Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam: Hip-Hop Artist in New York

About Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam

Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam is a performance platform that brought spoken word into the Hip-Hop and R&B conversation, first on New York stages and later to television. Built around rotating lineups, it foregrounds poets as working performers, shaped by club culture, emceeing, and literary craft. The Def Poetry Reunion at NJPAC returns to that format, with an emphasis on voice, rhythm, and lived testimony over theatrical production. Its approach favors direct address and audience proximity, treating the room as part of the work.