What do you get when hip hop meets the consciousness movement?
Well, you get Russell Simmons’ new book, Super Rich.
And, don’t let the title fool you. Although Russell may be a super rich hip hop mogul, this book is not about creating wealth and a lavish lifestyle. Instead, Russell provides a road map for his fans to jump start their spiritual evolution. In describing his journey – from hip hop promoter to promoting spiritual well-being — he offers insights into how he ditched his street mentality and simplified his life by meditating and practicing yoga. Interspersed among these observations are quotes from many sources including Gandhi, Yogananda, Lao-Tsu, the Maharishi, and the Bhagavad Gita.
Super Rich provides readers with simple, straightforward principles that will help them grow rich in mind, body, and spirit. Writing in a down-to-earth street smart style, Russell conveys the notion of spiritual transformation in terms that the hip hop generation can relate to. Where else can you find the Law of Attraction explained from the perspective of the pimp-ho dynamic. 😉 By promoting what he calls the “2 C’s” — consciousness and compassion — his goal for each day is to be more awake and less distracted. Ultimately, he wants his readers to cultivate and maintain their creative inspiration – which is the key to true happiness.
In full disclosure, I’m a hip hop fan from way back. And, I was lucky enough to see Russell’s brother’s group, Run DMC, several times back in the 80’s just as they began getting airplay on MTV. So, I truly enjoyed reading how his personal and business experiences impacted his spiritual development — both positively and negatively.
I highly recommend this book to anyone that’s looking for a good read – and perhaps a little spiritual enlightenment.
Gangsta rap, while made famous by West Coast acts such as NWA and Ice T , was probably first introduced to the public by none other than Boogie Down Productions on their first album, Criminal Minded . This album featured the song 9mm Goes Bang in 1987 . This, to my knowledge was the first gangsta rap song put out on wax . The style did not resonate with the hip hop crowd (not all rap is hip hop and not all hip hop is rap), and was reinvented for California consumption the subsequent year by NWA . It then sprouted in Houston , Texas with the Geto Boys , most notably Scarface , and has since spread around the country, including back to its point of origin, New York City .