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The emergence of Hip Hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons as an establishment-endorsed political leader of the new generation of Blacks gives me pause. Being a member of this new generation, I think this should be put on the table for discussion.

Why have mainstream media's political pundits given Russell Simmons an open mic? He's a guest on Charlie Rose; he's become a constant feature in the New York Times, Newsweek Magazine and many other newspapers and magazine across the country. Hailed as among the one hundred most influential African Americans by Crain Magazine, can helicopter to Albany for private meetings with New York Governor George Pataki on the Rockefeller drug laws. He has organized fundraisers for senators Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer, works closely with former HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, teams up with democratic presidential candidate Al Sharpton to register new voters, and dines with Shimon Peres, Israel's former Prime Minister discussing a possible Middle East youth summit.

Either the king makers have peeped Simmons' ability to use his influence over urban youth as leverage in his business and political ventures and they want to control him, or the severity of the US economic recession deems it time to send in the clowns.

Russell Simmons and his Hip Hop Summit Action Network have orchestrated several very high profile, massive political rallies in New York City, using his connections in the entertainment industry to get mega-stars like P. Diddy, Mariah Carey, 50 cent, LL Cool J, Jay Z and Alicia Keys to attend and draw thousands of Black youth. But it was painfully clear that the majority of youth in attendance were more interested in getting a glimpse of their favorite rap artist than in the city budget cuts in education or draconian drug sentencing laws that send many of our peers to prison for decades. Simmons and his star-studded entourage put on a good show but have yet to present a clear political program of action and vision for Black people.

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