Hip-hop pioneer opts to discuss spirituality over 'empire-building'

The theme of UMOJA’s Black Heritage Week this year was “Touch the Sky,” which may have been the reason why Russell Simmons focused primarily on spiritual enlightenment when he spoke on campus Friday.

A mix of Penn students and members of the public filled the ARCH Auditorium to hear rap mogul Simmons introduce his new book, Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All. The joint event was hosted by both UMOJA and the Makuu Black Cultural Center.

To begin the evening, North Philadelphia native Black Ice and four other young poets from outside the Penn community performed poems filled with anger and frustration felt by urban youth, which were received with enthusiastic finger snapping from the audience.

When Simmons took the stage, he focused almost entirely on his spiritual development and his HBO series “Def Poetry Jam” that has been host to the likes of Kanye West, Mos Def and Black Ice himself, who moderated Friday’s event.

Simmons introduced his most recent publication by saying that he had intended it “as an offering” to the public. He “wanted the book to be simple” so that it could be read by a wider audience.

In reference to the success of his various business ventures, Simmons said that the practice of meditation taught him to be “focused on the act ahead instead of the monetary rewards.”

He also voiced his opinion on the spiritual value of poetry and art, saying that “inside is the answer [and] creativity is inside.”

Wharton junior Andrew D’Agostino left disappointed after the event, saying that “there was little talk of how to build an empire.”

“The whole presentation reeked of the pulpit,” he said, referring to Simmons’ spiritual focus.

Political co-chairman of UMOJA Alex Amaniel, a College sophomore, said that this year’s Black Heritage Week had already produced “great results” and added that it had been particularly successful in “address[ing] issues that people in Philly face that affect Penn students.”

Amaniel was also pleased with the turnout at the event, saying that people had to be turned away, but added that UMOJA was expecting an even bigger crowd at the closing event on Saturday, which marked the 10th Anniversary of the Makuu Black Cultural Center.

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