Rev Run's Word Of Wisdom

Good morning. “Most people operate on autopilot, doing what comes naturally. They get into a comfort zone of average performance, and seldom question their behavior.” -BT

The best way to determine what your life's purpose should be now is to determine what you want people to say about you at your funeral, and then live up to it until that day comes. -HSRjr.
God is Love
-Rev Run

What do you think?...Ain't No N***a Like...Dame Dash

Just ran across this post from Russell .....Tell me what you think?

Sitting in the audience last night inside the crowded 37 Street Arts Theater in Manhattan Off Broadway, I witnessed another great Damon Dash contribution, one that takes hip-hop culture to another significant level of accomplishment.

Sony Entertainment and Damon Dash produced, "Hip-Hop Monologues: the Life and the Mind of Jim Jones." It was a fantastic show that portrays the evolution of hip-hop through the life Jim Jones.

I have to say, Damon Dash is a hip-hop genius who should never be underestimated. I have watched Dame's growth, development and entrepreneurship over the years--not from a distance but from first hand observation. He was one of the creative forces behind Rocafella Records, the architect of Rocawear Fashions, he's made significant culturally relevant films with Dash Films and made other creative cultural installments thru Dash Enterprises.

On another great note... He's the only husband beside one other that I know, who spent a small fortune developing a major talent and women's brand by supporting his women to the hilt!!

In our early days, Lyor Cohen and I used to shout at Damon and he would shout back. Then we would hug and go handle our business. That was our way of communicating. Eventually, Lyor got old and I did more yoga and we both stopped shouting so much. Dame eventually made a few bad choices and a few things went sour. We know haters love a man who's been hot to catch a lil cold. Hate spreads. But like Tony Montana in "Scarface" said, "two qualudes ..... And they gonna love him again."

So haters, it really doesn't matter about your blogs from the sidelines. Dame's gonna help heat the economy again!! If he got hit by a truck today remember this, Dame's a giver by nature. That's why he has already received so much. He was the biz leader, architect and one of the creative forces that built Rocafella Records into an empire. I remember that it was Damon who came on my office after we signed Jay-Z to be on the "Nutty Professor" soundtrack with a bag of cash ready to put his money where his mouth was :-). But the record "Ain't No n*gga" didn't need his cash. It was a masterpiece and so was his artist, Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time.

I saw countless displays of vision and faith all the way up to and beyond his struggle to convince everyone (no one believed) of the artistry in Kanye West. In this business, in order to be successful you have to have both business sense and great creative instincts (The latter is intuitive and cannot be learned). Damon has once again proven that he is a great innovator with amazing vision.

Now, he is helping Jim Jones in a powerful manner that combines their collective experiences--from being born and raised in Harlem. They've taken that culture to Broadway theaters with a live hip-hop band, dance routines, multimedia use and the dynamics of theatrical stage presentation to show the struggles of life through the lens of hip-hop.

I have 2 responses:
1) Respect Dame's gangster.
2) Go see the play immediately.
-Russell Simmons

Words of wisdom

Good morning. The prayerful, hopeful or religious type person is more likely to have longevity, health and happiness....(#1) His mind is employed on high themes; he contemplates sacred subjects. He is dealing with HIGH IDEALS, and for the most part, leads an unselfish life, largely devoted to the service of others. A HIGH ideal, a LOFTY purpose, a NOBLE aim, WHATEVER tends to make man look up and struggle up, tends to improve his health, happiness and life conditions. (Remember) ASPIRATION is a perpetual tonic; it stimulates all the faculties and leads to a overall healthier, happier existence... (Pray often)

God is Love

-Rev Run

The Celebration Principle

Good morning. A wise man once said.... The true test of relationships is not only how loyal we are when friends fail, but how thrilled we are when they succeed. (Remember this) Many average people do not want others to go beyond average..... The question we must ask ourselves is this.... Do I enjoy and root for the success of my friends???? (Don't hate congratulate! Lol)

God is Love
-Rev Run

I Won't Ask For S**t Else

THIS IS THE WEEK I'm interested in being entertained by gossip or funny tv or music or.... but if I could just get people excited about this transitional period or to watch their politicians on this one issue for a few days... anyhow thats life. We are always seeking just one more blessing
:-) but again can we rally up support and love for the people unjustly locked in jail pleeeeease.... I promise I wont ask for sh*t else.

Every morning I meditate and before silence sets in there is a period of uncertainty for a few minutes where the thoughts run rampant and in those minutes (and even a few minutes after those minutes) I get a chance to see the noise (thoughts) from a little distance.. It is there that maybe I don't react to them so quickly but instead just "watch" them. It is at this time while taking this inventory of my thoughts that I can best choose my actions for the day. I may be confronted with heavy judgement from family or heads of my charities or biz associates or press officers... Or even confronted by something as small as judgment from the monster media itself. So this morning Prayer allows me strength to weigh the validity of those pressures.
As a yogi, I've come to realize that my happiness and perception of reality is based 100 % from what sits inside and 0% from what happens on the outside. It is also for this reason that I sometimes have strength to be original. I encourage all people and including artists to be good listeners but more important to follow their heart and not be a puppet to judgment or mediocrity. Be special. Choose what makes u whole.

I can tell u that choosing vegan diet or fighting for the environment or running five charities and even giving away my money to various charities comes from these prayers. I can let you in on a trick... the toys I receive are a result of the gifts I give.

This is not some crazy idea I have. I have proof. (This is taught by all the prophets and it sits in the Bible, the Koran, the Torah the Buddhist scriptures and the yoga sutras). I repeat, the toys I receive are a result of the gifts I give.

I sometimes write to reflect to reaffirm my own faith. I'm sure I'm restating the obvious to you but I can tell you the reason the yogis chant the name of god over and over again is because we have to remember and remember to remember.

Oh sh*t! the senate majority leader is calling.

Maybe there's a break through... :-). Last note... If I can ask you for anything. "don't forget those non-violent diseased people sitting in cells for doing what I did, the gov did, the president did and the previous president did (use coke). 95% of those locked up are black, yet blacks and white use drugs at the same rate. They need your support! Come to the rally tomorrow at the governor's office. See you there!

-Russell Simmons

Seek and Destroy All Lazy Men

The thin-skinned men please be advised before reading this.
But the more I talk to former classmates, close friends, business associates and women, the more I find that the disease of LAZINESS has crippled us as men on this planet like never before. Where is our sense of purpose?
I had a man recently tell me that he spends most of his days playing video games and watching TV while his wife is working to pay the bills. He brags about being able to beat everyone in NBA Live or Call To Duty. What?
I had another one tell me that over these last 12 years since we've been out of high school, he has worked only at fast-food joints because he didn't want to finish college although he had a full scholarship. Plus he says there is no pressure to improve at his present job. What?
I had a female classmate tell me that she has had three children by a man who has a good paying job but he refuses to take care of his children. Instead he spends most of his money on taking trips, spending lavishly on others, and making sure he looks good in his Lexus. She works two jobs to pay for daycare. What?
Then there was a brother who told me he wants to own his own business one day, yet does not feel like putting in the work to build it up--so he chooses to go to his unhappy cubicle everyday at his corporate job. Plus he admitted that he is afraid of failing so he spends his spare time just going to night clubs when it could be used to fulfill his ideas. What?
Oh yeah and let me not forget my former co-worker who is 35-years-old and still stays with his single mother because she has a soft spot for him and won't kick him out although he's unemployed right now. He doesn't help her with the bills, uses her car until there is no gas in it, and won't even get up in the morning to take out the trash. What?
What about the community issues? We now think that all of a sudden our problems have been solved because we have a Black President, so many of us as men no longer want to operate youth programs, build institutions, stop sexual predators, stand up against injustices, lead an organization, support a cause or rid our 'hoods of crime.
Instead we have become intellectual experts who only want to be skilled at "barbershop sciencing" on what the problems are but yet won't put our hands to the plow to BE the change....we have even fell in love with gossip.
Where is our sense of purpose as men? Many of us fluently speak the language of "swagger", "grinding", "hustling", or "stacking paper", but at the end of the day many of us are not putting in real work to help ourselves and others.
The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad advises us in the book "Message to the Blackman in America" that there is a refuge prayer that we should all recite at least seven times a day. Part of that prayer says "Oh Allah (God) I seek Thy refuge from lack of strength and laziness".
I have been reciting that prayer since I was a freshman in high school and I am now understanding why we have to seek refuge from laziness. It aborts one's ability to be a reflection of God (Who is not lazy) and the ability to exercise the innate powers that are within all of us. God says "Be and It Is" and we can too.
But "Be and It Is" is not by chance but with mathematics...cause and effect.
So when I say "Seek and Destroy All Lazy Men", I mean set fire to that mindset by acknowleding those men that are being a good example, executing our plans, taking care of our responsibilities, encouraging one another, and leaving our mark by being men of purpose.
Sisters you can help in this process as well by not taking care of lazy men and mothers PLEASE kick that lazy grown son out of your home....he will thank you later for it. Trust me....the elephants do it all the time.
Let's Eliminate Excuses.
Peace,
Bro. Jesse

The Truth from Fox Brown(courtesy of Global Grind)

15 years old. Brooklyn. Infatuated with gangsters and hustlers, going to the projects everyday…but coming home to a brownstone, like the f*ckin' Huxtable’s…insecure, dark skin, saw nothing like me on tv, trailblazin’, thought I could take this sh*t over, if just given the chance…so, young inga, young shawn, brooklyn’s bonnie and clyde, d&d studios, graffiti on the wall, finally felt like hip-hop for real. No surreal life, this was my life…still running away from the brownstones, hoping to run into the arms of a motherf*cker who wouldn’t care about the darkness of my skin or the sass of my attitude. One take. 36 bars. Only chick in the crew…even n*ggas couldn’t spit how I do. The sun came up and I was still awake…and I didn’t even have a rap name…but that night I created a f*ckin’ hip-hop classic…Ain’t No n*gga! And finally I got my name. The one and only Foxy Brown. Bad girl of rap…misunderstood. Been crucified, criticized, but still I rise…I got a beep…the record’s #1 in the streets and the godfather of rap wanted to meet me. Could it be? So holla’d at Jay-Z…no more Shawn Carter…we goin’ to see the Godfather. And that’s where the saga begins…

Fast forward the tape a number of years…I’ll fill in the details in another diary entry, or entries, because my life has been crazy! I guess this is what they call Rock and Roll. Puffy said "mo' money, mo' problems." And there I was. Falsely accussed. On Riker’s Island. Looking at an eight-month bid. Since Shyne got 9, hip-hop's been on trial. Hip-Hop police were a joke on the streets, but that year long sentences were real....and nothing sweet. I fear no one but GOD. But, then I recognized that life catches up to you and catches you hard. Sitting alone in a jail cell, having to ask c.o.'s permission...just to use the bathroom and kitchen. A 5min phone call, 3min shower, the food is atrocious, strip searched every hour. But divine intervention is power....and my faith in GOD got me thru every SECOND...every HOUR. Makes you forget the lifestyle of a “famous” rapper. 23 hours a day in a cell. 23 f*ckin hours a day!!! But, it was during those 23 hours, EVERYDAY, that I looked long and hard at myself. Who I was…from young Inga to Foxy Brown to a number on a docket. I had become just a number. Not the number of records I sold, but a Riker’s Island jail number. And believe it or not, it was during those 23 hours that I finally allowed myself to feel free. I realized that freedom is not about where you are, but it’s a state of mind. And I learned to be grateful…grateful to be given another chance. And now I just got to show and prove…not to the world, but to myself.

-Foxy Brown

Time To Show The World- A Blog By Russell Simmons

There was a lot of movement in Albany last week and yesterday about the Rockefeller Drug Laws. The ACLU of NY released a major report, strongly stating that the laws have been disastrous for New York State, as they have not improved public safety OR stopped people from using drugs. The report even calls the laws, “New York’s Jim Crow Laws,” some pretty tough words. The ACLU recommends four things, of which I agree on all four:

* Reduce sentences for those convicted of drug-related crimes.
* Restore judicial discretion and end mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses.
* Develop and invest in a statewide alternative to incarceration model to provide supervised treatment, education and employment training for those who would be better served by diversion than by prison.
* Provide retroactive sentencing relief for those already incarcerated under the Rockefeller Drug Laws

The word coming out of the Governor’s camp was that he was going to release a bill on Friday that would be a “compromise” between what the Assembly passed and what the Senate wants. However, it never came. I realized that it is a lot safer, politically, for the Governor to not release a bill, and rather create the “compromise” with both sides of government in private. So, just like what we did in 2003, I urge all three parties to be straight with the people of New York. There have been rumors floating around about what is inside the Governor’s bill, a few things of which I am not too happy about. The first thing I heard is that he will keep mandatory minimum sentences for second time offenders. I urge him to re-consider this position, and give full judicial discretion for all drug-related crimes, especially non-violent ones. Also, they are saying that there is not retroactivity in the Governor’s bill, meaning that those who were convicted under these harsh sentences in the past, will not be re-sentenced. I think this is wrong, and to use the argument that that the state can’t afford to do this is not being honest with the people of New York. To continue with the way we have been going will cost the taxpayers $600 million dollars to incarcerate drug-offenders in New York in 2009 alone. We will save hundreds of millions of dollars if we fix this. And we need to fix this now.

Governor Paterson, Senate Leader Malcolm Smith and Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver – fix these laws and fix them now. The people of New York are behind you in repealing the Rockefeller Drug Laws, so make it happen. And you should remember that the nation is watching us. The nation is watching to see if we will do the right thing in New York. And if we do the right thing, the nation will follow in our footsteps, and for once, maybe just once, we can begin to end a “war” in this country that went terribly wrong.

-Russell Simmons