Life and Def

The original hip-hop mogul, Russell Simmons is one of the most innovative and influential figures in modern American business and culture. Life and Def provides the blueprint of how he went from a kid running the streets of Queens, New York, to the creator of a multimillion-dollar empire of culture-defining enterprises, including everything from music to fashion, advertising to film, and media to politics. Written with acclaimed author Nelson George, Life and Def interweaves Simmons's own remarkable journey with the story of a culture he has transformed and been transformed by. Through it all Simmons relates telling anecdotes about the characters he's dealt with: models and gangsters, street poets and gurus, and major players in film, music, and fashion. Full of advice, opinions, and behind-the-scenes scoop, Life and Def is the story of the quintessential hip-hop life.