Russell Simmons - Russell Simmons Calls On Nicki Minaj To Combat Street Violence Problem

The Def Jam Records co-founder led a Stop the Violence rally through the borough on Sunday (19Aug12) in a bid to draw attention to the high numbers of youngsters killed in the area.

The march took Simmons and his fellow peace protesters through Baisley Park in Queens, where Minaj spent part of her childhood, and the rap icon decided to reach out to the Starships hitmaker after the event to ask for her backing.

Taking to Twitter.com on Monday (20Aug12), Simmons wrote, "Hey @NickiMinaj - I was in ur (sic) old hood yesterday, Baisley, talking to yng (young) people about stopping violence. We need ur help! U (sic) are their hero!"

And Minaj, who is struggling with a bruised vocal cord, has expressed an interested in supporting the cause, responding, "I would love to @UncleRush - going to contact you".