Russell Simmons (born October 4, 1957 in Queens, New York), is an American entrepreneur and philanthropist.

In 2007 USA Today named Russell Simmons one of the "Top 25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years,"calling him a "hip-hop pioneer" for his groundbreaking vision that has influenced music, fashion, finance, television and film, as well as the face of modern philanthropy.

Simmons has been instrumental in bringing the powerful influence of hip-hop culture to every facet of business and media since its inception in the late 1970s and has been listed as the most influential mogul in hip hop. From producing and/or managing such early hip-hop artists as Kurtis Blow, Run-DMC( Run is Russell's brother), Whodini and the Beastie Boys to signing contemporary superstars like Jay-Z and Ludacris, Simmons groundbreaking vision was crystallized with partner Rick Rubin in the creation of the seminal Def Jam Recordings in 1984, launching the cultural revolution known as hip-hop.

In addition to launching Def Jam, Simmons helped bring hip-hop culture to the mainstream with such ground breaking ventures as Phat Farm clothing and HBO's Def Comedy Jam and Def Poetry Jam. Simmons has continued to serve the hip-hop generation through such ventures as the Rush Card, Simmons Lathan Media, Atman Fragrance, Simmons Jewelery and the Global Grind website.

A committed philanthropist, Simmons heads Rush Philanthropic, which exposes disadvantaged youth to the arts, as well as serving as the Chairman of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, which is dedicated to bringing religions and ethnicities together.