After lighting the fuse for the hip-hop explosion more than two decades ago, Russell Simmons has extended his Defness to the Def Poetry Jam tour, coming straight from Broadway. With rhymes as diverse ...

(The Root) — Harlem’s MIST Theater welcomed in a familiar sort of artistic renaissance on Wednesday night, one that had begun in 2002 and been centered on featuring the country’s top spoken-word ...

A Def Poetry Jam reboot is in the works and Russell Simmons is looking to tap Chance the Rapper as the show’s new host. “Super excited,” Simmons tweeted. “Been in negotiation with Chance The Rapper ...

Russell Simmons is a deep dude. The rap impresario is also quite the settled man these days. Well, aside from his cell phone and two-way pager, which are always on and buzzing with calls, and the ...

Marc Bamuthi Joseph has won four national poetry slams and appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. He’s been hailed by critics as being one of the most compelling and important spoken-word performance ...

Danny Simmons' Def Poetry Jam is a form of poetry typically based on urban culture and themes often with an expressed focus on the African American experience. While diverse, there is certainly a ...

Def Poetry, also known as Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry or Def Poetry Jam, which was co-founded by Bruce George, Danny Simmons and Deborah Pointer, is an HBO television series produced by ...

Suheir Hammad, a Palestinian-American poet, performer and activist, gave an innovative, percussive performance in List 120 Wednesday night. Met with cheers and applause, Hammad turned an apparent ...

Yasiin Bey began his career as a child actor before rising to fame as Mos Def in Hip Hop and film. His 2011 name change reflected a personal and artistic transformation. These photos highlight his ...

Russell Simmons made a mint peddling rap records from a dorm room in the early 80s. But these days the Def Jam label is being used to sell lots besides hip-hop: urban comedy, video games, even ...