Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry: Season 1

METASCORE
No score yet Awaiting 4 more reviews
tbd
 
USER SCORE
No score yet
tbd
VOTE NOW
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry
Season Details & Credits
HBO | Season Premiere Date: December 15, 2001
Starring: Mos Def, Russell Simmons
Summary: Praised by the New York Times as an "exuberant, daringly fresh series that breaks poetry out of the neat little boxes it's so often put it," Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry features a spectrum of voices, from struggling urban poets who've cut their teeth in speakeasies and small clubs across the country, to the icons of the form, toPraised by the New York Times as an "exuberant, daringly fresh series that breaks poetry out of the neat little boxes it's so often put it," Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry features a spectrum of voices, from struggling urban poets who've cut their teeth in speakeasies and small clubs across the country, to the icons of the form, to celebrated actors, singers, dancers, and comedians writing and sharing poems for the first time. This season's special guests include Dave Chappelle, Common, Savion Glover, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Alicia Keyes, Eve Ensler, John Legend, Phylicia Rashad, Smokey Robinson, Kanye West and many others.
Each installment of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry is hosted by the highly regarded hip-hop artist and actor Mos Def (Golden Globe nominee for HBO Films' "Something the Lord Made"). The series is directed by Stan Lathan, who, along with Simmons, executive produced the long-running hit series Russell Simmons' Def Comedy Jam, which was also directed by Lathan.
Recognizing the power of urban poetry on modern culture, top rap music impresario Simmons, whose Def Jam Records launched the careers of artists such as LL Cool J and Jay-Z, teamed up with HBO to create Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry in 2001, turning the spotlight on the freshest and most fearless voices in America today.
Previous seasons have featured performances by special guests ranging from Cedric the Entertainer and Caroline Kennedy to Benjamin Bratt and Erykah Badu.… Expand
Genre(s): Comedy, Arts, Music

Season 1 Episodes

More From Metacritic
What to Watch Right Now on Paramount+
Find a list of the best recent and upcoming film and TV titles added to...
What to Watch Right Now on Amazon's Prime Video
Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...
What to Watch Right Now on Netflix
Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...
What to Watch Right Now on Hulu
Get a list of the best movie and TV titles recently added (and coming...
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 87 Hacks: Season 5
4 87 Industry: Season 4
5 87 Rivals
6 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
7 85 The Beatles Anthology
8 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
9 85 Bait: Season 1
10 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
11 83 Lord of the Flies
12 83 Riot Women: Season 1
13 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
14 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
15 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
16 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
17 80 The Comeback: Season 3
18 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
19 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
20 79 How to Get to Heaven From...
SEE ALL
More From Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry
SEE ALL TRAILERS

Seasons & Episodes