Global Grind & Russell Simmons: A Voice for the Unheard or Another Cash Cow?

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I have always had a lot of respect for Russell Simmons. He’s the godfather of Hip Hop. One of the masterminds behind Def Jam. An instrumental force in what is now one of the most profitable music genres in history. Simmons is a highly respected vegan, charitable giver and lover of all things holistic, but his latest actions and antics have me questioning his new motivations not only in life but also that of the African American community. Most recently Tila Tequila, famous for her MTV antics on and off camera, took to Twitter announcing that she was committing suicide. While I still cannot pinpoint her exact claim to fame, I know that with over 260,000 followers suicide is nothing to play with and the fact that she used this attempt to gain more attention is alarming while unfortunate at the same time. I will go on record and say that I have no clue what she has been through or is currently battling. But there are certain ways you handle depression and thoughts of suicide. Going on Twitter and displaying thoughts as the ones below is not the answer.

officialTila It woulda been 2nite i ended my life, but my friend caught me and stopped me. So i told him i will give him two more weeks. No 1 can stop me

officialTila I am not depressed or unhappy! My life is amazing! Its not about that tho! Like i said, god spoke to me and told me i am needed up there.

officialTila If u get that on trending topics 2night at #1 spot. I’ill do it 2night. So do it! #tilacommitsuicide #tilacommitsuicide #tilacommitsuicide

officialTila I have been doing research all night on the least painful and quickest way to end ur life. Its very serene. I’ve seen it before. I need it.

officialTila I know so much about this because I am the chosen one to be the messenger. But mankind has no hope 4 being saved anymore.

officialTila My gun is locked and loaded. Read to pull the trigger. Come on. Egg me on some more. Do it. Ready to pull this trigger.

officialTila Janis Joplin. Nobody thought she would do it…guess what? She did. Britney Spears was close to doing it, but she had an intervention.

officialTila and oh yea….I totally forgot. Twitter banned me and blocked me so they blocked all of my trending topics I start so they dont put it up

officialTila How come Twitter doesn’t block Souljaboy with his weird TT or when FAB does it…but how come Twitter only blocks me? So lame.

While I can continue to list all of her tweets regarding her apparent attempts at suicide, it is not worth it. But what is baffling to me is that Tila was so focused on retweeting all of the responses, being a keyboard gangsta with people and throwing racial slurs that she proved that she did it only to extent the 15 minutes of fame that she never should have been blessed with in the first place. I’m sorry but Tila you have failed yet again. People turn suicidal for several attempts and claiming that you are God’s chosen one and that He told you to do it on a public air space is just not the way to go. But Tila is not the sole focus of my argument.

I surmise that once Tila finally realized that people were not falling for her antics any longer, Russell Simmons gave her a reprieve through the ultra popular hip hop site Global Grind  to recant her suicidal rants. Seriously Russell? Global Grind has almost a million followers many of whom are the same young African Americans that Tila publicly ranted on after getting disparaging tweet responses. Like I stated before I have always supported Russell for his stance on a number of issues (except that Rush Card fiasco), however, with this I cannot support. Tila basically alluded to African Americans in her Twitter rant noting that “she’s tired of working  hard just to give away 50% of her tax money” and “she came from a third world country and worked hard never complaining and becoming a victim”.  My question is, if Global Grind is supposed to be younger generation’s voice to the masses, why promote someone who just accused millions of being racist when she essentially did the same thing? On an African American powered media site no less? By giving this young woman another platform to fool the masses Russell Simmons fails immensely as well! What about the person who follows and possibly idolizes Tila who may have actually considered suicide at that same moment? Blood would have been on the hands of Russell Simmons if that person actually accomplished that goal. Does Russell not know that:

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 25-34 year olds and the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year olds.

Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death for males and the sixteenth leading cause for females.

Among young adults ages 15 to 24 years old, there are approximately 100-200 attempts for every completed suicide. [Source]

What about the young African American woman who IS working hard and struggling to make ends me but has to rely on government cheese until she gets a breakthrough? Russell just reinforced that what Tila said was true. Early on in the planning stages of Global Grind Simmons stated,”Ever since my early days in music, through my work in fashion, comedy, film, TV and philanthropy, I have worked as a facilitator of communication, and a promoter of creativity, entrepreneurship, giving, and political engagement. Global Grind is the ultimate connector for the HipHop community and like-minded creative entrepreneurs and activists.”  Where is the creativity in supporting a foolish suicide attempt? While Global Grind is not owned and conceptualized by Russell Simmons he serves not only as Editor-In-Chief but also the face and brand of the organization, thus making him accountable to what is put out by the site.  By placating Tila and her whimsical rhetoric Russell is reiterating that he doesn’t care about people, especially black people. Where was Russell when 16-year-old Derrion Albert got bashed in the head unmercifully? How come Russell hasn’t spoken out about the death of13-year-old Kevin Miller from Queens who was gunned down recently by a stray bullet? Yet he has time to console Tila? I understand that Russell cannot be the savior of all, but at least he can acknowledge things that are real and matter. Tila does not matter anymore. She is grown and fully aware of her actions. Russell on the other hand sees nothing but dollar signs.  Global Grind is just another way to line his already thick bank account. I guess having to dole out all of that child support will make someone do even the most desperate things.

If Russell really wanted to help Tila, why not get her into some counseling privately? Why not hook her up with a respectable publicist who can put out a coherent and intellectual 140 character statement for her? In response to Tila’s long drawn out apology Russell commented that Tila’s “free spirit and willingness to entertain others” inspires him. Using suicide as an attention piece is entertaining and inspiring? In what world? If those are the principles that Russell Simmons honors as true principles, then this world is really living in its last days as Tila so eloquently put in one of her tweets. I pray that Tila gets the help that she needs so that she can function as a regular human being that is really striving to better her community. I pray that Russell Simmons gets a clue and starts using his celebrity to truly evoke change instead of another failed attempt at milking the already empty cow.

Do you think it was wrong for Russell Simmons to extend Tila’s 15 min of fame yet again? Do you think Russell Simmons is pimping the hip hop community as well as the black community to further his own agenda?

Editors Note:Even though Tila has since deleted her suicidal and racist tweets as well as made her page private (yet again), her public rants can still be viewed through http://tweleted.com/.

Tagged as: russel simmons, suicide, tila tequila, Twitter

Article by Jenifer Moore

Jenifer serves as Editorial Director for The FreshXpress. A native of the Queen City, writing is her muse and she thrives on the Public Relations scene. While she is a lover of all music, she lives by the Biggie mantra "Sky is the Limit".

Jenifer has written 53 article(s) for us.