Russell Simmons helped define hip-hop. As promoter, record producer, label executive, and fashion mogul, Simmons has been the most influential figure in shaping the form and reach of hip-hop in American culture. The riveting biography documents the career of the mogul who started out as a struggling street performer to his present status as hip-hop icon. It also explores Simmons' forays in business ventures, some outside of music, and his activism in philanthropic and political causes.