During the conversation, Spicer took note of Simmons’ $2,500 donation to his GoFundMe campaign but accused the Def Jam Recordings co-founder of cheating him out of royalties. Back in the 1980s, Spicer was under Simmons’ management — the aptly titled Rush Management — alongside Kurtis Blow and Orange Kush.
Spicer said Simmons still owes him for the 1983 hit “Money (Dollar Bill Y’all),” which was produced by Simmons and Larry Smith for Spring Records. But Simmons has a different recollection.
“I’ve always worked for artists and get them fair deals was my forte,” Simmons tells DX. “‘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.”
Rick Rubin established Def Jam Recordings in 1984 while a student at New York University, A year later, Rubin put out Spicer’s “This Is It” and “Beat The Clock” under the Def Jam imprint.
The discrepancy seems to lie in whether Spicer was officially signed to Def Jam. Simmons was still running Rush Management when he linked up with Rubin, so technically Spicer was still under Rush.
“I was signed to Def Jam after Spring [Records] and was directly signed to Russell Simmons and Rush productions,” Spicer explains to DX. “I think he forgot about the contracts we signed and he knows I’m coming. I will believe it when I get a heartfelt apology and my money.”
Despite Spicer’s accusations, Simmons has continued shining light on his health situation and directing people to Spicer’s GoFundMe page. On Sunday (September 23), Simmons shared a photo of his campaign to his Instagram page and donated another $1,000.
“Rev Kurtis blow informed me that one of the first hit hip hop recording artist jimmy ‘super rhymes’ spicer is suffering from cancer,” he wrote in the caption. “i worked with him early in his career and i produced dollar bill and bubble bunch for spring records I can testify that he is for sure a very sweet man and he has contributed a lot to the culture.”
However, Spicer believes he’s still not getting the credit he deserves. “He keeps trying to downplay my importance to Rush himself and my contributions to Hip Hop as a whole,” he says.
Although there’s no plans for a reconciliation just yet, Spicer is encouraged in other areas of his life, especially by his recent radiation treatment.
“I’m getting better,” he says. “The radiation therapy on my brain is responding.”
Meanwhile, Simmons is praying for him.
“NO man deserves to go it alone,” he wrote in the Instagram caption. “It seems american healthcare is the worst of any ‘1st world’ country in the world. let’s not let our brother suffer alone. I just contributed my prayers and a few dollars please join me and help him out. let’s all help out. Prayers are helpful!!! money is necessary as well.”
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