On September 21, this past Friday, HipHop DX published an interview they conducted with Hip Hop pioneer Jimmy Spicer. Spicer rose to prominence during the 1980s following the release singles such as “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all)” and "Adventures of Super Rhyme” under Russell Simmons' Rush Management. Spicer did wish to continue his career as a rapper and retired shortly. He then went on to work various jobs while relying on royalties from samples. In the interview, Spicer who was recently diagnosed with advanced lung and brain cancer, discussed his recent struggles mentioning that despite a $2500 contribution to his GoFundMe page, former collaborator Russell Simmons still owes him royalties for his track, "Money (Dollar Bill Y’all).”
Despite maintaining a low profile in the wake of several sexual assault allegations, including rape, Russell Simmons surfaced to address Spicer's claim. Simmons told HipHop DX “I’ve always worked for artists and get them fair deals was my forte. Super Rhymes’ was his big record. That’s how I got to know him. This is important: Jimmy was not on Def Jam, so I was never in control of or responsible for his royalties. I’m sorry he feels that way. I’m praying for his recovery and wish him well.”
Regardless of the accusations and the seemingly fragile relationship between the former colleagues, Simmons has continued to direct fans towards Spicer's GoFundMe page, posting a picture of it to his Instagram and informing fans that he had made another $1000 dollar donation. "I can testify that he is for sure a very sweet man and he has contributed a lot to the culture," he captioned the photo. "But NO man deserves to go it alone."
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