“You go to the people who are the smartest and most sophisticated and deliver on day one,” says Simmons. “Do a good job of it, and it’ll grow on its own.”
Despite the significant impact that Simmons had in broadening the racial appeal of hip-hop, that was never his intention. He started out in the business primarily to produce black music for black people. His goal was to represent the true nature of the tough life on the streets, from where rap originated in the first place.
Unwilling to cater to the industry’s demands to tone down either his musicians or his message, Simmons insisted that his performers wear typical street clothing, such as black leather clothes, gold chains, caps and high-top sneakers. “In black America, your neighbour is much more likely to be someone like LL Cool J or Oran ‘Juice’ Jones than Bill Cosby,” says Simmons. “We need to hear the truth and see the truth in order for us to know where we’re going and what our problems are…Part of telling the truth is making sure that you know and talk more about what you know than speak or do music to appease those who are in power.” Simmons recognized his niche market and focused his energy on meeting their needs.
“A lot of the black stars being developed by record companies have images that are so untouchable that kids just don’t relate to them,” he says. “Our acts are people with strong, colourful images that urban kids already know, because they live next door to them.” When Simmons first began in the industry, it was this vast audience that he recognized companies had not yet begun tapping into.
“Michael Jackson is great for what he is – but you don’t know anybody like that,” says Simmons. “The closest Run-DMC comes to a costume is a black leather outfit.” He stresses that one of the most important factors behind his success has been an understanding of who his audience is and being true to that image. “It’s important to look like your audience. If it’s real, don’t change it…the [people] can smell the truth and they’re a lot smarter than the people who put the records out.”
Simmons recognized in his early days of promoting hip-hop events the feeling of many black adolescents that they were not only un-represented in the music industry, but also that they were in fact “targets that are looked down upon.” Simmons claims that this is where his company was able to gain threshold. “Rush Management identifies with them. That’s why we don’t have one group that doesn’t look like its audience.”
Simmons’ keen eye for the accurate portrayal of the urban culture came more from his own experiences and his desire to be involved in the movement than from a desire to create a successful business, although his success exceeded even the most optimistic of expectations. “I was more passionate about the culture and the phenomenon that was developing in the community than I was in the actual business.” But, he says, “I didn’t have any talent, so the only way to really be involved was to produce and promote the music I loved.” And it was to this vision and passion that Simmons stayed true, for it was the one and the same as with his niche market.
Lesson #1: Find Your Niche Market
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The New York Times carried an article today with the headline - Gap Is in Need of a Niche.
