The Creative Gene

Why Russell Simmons' family members joke about his artistic talents.

Question: Was there creative competition in your house growing up?
Russell Simmons:  My experience growing up was that my mother was a painter and my father was a poet and my older brother is a painter and a poet, and my younger, as you know, is a famous poet, Saraba.  So for me, I was surrounded by creative people.  They always joked that I was inspired so much by it that I was the one who learned to exploit it.  But I was also a producer and I've always had a love for the creative process.
Recorded on October 27, 2009

Question: Was there creative competition in your house growing up?
Russell Simmons:  My experience growing up was that my mother was a painter and my father was a poet and my older brother is a painter and a poet, and my younger, as you know, is a famous poet, Saraba.  So for me, I was surrounded by creative people.  They always joked that I was inspired so much by it that I was the one who learned to exploit it.  But I was also a producer and I've always had a love for the creative process.
Recorded on October 27, 2009