Russell Simmons heading to South Africa

Russell Simmons (Image supplied)

Hip–hop mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons is heading to South Africa. Dubbed the “quintessential serial entrepreneur”, Simmons, who is married to reality TV star Kimora Lee Simmons, will visit the country in September as a speaker for the next DESTINY Forum event .As co-founder of the pioneering record label Def Jam in the 1980s, he helped launch the careers of several artists, including Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys. His empire includes the Phat Farm clothing line and an energy drink, but it’s his social activism that’s caused some to speculate that he’d make an ideal Mayor of New York City. Russell authored the New York Times best-selling book, Do You! 12 Laws to Access the Power in You to Achieve Happiness and Success. He’s often described as the man who made black urban culture a part of the mainstream, but Newsweek’s Johnnie L Roberts noted: “In the view of many, he’s now emerging as potentially the most credible and effective leader of the post-civil rights generation.” Russell will be presenting on Friday, 21 September 2012 at Johannesburg’s Hilton Sandton Hotel.