Russell Simmons, the highly respected hip-hop entertainment mogul, has made a prediction about the youth of New York and politics.

"We are going to pick the next mayor of New York City," Mr. Simmons told The Final Call in an exclusive interview. "We really showed up at the polls. We showed numbers. We showed our strength as a community."

Mr. Simmons, committee chair for the Million Family March, said the hip hop and entertainment industry as a whole intends to build on the massive turnout of young, Black voters this past election by setting their sights on Gracie Mansion, the official home of New York City mayors.

"Senator-elect Hillary Clinton called me from Vietnam and asked me how can she call to thank the hip-hop community for her victory. I told her to call HOT 97-FM and talk to FunkMaster Flex on the air," he said.

Eight months before the Million Family March, Mr. Simmons through 360 HipHop.com, launched "Rap-to-Vote," a campaign that registered hundreds of thousands of young, first-time music fans to participate in this political season. Still awaiting statistics from the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Mr. Simmons said issues, coupled with unified mobilization efforts from Black radio nationwide, particularly New York�s Hot 97 and Cathy Hughes� nationwide Radio One Network; BET television and performers such as Will Smith, Sean Puffy Combs and Jay-Z, "working down to the wire calling radio stations and talking to the listeners before the close of the polls in states like Florida and California contributed to the victory you see today," he said.

He also credited the Million Family March mobilization as having "a dramatic impact and reaffirmed the need to come out and make a statement" with the vote.
"We won, we were able to take control of our young people. Every politicized Black person concerned about Black people saw the Million Family March. They learned about family and politics. They heard subject matters that effected them. You can never say enough about issues like racial profiling. The March was tremendously influential in the voter turnout," he said.

Mr. Simmons also credited MTV cable television in their efforts in voter education.
"Hopefully, the whole idea of getting deejays, artists to talk about responsibility to the hip hop community will have a rippling affect across the country. We are going to pick the next mayor of New York City no matter what anyone says. (Mayor Rudolph) Giuliani, people like him in office will never happen again." he concluded.

�Eric T. Muhammad