A&E Biography Russell Simmons

With a sixth sense for social trends, he sells everything from sneakers to sweaters, ring tones to rhinestones. Called the "Godfather of Hip-Hop," he captured the zeitgeist of a generation, unleashing his music, style, and attitude on the rest of the world.

Now, BIOGRAPHY® profiles Russell Simmons, the man who brought hip-hop into the multicultural American mainstream. At the helm of hip-hop since its emergence in the 1970s, the inexhaustible Simmons knew that the music expressed both the frustrations and aspirations of the underground, but believed, too, that authentic rhyme and infectious rhythm could transcend social groups. See how this one-man corporate conglomerate jump-started his career and follow his meteoric rise to the top of the media world.

Containing candid interviews with friends, family, and Simmons himself, RUSSELL SIMMONS offers an inspiring account of one of world's most successful media moguls.