Music mogul Russell Simmons is producing a brand new stage musical that will celebrate three generations of Hip Hop , from Run-DMC to Kanye West. Hop into the post for all the details on the upcoming musical! #IFWT
On Thursday March 19th Russell Simmons said his Hip Hop musical ‘The Scenario ‘ will feature an original story written by author and hip hop historian Dan Charnas. Dan Charnas is also the author of ‘The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip hop’ He is aiming to premiere it in New York City in late 2016.
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Russell Simmons said :
“People will sing along and leave happy,” Simmons said. “So many of these songs will reach everybody in the audience. That almost never happens.”
Russell Simmons won a tony back in 2003 for producing ‘Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam’ and said the new musical will have a love story ,contain a fight the power element and be a “celebration of hip hop.” It’s still being written and song selection will likely be harder then it seems.
“There are so many great songs!” he said. “Do I need something from Kurtis Blow? From Drake? I just don’t know. Jay Z? LL Cool J?”
Russell Simmons was one of the first players in the burgeoning Hip Hop scene in the 1980’s. He is co-founder of the pioneering Def Jam Recording record label, which has represented such artists as the beastie boys , Jay Z, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, LL Cool J and Kanye West. Russell Simmons also created the entire Def Comedy Jam Franchise.
Musicals have been made with punk songs , hair metal, Abba songs and Carole King but Rap and hip Hop music has yet to produce a Broadway Hit. Holler If Ya Hear Me, a rap musical that used over 20 Tupac songs closed last year after less than two very unsuccessful months.
Although Russell Simmons said he never saw ‘Holler If Ya Hear Me’ , he said he didn’t consider it to be “a celebration of hip hop” and “I don’t see anyway in the word to compare what I want to do with what they did”.
Russell Simmons said ‘The Scenario’ will lean more towards a celebration of hip hop than social commentary, although “You can’t help but mention that it did more to integrate America than other pop cultural phenomenon.”
The new musical will be produced by Russell Simmons and we hope its all that we imagine in a “celebration of Hip Hop”
