Russell Simmons appears on BLM panel on Jay-Z's Tidal, Internet asks 'so let's forget all the women he raped?'
Diddy's Revolt TV and Jay-Z's Tidal came under fire after entrepreneur Russell Simmons appeared in a video podcast on the show 'Drink Champs' on June 23. Twitterati especially had a scathing response to the controversial media figure who was invited onto the show as a panelist in a discussion about the Black Lives Matter movement. Among those featured in the panel discussion were rappers Bun B, Mysonne, Talib Kweli and academician Marc Lamont Hill.
The show drew negative attention on Twitter following a promotional tweet from Tidal's handle accompanied by a short preview. The panel is seen responding to host NORE's question about police brutality and the recent death of George Floyd. Russell Simmon's appearance became the subject of scrutiny, as several users addressed the sexual assault accusations against him, which he has repeatedly denied.
Author Sil Lai Abrams, who in 2018 alleged that the Def Jam co-founder had raped her in 1994, questioned his presence on the panel in a series of tweets and said, "What in the entire hell are Jay-Z and Tidal doing by giving Russell Simmons a platform to discuss #BlackLivesMatter?" Over a dozen women accused Simmons of various forms of sexual misconduct, including rape in 2018, many of which were also detailed in the documentary 'On The Record'. Oprah, who produced the documentary, had disclosed at the time that he had pressured her into killing the project. Abrams sent out more tweets accusing "powerful Black men in music" for protecting Simmons and using their resources to "whitewash his legacy".
"Jay Z and Puff won't stand up for Russell via public statements but they are still rape apologists," Abrams continued in her Twitter thread. "By quietly giving him an unchallenged voice on their media platforms they make a huge statement: Black survivors of sexual violence are an irrelevant casualty of hip-hop." Despite his denial, Simmons still continues to be criticized in the wake of the allegations which evidently caused a stir online. While Tidal has since deleted the tweet, the episode remains on the streaming service.
After the episode aired earlier in the evening, talk show host Marc Lamon Hill also revealed that he was "uncomfortable" with Simmons' presence on the show and completely unaware of his inclusion in the panel. "A few weeks ago, I appeared on Drink Champs. I was asked to join a discussion with Bun B, Talib Kweli, and Mysonne. About 2.5 hours into the show, Russell Simmons appeared. I had NO IDEA he was scheduled. I would NEVER have appeared if I had known," Hill tweeted.
"During Russell’s 20ish minutes on the show, I was texting the producers telling them that I was not comfortable with his press and asking to wrap. After the show, I expressed my frustration with what happened. I also asked them not to air Russell's portions."
Safe to say, Twitter users were less than happy to see Simmons in the episode. "I don't want to hear sh*t from Russell Simmons unless it’s testimony in court answering the sexual assault allegations levied by a number of women. Disappointed in you @tidal", said a user. "So @TIDAL and JayZ gave Russell Simmons a platform to speak on BLM but he's a rapist that's been on the run? So it's BLM until one of your friends is a rapist....so let's forget all the black women?" added another.
Many others repeatedly expressed that they will discontinue their Tidal subscriptions. "I will cancel my subscription if @TIDAL has Russell Simmons on a panel. Not f**king with any rapist regardless of anything," tweeted one user while another commented, "I'm definitely not the cancel culture guy because I'm human too, but @TIDAL needs to not give Russell Simmons a platform (until he proves his innocence/faces the music)." The user continued, "I'll be canceling my subscription & encouraging others to do so also if this is not addressed within a week."
"So, f**k Russell Simmons. F**k Tidal. F**k Jay z. YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT BLM AND ABUSE BLACK WOMEN. OR BLACK LGBTQIA+", a user expressed. "Russell Simmons has abandoned his own country and has moved to Indonesia. Does this sound like a man who cares about whether #BlackLivesMatter?" another user said, noting that Simmons had been living in Indonesia since 2018, where there is no extradition treaty to the US.
"I mean seriously, Could you actually imagine him walking in a street in a protest for #BlackLives? Bali!" the user added. "Sorry. Maybe I read it wrong. I know y’all ain’t telling me Russell Simmons was leading a panel on Tidal about BLM. I know that y’all ain’t telling me that happened," a user tweeted, while another concurred, "Stop allowing Russell Simmons spaces to evade accountability for all the rapey sh*t he’s been doing since the ’80s."