In a rare interview with Vlad TV, Russell Simmons reveals why he and Rick Rubin split with Def Jam.
Rush explained that he eventually drifted from Rick Rubin as their priorities changed over time.
“Well, if he’s making Slayer and I’m over here making Oran ‘Juice’ Jones where’s the common thread?” he said in response to a direct question about the break up. “We should have been in the studio making Run DMC, that’s what I think. We should’ve made the next Run DMC album. He wasn’t really ready to make Public Enemy because they didn’t want anybody near them.”
Rubin left the company in 1988 after losing a power struggle with Lyor Cohen. Neither Simmons nor Rubin have had much to say about their split in the decades since, making it one of music’s great mysteries.
Rush also eventually cashed out when his attention was drawn to his other business ventures.
“I build shit and then when everybody’s smarter than me, I get out the way,” Simmons said. “And it was perfect timing. I sold just in time. If we were seeking money, we got out at the right time. Everything crashed after that.”
Watch the interview below.
Leave a Reply