HIP-HOP honcho Russell Simmons - a right-wing darling?

NYPOST ^ | 07/20/03 | ANDREA PEYSER

[Pikamax]

July 20, 2003 -- HIP-HOP honcho Russell Simmons - a right-wing darling? Talk about the law of unintended consequences.

In May, the music mogul focused his fierce wealth, fat connections and exhausting gift for rapid-fire chat toward one goal: overturning New York's harsh Rockefeller-era drug laws.

[dwilli]

Pataki is probably the first Republican he has ever talked to.

[sushiman]

Rap , drugs , pro sports ...three ways the wealth in the USA is being re-distributed .

[Batrachian]

Russell Simmons isn't very interesting to me. What's interesting is Andrew Cuomo, who could have (should have, in his mind) been governor of New York. His political career is probably over, and he's reduced to wrangling over these Rockefeller Laws. How the almost-mighty have fallen!

[LS]

Last year a student of mine did a term paper on Russell Simmons, entrepreneur. In many ways this guy is conservative. No, he's not "country club," and no, he's certainly not die-hard down the line. But in NY, he is someone that might be willing to work with. And here come the flames.

[IFly4Him]

No flame here. I saw an interview with him and instantly recognized him as "diferent" in his approach and thinking (in a good way). He's not "here" yet, but I group him the folks I call "hopeful pagans".

And then again, in the next year he'll probably do something we reget...

[LS]

Ha! Yah, he might "Kobe-ize" in front of our eyes! BTW, I like your code name. Guess I should change mine to "ITEACH4Him."