Life and DefBy: Russell Simmons Russell Simmons, the original and eternal hip hop mogul, is one of the most innovative and influential figures in modern American business and culture. When no one outside of inner city New York had even heard of hip hop, Simmons saw the seeds of a global force that would change the way people talk, dress, listen to music, and choose the heroes they hang on their walls. Today, he oversees a sprawling, multimillion dollar empire of