SOHH Squad
Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons has the Internet buzzing this week after singling out Cash Money Records and calling it the most inspiring company influenced by hip-hop. #BestEver
The music mogul took to his personal blog to give accolades to Cash Money co-owners Slim and Baby.
“The other night, at the BET Awards, I ran into the entire Cash Money Records crew as I was entering the show. It got me thinking about their incredible journey to the top. One of Cash Money Records’ more recent songs “Started From the Bottom” is my favorite song from last year. Their true reality is they started from UNDER the bottom. When we talk about surviving despite difficult personal trauma we are talking about Baby and Slim – the founders of Cash Money Records. They are by far the most inspiring record company hip-hop has built to date.” (Global Grind)
Simmons took things a step further by calling Cash Money the best hip-hop company, ever.
“We saw hip-hop penetrate the mainstream record business with a sport of ownership that always made me proud. If that’s hip-hop and it IS, then the best company in the history of hip-hop is Cash Money Records. They built it, developed and nurtured their artists while treating them fairly, held it together, and continue to make more money than everybody.” (Global Grind)
No stranger to debates, Russell spoke out on the Kendrick Lamar versus Macklemore Grammy Awards discussion earlier this year.
Do you still accept cd’s/demos from the hands of emcees? What type of artist do you think hiphop needs right now? What are you looking for? Lyrics & social consciousness. Someone with lyrics & flow like Kendrick, with the social message of Macklemore. Poets should touch peoples’ hearts, and possessing that ability is what’s most important. What is the best piece of advice someone has ever told you? What did you think about Kendrick Lamar getting robbed last night for best rap album? Kendrick is absolutely a better rapper, and Macklemore had one of the most inspiring, socially conscious songs of the year and that is what did well for him. He’s a great rapper, but there is no evidence anywhere that he’s a better artist than Lamar (Reddit)
Last year, Russell wrote a blog post about rap star Kanye West‘s genius characteristics.
“We will no longer be lost in the world and we will survive in this America. I believe these truths to be self-evident. That is what Kanye West told me on a cold morning in New York City just seven days ago. It is his genius, his tenacity, his creativity, his relentlessness and his madness, that will allow us all to one day have the ability to touch the sky.” (Global Grind)
