Our highly placed Def Jam source reveals to us that many folks involved with Def Jam were far from happy with last night’s VH1 Hip Hop Honors show. This year was a tribute to Def Jam and its 25 years of being an integral part of hip hop.
But we’re told Russell Simmons–one of the co-founders of Def Jam– sent an email this morning to film maker Nelson George (the Exec. Producer of the show) and to all the heads of Def Jam expressing how disappointed he was in the event.
Russ wrote that he had no interest in this celebration without more L.A. Reid footage (who wasn’t even there) and his contribution. He also stated that he believes not having Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye, Dame Dash, LL Cool J, or Irv Gotti involved at all hurt the show. All of those people were indeed missing from last night’s Honors. Russell also expressed his distaste for having a comedian host (Tracey Morgan). He said that having a comedian fill in space “hurt his heart”. And the show overall was “incomplete at best”.
Tell us why you mad Russ…
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:06 PM
Wow, am I first?
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:06 PM
FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:07 PM
when does the show airs…i would be mad 2 those r allot that i wouldve complain abot 2
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:07 PM
Why in God’s name is Rihanna necessary at a hip hop honors show?
Aside from that… he’s right…
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:10 PM
Why do the call Uncle Russy BDR?
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:10 PM
I can understand that. How do you honor Def Jam w/out some of the people that made Def Jam honorable? What’s Def Jam without LL? That’s just weird that he wasn’t there…
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:11 PM
who the fuk is rihona? she’s not a def jam staple nor did she do anything to elevate the label. a few hits can be anybody
i agree ll and jay maybe
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:11 PM
Well, I think Rihanna is..entertaining “at best”.
Certainly a hip hop HONORS show wasn’t hurt by her not being in attendance.
I wonder why LL wasn’t there??
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:19 PM
Tracy Morgan hosting seems like a major fail…
I would think Def Jam was bigger than the people he named…they are the big names know, but what about the people that put ‘em on the map?
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:19 PM
I doubt ll could of made it because he has a new show coming out and honestly I for one am tired of all of those people that he named I mean they are over exposed(besides dame and irv).I do believe that he had a point about ll but if these individuals couldn’t of made it then the show must go on and kanye probably trying to keep a low profile(besides being seen on dates with amber)so there is no need for a hissy fit.
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:21 PM
I absolutely agree you cant honor the label without honoring the ones made it. It would be the equivalent of honoring Clive Davis and Arista and not having Whitney Houston there…it just aint right!!!
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:23 PM
He has a point on the fact that is was disappointing, there was so much more they could have done, more relevant people they could have added.
It seems as if nobody was bothered, busy schedule or whatever. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING BECAUSE THE ARTISTS CANNOT BE BOTHERED… If the guy who was making this thought he could get Jay, Kanye, LA Reid, Irv, Dame and the rest of it in the same building at the same time… GTFOH.
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:23 PM
they should of picked a better host like monique…. tracey morgan is a fool!!!! no wonder that shit tanked! and maybe everyone else didn’t come because they’ve seen the previous shows and the bullshit that goes along with it theyre lucky people even tuned in to watch it! if russell wanted a better show then he should of produced it.. you cant complain if u didnt have anything to do with it!
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:24 PM
Well this will not be on my list of things to watch…
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:25 PM
Rihanna has made herself and that label very rich. She’s a huge turnover for them in terms of target audience. Although I’m not a huge fan of hers, I see why they hold her up there with the top dawgs. She is the hottest artist on the label and with this next album, she could be topping the veterans on any other label.
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:27 PM
Probably one of the first times that I actually agree with Russell Simmons self-absorbed arrogant ass.
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:31 PM
Mr simmons is right! Why would they do this if not intentionally? It might be hard to admit that HIP HOP has brought about all of these influencial major players but indeed it has! Pretending to play homage to Def Jam by not including HISTORY is like trying to rewrite it shame on VH1 for not properly doing their research, or failing to screen this to those they pretending to honor. BOO
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:35 PM
Point and Blank everyone from Def Jam should have been up in that place murdering it. You can’t do it without the big guns that just doesn’t seem like complete history, it’s half assessed.
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:41 PM
see uncle RUSS mustve been reading MY MIND cuz ummmm yeah DMX, JA RULE, FOXY, DID DO GOOD…LL COOL J PUT DEF JAM ON THE MAP…JAY Z MADE IT MORE HIPPER N SEALED IT BY HAVING ACTS LIKE RIRI, NEYO,YE..ETC..SO YEA THE HONORS WAS MISSING A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THE LABEL. EVEN THO DAME NOT DOING IT BIG NOW….HE STILL PLAYED A MAJOR PART AS WELL IN FORMING DEF JAM…SO I AGREE WITH RUSS…EVEN THO I HAVENT SEEN IT
Thu, September 24, 2009 5:51 PM
Dear Russel Simmons,
Music aient Family
It’s Business
With love,Mamma mia
Thu, September 24, 2009 6:13 PM
FINALLY! I’m glad someone like Russell spoke up about how inappropriately the VH1 HH honors is being produced!! It has been “off” for all of the years it’s been in production. They’ve yet to honor many of the greats in hip hop and honestly, it shouldn’t have taken this long to recognize Def Jam. R.S. has a right to be made that those artist he mentioned weren’t honored because like those artists or not, they are staples of the Def Jam legacy. And let’s not mention how many of the influential staffers of the label that weren’t even invited. messy, Messy, MESSY!!!
Thu, September 24, 2009 7:29 PM
cosign yas!!!
i agree that rih rih deserves to be there…not her biggest fan but she is entertaining and has brought def jam ladies back on the map..
as for the show, i have not seen it yet and vh1 should not have aired the show without all of the staples of the def jam label…
Thu, September 24, 2009 7:42 PM
because Rih is signed with Def Jam. or was
Thu, September 24, 2009 7:46 PM
i will have to watch the show, after that i’ll judge :)
Thu, September 24, 2009 8:24 PM
There would be no Def Jam without LL! Are they serious? That’s soooooo disrespectful.
Thu, September 24, 2009 8:28 PM
hahaha look at these bamma ass bishs coming for rihanna once again..never fails
Thu, September 24, 2009 8:32 PM
Like I mean I dont even know why you girls bother at this point like give up….Its rihanna SHE wins YOU lose hahahahahahahahahah
Thu, September 24, 2009 8:54 PM
Tracy Morgan is probably one of the better comedians to do the HIP HOP honors as his image is closest to hip hop aside from maybe Jamie Foxx and Katt Williams. Nobody is checking for Monigue and her Bust It Creole Dance Opening every damn award show! They should’ve ditch the comedian route and went with a rapper therefore leaving more time for performances. If VH1 and the producers wanted to have all those names they would’ve had to have done the show live instead of pre-taped two weeks before the airing. None of those artists would’ve performed knowing that the chances of their performances leaking on youtube through the cell phone cameras.
Thu, September 24, 2009 8:56 PM
CORRECTION: None of those artists would’ve performed knowing that there are chances of their performances leaking on youtube through the use of cell phone cameras.
Thu, September 24, 2009 9:15 PM
L.L. Cool J. is hard as hell
Battle anybody I don’t care who you tell
I excel, they all fail
I’m gonna crack shells, Double-L must rock the bells
Thu, September 24, 2009 9:15 PM
y didnt u say anything than?? russell please!
Thu, September 24, 2009 9:15 PM
You’ve been waitin’ and debatin’ for oh so long
Just starvin’ like Marvin for a Cool J. song
If you cried and thought I died, you definitely was wrong
It took a thought, plus I brought Cut Creator along
Thu, September 24, 2009 9:29 PM
Uncle RUSH – Your Little Brother has Adopted ME….thanks 4 speaking your mind
Fri, September 25, 2009 12:16 AM
they didn’t want to PAY those huge celebrities to come, so they got the folks that fell off
Fri, September 25, 2009 6:46 AM
PART 1 LET ME SKOOL YALL. OK I SEE MANY OF U AGREE WITH RUSS..CAUSE HE IS CORRECT…THEY HAD VBLOGS ON A SCREEN AND LL COOL J DID THE FIRST 1..Ok MARY J B AND METH DID THE FIRST SONG “YOU ALL I NEED 2 GET BY” FOr many of u that dont know MARY ISA THE MOST IMPORTANT BLK WOMEN IN MODERN MUSIC. THAT SONG AND DUET WAS THE FIRST! DUET BY A SINGER/RAPPER AND WENT 1MILL SOLD..SO EVERY SINGER/RAPPER MALE OR FEMALE DUET AFTER THAT WAS STARTED BY MARY J B…. LL SHOULDVE BEEN ON THAT STAGE LIVE. HE IS THE JEWAL OF THE LABEL….
Fri, September 25, 2009 6:52 AM
PART 2 HOW WASNT LA REID THERE, HE STARTED THE LABEL…OK SO MARY AND METH HAD THE BIGGEST SINGER/RAPPER DUET OF THE 90′S.. OK OF THIS DECADE ITS JARULE AND LIL MO “PUT IT ON ME” 4 YALL WHO DONT KNOW..WELL LIL MO DIDNT SHOW UP.. SO JA RULE AND SHANTI DID SOME OF MURDER INK HITS. BUT LIL MO SHOULD CAME ..JAY-Z SHOULDVE BEEN THERE AND ATLEAST DID “ITS A HARD KNOCK LIFE” AND DID “CANT KNOCK THE HUSTAL FT MARY J”..RIHANNA SHOULDVE WALKED ON STAGE TO INTRODUCE HER AND NEYO SHOULDVE CAUSE THEY ARE THE NEW MONEY MAKERS FOR THE LABEL AND KEEPIN IT ALIVE AS OF DATE. TRACY I DIDNT AGREE WIT EITHER….. BUT OTHER THAN THAT..THE SHOW WAS A HIT,THEY EVEN HAD ONYX ON STAGE. –>IT WAS GOOD ON RED CARPET TO SEE DMX & JARULE ACTUALL EMBRACE AND HUG.. THE BEEF IS OVER. THAT WAS GOOD
Fri, September 25, 2009 7:18 AM
I agree but if wack Russell would have put more time into following up on how the show was being ran instead of frollicking all day on beaches with these little girlfriends of his than it would have been a better show.
Most of those ppl would have came if he personally asked them so Russ, you could have helped that wack show also instead of standing up criticizing.
Fri, September 25, 2009 7:40 AM
Rihanna would not have done it because of her lack of talent and she knew black folk would have crucified her..
Jay z is about jay z and L.A. Reid was not going to let Rihanna put him to shame in public..
Fri, September 25, 2009 11:04 AM
One mistake Marcus, LA Reid didn’t start Def Jam. It was started by Rick Rubin & Russ. LA formed LaFace with Babyface.
I kind of agree with Russ a lot of imporant people were missing who either put Def Jam on the map (LL) or helped it thru rough times (Jay). But we kind of knew everybody wasn’t going to attend.
Sat, September 26, 2009 6:51 PM
I was there and the opening scene with the choir was offensive, Tracy Morgan was horrible, the dj system was weak. How do you have a bands playing music when you want a Hip Hop environment? This was not supposed to feel like Jay Leno. Air date is October 13th
Sun, September 27, 2009 5:07 AM
Russ is right but he too is @ fault. He NEVER shoulda sold DefJam. Carter too shouldnt have sold Rocawear. AfrAm gotta learn to KEEP THE WEALTH! Puffy is the only 1 who still owns his company.
Im not surprised LL wasnt there. Def jam didnt support his last 3 cds so he hasnt been happy w them 4 years. Plus he is filming his show in Cali.
Of course Carter wasnt there bc he is on tour in Europe. I think he shoulda flown back since Def Jam distributed him & he was the CEO for 2yrs, but he is tryna make B3 a success so his mantra is “f*ck u all”.
Sun, September 27, 2009 12:56 PM
Rihanna? HONORED?? Really?? Aside from the fact that i’m not a fan of her music which she doesn’t write anyway,.. to be HONORED,.. you need to pass the test of time. When is the last time SOS came on the radio???….. did you stop what you were doing and start to jam the same way you do when an LL throwback or 2Pac throwback comes on… NOT!!
She can perform a hype song (not create it or sing it very well),.. but hype is of the moment. If she’s still killin us with the hits 5 years from now,.. or she can get a party started with a throwback 10 years form now,.. THEN she can be HONORED.
Tue, September 29, 2009 11:20 AM
PrttyYngThng: Why in God’s name is Rihanna necessary at a hip hop honors show?Aside from that… he’s right…
I totally agree, ALL of the people he named (except that damn Rhi Rhi) are so relevant in the success of Def Jam and it’s sad that they wouldn’t add them in the show. What about Redman adn Methodman? I mean, come on Hip Hop honors!! If your goingto honor one of the most (or the most) successful hip hop record labels ever. Do it the right way and honor EVERYONE that really made a difference.
Uncle Russ, I think you were kind of drunk to even mention Rhianna’s name in the same catagory…