Photo of Russell Simmons
Culture Genesis has acquired All Def Digital, which was a hip-hop, comedy and culture media company that Russell Simmons founded and which was shuttered earlier this year.
While All Def Digital ceased operating during the summer and laid off all of its employees, it still owned valuable assets. This included not only intellectual property but also social media channels and a content library.
Among the shows it owned, Culture Genesis plans to revive the following:
- Dad Jokes
- Great Taste
- Arts & Raps
- Traffic Jams
In February of last year, former Apple executive Cedric Rogers — along with former Vevo executive Shaun Newsum — founded Culture Genesis in Santa Monica, California. It says that it focuses on “remixing technology for authentic urban culture and entertainment.” Its investors include:
- T.I. “Tip” Harris
- Jason Geter
- Baron Davis
- Betaworks
- Mucker Capital
Simmons founded All Def Digital in 2013 with $18 million in venture capital, and it began its life as a YouTube channel in partnership with DreamWorks.
The company eventually delivered content for other platforms and networks, such as Facebook and HBO.
In 2017, long before the company ran out of money, Simmons exited in the aftermath of sexual assault allegations made against him that are still making news. Just last week, he and rapper 50 Cent spoke out against Oprah Winfrey because of a documentary she is reportedly making about one of the charges leveled against him.
Simmons is currently the president of Gushcloud International, which is a Singapore-based digital talent agency.
Rogers, in response to the acquisition of All Def Digital, issued the following statement: “Our company was founded on bringing out experiences that would be live and interactive — something the audience has never seen before. We believe we can really deliver value to the audience. We have so much green space in front of us.”
He added, “For us, bringing back All Def is not that difficult.”