RUSSELL SIMMONS: Pulling 'Trump' Card

By Karu F. Daniels, AOL Black Voices

Russell Simmons sure knows how to pull out all the stops.

For his latest tome, the motivational business book 'Do You! 12 Laws to Access Power in You To Achieve Happiness and Success,' the hip-hop entrepreneur called on the man pop culture knows as a great business mind: real estate tycoon and media personality Donald Trump.

In the book -- due out April 24 from Gotham Books -- the lone star of NBC's fading reality series 'The Apprentice' was commissioned to the write the Foreword.

And in true Trump fashion, he knows how to seize the moment -- to talk about himself.

"If you've spent any time following my own career, you know success is a subject that I take very seriously," he starts off. "I not only work very hard to be successful in my own life, but to help other people become successful as well."

Such humility.

But all is not lost on Trump. Because he's so publicity savvy (sans the Rosie O'Donnell smut-fest earlier this year), he's a good draw for mainstream middle America impressed by his business prowess.

"Endorsing someone else's views on success is not something that I do lightly," The Donald continued. "When Russell asked me to write the foreword for this book, I said yes without any hesitation. Because if there's one person I believe can show you a path toward true success, it's Russell Simmons."

Simmons, who founded and built the Def Jam and Phat Farm empires and is now a finance czar in his own right, was quite smart with this tactic.

In his new business book 'Do You!,' Russell Simmons teaches 12 Laws to Access Power in You To Achieve Happiness and Success. The 312-page 'Do You!' -- dedicated to his daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee ("and their fabulous and wonderful mother, Kimora Lee [Simmons]") may actually sell.

It teaches a very simple lesson – by tapping into the power inside you, you can not only get all the things you want in life, but most important, you can enjoy them too.

Simmons breaks down his message in a series of 12 Laws, which include: See Your Vision And Stick With It; Always Do You; Get Your Mind Right; Stop Frontin' And Start Today; Never Less Than Your Best; Surround Yourself With The Right People; There Are No Failures Only Quitters; Science Of Success, Plant The Good Seeds; You Can Never Get Before You Give; Successful People Stay Open To Change; Be Powerful, Be Heard; and Spit Truth To Power.

"When people ask me what business I'm currently in, the first thing I tell them is that I am in the business of Giving Back," he said. "You can imagine that I've either met or personally know many of the richest people in the world, many of whom simply aren't happy. So it's important for people to understand not only how to achieve success, but how to enjoy it, which is what my new book is all about."

Most recently, Simmons have dedicated much of his time and effort to helping establish the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network's financial empowerment efforts.

So this 'Do You!' is right on time.