Russell Simmons' Pepsi Boycott

Pop goes the Pepsi bubble.

Russell Simmons' is steamed at the soda giant for placing foul-mouthed Ozzy Osbourne and his kids in a television commercial only months after the company canned rapper Ludacris for his vulgar lyrics.

During a press conference on Wednesday, the music mogul called on all artists and supporters of hip-hop culture to boycott Pepsi, accusing the company of employing a double standard when picking its potty-mouthed pitch-people.

The Campaign for Respect is "a national mobilization effort to challenge the cultural disrespect of Ludacris and hip-hop culture by Pepsi," said a statement released by Simmons' camp yesterday.

The boycott, which begins next Wednesday, will allegedly continue until Pepsi meets the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network demands, which include a public apology to Ludacris and the hip-hop community, a $5 million charitable donation to the Ludacris Foundation and the reinstatement of Ludacris' Pepsi commercial.

The Hip-Hop Summit Action Network is a nonprofit coalition of artists, industry players, politicians and activists who throw their weight behind perceived injustices, particularly in the music biz. Simmons, who heads the group, had reportedly been in negotiations with the soda maker to resolve the situation but could not come to an agreement.

Wednesday's press conference comes three days earlier than expected. The boycott was originally to be announced this weekend during the NBA All-Star game, a move strategically timed to hit the soda maker where it hurts. Hot-lanta is Ludacris' turf and home to Pepsi's rival Coke. The city will also be at the center of media attention this week as basketball's greatest players descend upon the city to play ball and party. Ludacris himself is part of an informal ball team, which includes Jamie Foxx, Tyrese and Snoop Dogg, playing in the Rap vs R&B Celebrity Basketball Game in Atlanta this weekend.

As it turns out, the campaign may not need the sports weekend leverage.

Pepsi reps have already copped to the Ludacris controversy, admitting it was their mistake, though they stopped short of saying they would reinstate the controversial commercial.

"We blew it, that whole situation was our mistake. We've learned from it and we've moved on," said a company spokesman. "We respect Russell's interest in bringing hip-hop talent to a larger audience and we have worked with him to do just that."

Only two months ago, the soda maker announced that Beyoncé Knowles would be Pepsi's new pitchwoman in an attempt to attract a broader audience. Her first Pepsi commercial, directed by Spike Lee, airs next month during the Academy Awards.

The Osbourne's twisted spot, which turns Jack and Kelly into Donny and Marie Osmond and replaces Sharon with Carol Brady, debuted during the Super Bowl and ranked number 13 among the commercials broadcast during the football game, according to USA Today.

The Ludacris controversy dates back to August 2002 when Fox commentator Bill O'Reilly criticized the company on air for signing on a rapper who, "espouses violence, degrading sex, and substance abuse." O'Reilly then told viewers he was switching to Coke.

The 30-second spot in question, which featured Ludacris (real name: Chris Bridges) rapping at a party held in barn, didn't actually contain any profane or sexually explicit lyrics, but the heat proved too much for Pepsi. It dropped the R-rated rapper from its commercial rotation the next day, claiming the company had received consumer complaints about Ludacris' obscene lyrics.

Apparently, the diss didn't hurt the rapper, who reportedly lost no money on the deal. Ludacris is also up for two Grammys this year, including Best Male Rap Solo Performance for "Roll Out" and Best Rap Album for Word of Mouf.

On Tuesday night O'Reilly downplayed his stand against the soda maker, saying "I simply said I wasn't going to drink Pepsi while that guy [Ludacris] was on their payroll. No boycott was ever mentioned by me."

In the end, Simmons' strong-arm tactics could prove as powerful as O'Reilly's put-downs.