West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Train of Thought => Topic started by: PLANT on March 02, 2003, 12:31:58 PM
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Russell Simmons
Photo: MTV News
"Puffy is much more well known and liked around the world than George Bush, and Jay-Z is much more well known and liked around the world than Colin Powell." — Russell Simmons
Music mogul and activist Russell Simmons, who has recently spoken out against the war in Iraq via a printed antiwar ad as well as a televised public service announcement, continued to press his point Thursday at a press conference he held in New York. Announcing that he'd joined the Musicians United to Win Without War coalition, a New York and D.C.-based organization through which artists have banned together to speak out against the war, Simmons promised to help keep the artists' antiwar momentum going.
Country and rock singers Rosanne Cash, Lou Reed and David Byrne were on hand as the mogul also declared he was working actively to ensure that members of the hip-hop community would get involved in conveying antiwar messages to the public as well. He cited the popularity of rappers as the perfect reason why people would listen.
"Puffy is much more well known and liked around the world than George Bush, and Jay-Z is much more well known and liked around the world than Colin Powell," Simmons explained. "[The] country should operate more on love and compassion," he added.
Musicians United to Win Without War placed an ad in the New York Times earlier this week that said, "War on Iraq is wrong and we know it. Don't let Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld drown out the voices of reason! Disarm Iraq with tough inspections." Besides listing the wide array of entertainers who have joined the organization, some of whom include Simmons, Jay-Z, Outkast, Zap Mama, Busta Rhymes, Sheryl Crow, Massive Attack and R.E.M., the ad quoted the late Marvin Gaye as saying, "War is not the answer," and featured former NATO supreme commander Wesley Clark talking about the backslash of war.
"What we are facing is a complex and multifaceted problem," R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe said in a statement released Thursday. "Simply bombing Iraq would only create more problems, making an already bad situation much worse."
An organization-funded antiwar print ad is expected to pop up in more publications in the weeks ahead. Simmons and company spearheaded an antiwar television PSA starring Mos Def earlier this month (see "Russell Simmons, Mos Def Speak Out Against War In New Ads"). While nothing is definite yet, there have been talks to produce more spots with Mos and Simmons.
Although no new initiatives from Musicians United to Win Without War have been announced, a spokesperson for Simmons said that he is planning to launch a full-on media strike in the near future to try to get through to the U.S. government.
"Iraq's been contained for 12 years," Simmons said in a statement late Thursday. "Hundreds of thousands don't have to die. Stand up, demonstrate, and have your voice heard."
—Shaheem Reid
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Superb!
I'm sure Puffy and his audience are experts on forgien policy and know exactaly what to do.
As everyday goes by, these "stars" really think their voice is more important than the millions of other Americans. They need to stop living out their delusions and stick to what they do best: entertaining. The more political statements they come out with, the more fans they loose...
thanks for the article btw...
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Superb!
I'm sure Puffy and his audience are experts on forgien policy and know exactaly what to do.
As everyday goes by, these "stars" really think their voice is more important than the millions of other Americans. They need to stop living out their delusions and stick to what they do best: entertaining. The more political statements they come out with, the more fans they loose...
as if george wanka could do anything else than look like a complete idiot and eat pretzels.... oops I forgot, he cannot even eat pretzels.
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as if george wanka could do anything else than look like a complete idiot and eat pretzels.... oops I forgot, he cannot even eat pretzels.
LOL!!
Very true indeed.
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im sure everybody in washington is just stopping everything they're doing to listen to people like russel and puffy...gimma break
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The most entertaining rappers are political, and seeing as no politicians wants to step on any toes, its usually up to artists to challenge the status quo. Have a read of this poem we did in school by Sylvia Plath about america in the fifties, it still applies today :
Unlucky the hero born
In this province of the stuck record
Where the most watchful cooks go jobless
And the major's rotisserie turns
Round of it's own accord
There's no career in the venture
Of riding against the lizard
Himself withered these latter-days
To leaf-size from lack of action
History's beaten the hazard
The last crone got burnt up
More than eight decades back
With the love-hot herb, the talking cat
But the children are better for it
The cow milks cream an inch thick
Sylvia Plath
Look especially at the first bit, it says the most.