Hearing new voices: `Def Poetry Jam' creator Russell Simmons keeps his ear to the street

By Terry Byrne - The Boston Herald

Russell Simmons is on his cellphone on the way to a yoga class in Los Angeles.

``We're just turning onto Wilshire now. Are you sure you know the way?'' he says to a companion in the car. ``I don't think this is right.''

Simmons has spent his entire life getting it right. The 45-year-old hip-hop mogul has developed and sometimes spun off an astonishing array of businesses from his Rush Communications. As founder of Def Jam Records in 1984, he brought rap into the mainstream, managing his brother's group, Run DMC, along with rap pioneers Kurtis Blow, LL Cool J, Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys.

He still serves as chairman of Island/Def Jam records, although he sold his interest in the label. But he has branched out into fashion (creating the Phat Farm line, which includes several retail stores), philanthropy (funding community projects through the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network) and entertainment (``Def Comedy Jam'' and ``Def Poetry Jam'' on HBO).

Now ``Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam,'' which won a Tony award for special theatrical event in June, is on tour, arriving at the Colonial Theatre for a one-week run starting Tuesday.

On stage, eight poets create a kind of wild friction with contemporary poems that surge across the stage. A DJ provides a musical segue that connects each poet's performance

until they come together for the final poem. The passion of hip-hop and the power of the word build until you feel a new respect for the spoken word.

Despite the fresh feel of ``Def Poetry Jam'' - and the wide reach of his business enterprises - Simmons insists he hasn't really come up with anything new. ``I just exploit the obvious,'' he says.

But it wasn't so obvious to investors that any of Simmons' ventures would pay off, let alone deliver the dividends they've realized.

``Business people are always cautious,'' says Simmons. ``They have to be. The truth that develops out of a community takes a long time to resonate in places like Beverly Hills and Malibu.''

Simmons sees his role as keeping an ear to the street, and surrounding himself with people who are also tuned in.

``You have to plant these ideas and be prepared for them to grow,'' he says. ``When we started `Def Comedy Jam' (in the early '90s) on HBO there was nothing new about the fact that comedy was hot. Bernie Mac and so many others were already stars in their community. But HBO agreed to let us do one special, and then it became so popular, they found more people signed up to HBO than ever before, until `The Sopranos.' The popularity of the comedy show allowed us to launch `Def Poetry' on TV, too (now in its third season).''

But why transfer a successful TV concept to Broadway, where considerably fewer people would see it?

``I thought it would be more fun,'' Simmons says simply. ``It had never been done on Broadway before, and there's a power to the truth these poets are speaking that is phenomenal in front of a live audience. They really hold your attention.''

Simmons says the challenge was to choose the best of the poets from the TV show and work it into a coherent piece.

``We took our perception of the best of the poets and had a great director (Stan Lathan) put it together,'' he says. ``The hurdle is still about getting traditional theatergoers and new audiences to come, but that's a hurdle with everything we do.

``Hip-hop still comes from poor people, people in struggle thinking and talking about what makes them angry and frustrated,'' he says. ``But the thing about poetry that I like is that all those emotions are still there but there's room for silence. Silence is golden, and leaves room to figure out solutions.''

Touring with the show, Simmons says, revitalizes the poets.

``You cannot beat the integrity of the show because they wrote every word they say,'' he explains. ``None of them are computers, they're wrapped up in the truth in their mouths and they change a little and react a little differently every night because there's a live audience there.''

Since he's so jazzed by the theatrical experience, would Simmons consider producing again on Broadway?

``No, that doesn't sound like fun,'' he says. Instead, Simmons has launched himself into the world of financial services. ``Millions of Americans don't have bank accounts and because of that, people take advantage of them,'' he said of his latest venture. ``We've got a Unirush card that works like a debit card and allows people better control of their money without check-cashing fees or the debt that comes with a credit card.

``It's really exciting to be able to do this,'' he says. ``I'm really all about `what do people need?'. I don't do nothing people've already got.''

But Simmons has to hang up. It seems he has finally made it to the yoga studio.

``I try to keep up with all the stuff they tell me to do,'' he says (including opening a new store, an appearance on the Vibe awards, a lecture at a college), ``but I always make time for yoga.''