Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Russell Simmons Promises More Branding Of Occupy Wall Street
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 17, 2011
Modified Nov 17, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Nov 17, 2011
Modified Nov 17, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Russell Simmons has been attempting to co-opt the Occupy Wall Street movement for quite some time now, even though not everyone wants him to be there (he has been asked to leave countless times—see below video). Yet he returns to show his face, push his Rush Card debit card, make a few statements to the cameras, and get his photo taken. Recently, he even pat his pal Jay-Z on the back for introducing an "Occupy All Streets" t-shirt to the Rocawear clothing line. Thing is, Rocawear is profiting from the sales, and not giving a dime to the protesters (so far, that fact hasn't changed). Now Billboard magazine has published an interview with Simmons, after tossing him some softballs last week. When asked about the t-shirt, Simmons says:
What's wrong with selling goodness? There's nothing wrong with it. It's not the most preferred. In yogi scripture, at least, the highest form of giving is giving without expectation. Selfless. But a lot of people need incentive.
You should sell things you're happy about. You should sell products that you're inspired by, that promote lasting and stable well-being. Give the world something or sell the world something that you're proud of. Jay-Z didn't make a T-shirt [that said] "Fuck the Bums on the Street." He wrote a T-shirt "Occupy All Streets"—I'm happy, it furthers the movement, it inspires the movement.
Listen, I'm going to get every corporation that wants to support us to get branding as part of the process. No one's against business. We're against business having too much control over our government.
"Fun" fact: Simmons and Rocawear outsource their clothing manufacturing to Mexico, which Simmons has addressed recently via Twitter, saying, "If the congress didn't make it impossible to make clothes in USA I would. If I tried, the American jobs I give would go away #ows." So, Simmons and his higher ups aren't willing to cut their inflated salaries to create more American jobs, yet he is hijacking a movement that is about corporate greed and the unemployment problem in the U.S.? What was that Jay-Z lyric from "Monster"? "All I get are these vampires and bloodsuckers."
Tagged
hypocrisy
jay-z
occupy all streets
ows
russell simmons
shirt
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .