Russell Simmons appeared as a guest on The Arsenio Hall Show last night, where host Arsenio Hall asked the hip-hop mogul how he felt about rap's current state. Hall referenced Kid Cudi's recent comments on his show, who said he was tired of all the bragging and misogyny in hip-hop.
Russell tiptoed the line of political correctness in his response by explaining he feels rappers have a job to share their experiences, even if there's a negative connotation. "Their job is to tell you what people are thinking. Some of it is disturbing, but it's been our reality," he says. "With that reality, an artist's job is to express what's on the hearts and minds of the people. I think the artists are sharing with us some really inspiring things, and some things about ourselves that we don't want to face."
"I'm not at all disturbed by it," Russell adds. "In fact, I'm actually proud of what hip-hop has become." Watch the full clip above, where Simmons also shares his appreciation for YG's "Nigga." In the short video below, Simmons gives his two cents on Kanye West's tough journey through the fashion world.
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