Submitted by admin on Thu, 2005-11-03 09:00. ::
The basketball court in his home is not a full court; it is merely a half. He composes his inspirational "Words of Wisdom," which end every episode and are sent via BlackBerry to the multitudes, in a bubble bath because he does not wish to be naked in a tub of water on TV. (Ordinarily, he bathes bubble free.) And no, he sees nothing contradictory about being a man of God and living in a six-bedroom mansion in Saddle River, N.J., and driving a silver Rolls-Royce Phantom.
"Who said that a man of God is supposed to drive a Pinto?" asks Rev Run, who tends, in the revivalist tradition, to wait for a response from the congregation.
"There's your answer," Rev Run says. "The money's all supposed to go to the doctors and the lawyers, and the man of God is broken down on the highway? He's God's sacred person and he can't live good?"
Twenty years ago Rev Run, whose given name is Joseph Simmons, was part of the pioneering rap group Run-DMC. Some years later, there was a religious awakening and he became an ordained minister at Zoe Ministries, a Pentecostal congregation founded by Bishop E. Bernard Jordan, who claims powers of prophecy and offers, among other items, a CD titled "Money Cometh" (suggested donation: $5) at his Web site. It is not a ministry that discourages financial success.
In June - just in time for shooting on the series to begin -Rev Run, 40, his wife Justine, 39, and the five kids moved to their new home in Saddle River. Rev Run's older brother Russell Simmons, the rap mogul who is a producer of the show, which had its premiere Oct. 13, lives just around the corner. Russell Simmons's record label also produced Rev Run's recent solo album, "Distortion."
Rev Run, whose first words of greeting to this reporter are "Bless you," wears a Zegna suit, a Run-DMC trademark fedora and alligator shoes. Mrs. Simmons wears a Ralph Lauren blazer and Gucci boots. She is a sweet, soft-spoken presence, who refers to her famous brother- and sister-in-law as "Uncle Russell" and "Aunt Kimora," even when the kids aren't around. They appear to be an open couple - the sort who will tell you not only that they did not have sex before marriage but also how many ovulation days were left on their honeymoon. Or that the book the family was studying the morning this reporter was to visit was "Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone." Rev Run bought his home more than two years ago for $1.6 million and spent what he estimates at $2 million for a renovation that included the addition of a recording studio, a library and a meditation room.
The secret to their decorating style? Magazines. They just tore out pictures of things they liked, Rev Run says, gave them to the architect or contractor, and told them to do it. The word "no" was not accepted. Often they combined elements from more than one picture: the fish tank flanked by the pillars in the entertainment room, the marble and gold bathroom with the electric fireplace and a television over the tub.
Today's shopping outing, to Bed Bath & Beyond in Paramus, N.J., involves china for their small formal dining room. Rev Run, who routinely tries to hold the financial line in their television show, but in the time-honored tradition of indulgent sit-com dad usually ends up giving in, says he doesn't know why his wife needs to buy dishes. Mrs. Simmons suggests the fault is his. "He always wants to throw stuff out. He doesn't want old stuff in the new house."
"I'm successful financially because I treat finances correctly," he says. "You're not successful financially 'cause you throw money around. Money is like a fine high-class woman, you don't treat it bad. It'll escape from you. It'll run from you if you're not nice to money. Don't be mean to money and throw it everywhere. How would you feel if somebody were throwing you around? Would you want to hang with them? Well, money likes me because I like taking good care of it. Money's my friend and I'm not gonna just throw her to anything."
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