now?

SIMMONS: Well, you know, the thing about hip hop is that, again, I'd point out that it hasn't lost its integrity. You know, a song, as long as we have people like Senator Lieberman making pot shots at it and reminding people that it's young people's culture, young culture is about tearing down the old and bringing in the new, you know, especially as it relates to social and political ideas and ideals.

So you've got these guys, the Senator Liebermans, before that the Bob Doles and Delores Tuckers and people attacking the music and the culture. It's just a reminder to young people that these people are talking about their issues, their reaction to society, their willingness of wanting to change America.

So, so long as we have these people pointing at what a big threat these young people are to them, you know, our voices are being heard. And so that means that it's still relevant and new.

HARRIS: Well, thank you for letting us hear your voice this morning, Chairman Russell Simmons of Def Jam Records. Good luck to you down the road even though we know you don't need luck anymore. Way to go.

SIMMONS: Thank you. Well, thank you.

HARRIS: All right.

For more on MTV's anniversary, just log onto our Web site, folks. You'll find an interactive time line of MTV's first 20 years there. Go to CNN.com, AOL keyword, of course, is CNN.

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