Russell Simmons Quotes

Don't worry what others are doing. Do you!

You know, the diversity that America has is so special. It's starting to really become a cool thing for young people.

Everything you need to know about success is inside of you, because I believe it is inside of all of us. That is, all human beings have potential for infinite success.

The artists are now big brands.

No matter where you want to go, as long as you follow your path with faith, dedication and hard work, you are going to get there.

You know, sometimes people never get to learn how successful they could have been because they give up too easily. If I've learned one thing in all my years in the business, it's that often things don't work out the way you want at first. But that doesn't mean you should give up.

My experiences have been, from the very beginning, cultural and creative. And my business has been a way of exposing the culture, exposing the artists so that the world could hear and see them.

Young people, when they're left alone, always want to have compassion, and they always want to give. They always want to help people who are less fortunate.

Quit taking, start giving.

If you wake up deciding what you want to give versus what you're going to get, you become a more successful person. In other words, if you want to make money, you have to help someone else make money.

...if we are open and we prepare for promoting dialogue and love, and a better understanding of each other, and tolerance and so forth, that's what the world will become, a more tolerant, loving place.

Never pass up any opportunity to share your gifts with the world.

I think I'm less afraid of failure than some others.

I want to do and I'm giving all the profits to charity, is to teach people to meditate. All it takes is a little bit of patience.

My wife Kimora once told me while we were watching "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" that it's a vegetarian movie because the way that the woman was screaming, "Aaaahhh," and trying to run away is how every animal you eat reacted at the slaughterhouse.

Hollywood is full of very liberal people, but it still has an infrastructure that needs to be broken.

If you aren't passionate about a vision, it's hard to have faith in it.

No matter what you're doing, try to work at that task like it's your dream job.

Whatever obstacles appear in your path, put your head down and get past them. Those obstacles aren't real. They're just God's way of testing you. He's asking you, 'Do you want to make it or not?'

People are afraid of failure - they don't like to work so hard and have people keep saying, 'No.' I think that's what people fear most.

Needing nothing really is the ultimate goal. And to have nothing to do with things.

If you talk about the prison-industrial complex, I've fought against the prison-industrial complex when I called for a repeal of the Rockefeller drug laws. The biggest impediment to get the laws changed was the lobbyists. Whether you're talking about healthcare, jobs going overseas, or tax reform, you're always coming up against lobbyists.

There are no failures, only quitters.

If you just remember to breathe and smile before you act, you’ll always make the right decision.

You know, I love all kinds of activism. I certainly think blacks deserve to have something whether it is affirmative action or an opportunity that should be opened up to them. But at the same time I believe that people of color are not the only poor people in America and all over the world.

If you want to say something profound, writing from your heartbeat is different than writing from the loud voices you get from music. If they're rapping from noise, it's about robbing people. It's that simple.

I've shared meditation with a lot of hip-hop artists, inmates, and returning war veterans with PTSD, as well. I feel like this dharma, this service is part of my job.

I try to keep a positive intention, and use whatever resources I have to benefit others. I try to create businesses that I think are not hurtful. I try to do things that I think are helpful to the environment, to the animals, and to the planet.

You've got to put your head down and do the work. There are no shortcuts.

There was a moment when I was watching Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in 'Badboys' that I felt, you know, inspired. I don't know if I was proud, because so many people do the work. Everyone's part of a team that develops over the years and gives people chances. There have been some good moments watching people develop.

Needing nothing attracts everything.

Being materialistic is part of the hip-hop community's nature, because jazz and blues and rock 'n' roll, when they started out in the urban communities, were about the American Dream, and the lack of opportunity in that structure. So they talked about everything - uplifting and getting what is perceived as success in America.

I don't want to appease everyone. It seems very difficult to be steadfast on truth and be a politician.

I think I will always have a connection to young people, to try to bring their voices to the polls, bring their voices wherever they can make a difference. Even to protect their own interests or the interests of the planet or the animals or other individuals, which is critical. I try to keep it.

Most artists are making as much money now as they could have made... in the heyday of Def Jam [when the] Beastie Boys would sell 10 million records or DMX would sell 6 or 7 million records. Those records are one thing, but then all the other ways to exploit the emotional relationship between artist and community is so much greater that I would guess that they're making as much or more money than they could have ever made.

In my experience, there's only one thing that will always steer you toward success: That's to have a vision and to stick with it... Once I have a vision for a new venture, I'm going to ride that vision until the wheels come off.

The politicians already in office don't want to change. A few might have it in their hearts to change and to start working for the people, but even some of the most progressive politicians are silent because they know that the candidate with the most money wins.

You don't need a record deal. You'll have the industry begging for you, when you build your buzz.

The most aggressive views governing this country speak a lot about inclusion. We still have some people in this country who don't really get that we all have the same agenda, aspirations, hopes, and fears. I want people to be free and to be able to express themselves, to find the best ways to say things so that people can digest them.

A poet or a comedian can say what's on the mind of people. They should be funny. They should make you laugh. It may be so truthful that it hurts, but it makes you laugh.

When the mind is totally still, there's only bliss. I got a piece of that reality from my first yoga class, from smiling and breathing in every difficult pose. I went, "Oh my God! I'm clear! I love this!"