Being the son of groundbreaking rapper and hip hop artist Joseph Simmons from the legendary band Run DMC, Diggy Simmons has some big shoes to fill, but having already released a single and started his own clothing line, it looks like Diggy’s up to the challenge.
Sibling Rivalry
Fifteen year old Diggy, born Daniel Dwayne Simmons III, isn’t the only child looking to match their father’s success. Diggy is the fourth eldest of six siblings, that’s a lot of competition in a family full of talent! But Diggy has already set himself apart as the sensitive, thoughtful member of the family, which is fuel for his music.
Run’s House
Diggy starred in the MTV reality TV show, Run’s House, which featured his dadJoseph Simmons and Diggy’s mom Justine. Joseph met Justine after he became a reverend, and the show focuses on how all their kids face different growing pains at different times based on their ages. During the show you can see Diggy dealing with personal relationships outside his family and also see how seriously he takes studying and learning new things. One of his closest friends is Ja Rule’s daughter, Britney, and he’s also close with Jessica Jarrell.
Sign Me Up
Diggy got signed to Atlantic Records March 21 2010—on his 15th birthday! And he’s already released two mixtapes, The First Flight and Airborne. To top that all off, he’s working on a full length album right now! He recently did a cameo in fifteen year old British singer Dionne Bromfield’s video “Yeah Right.” He’s also performed onstage with his pal Justin Bieber, who he’s rumored to be working on a mixtape with. Diggy says that his debut album will be about things he’s going through: “People are like, ‘Man, what is he even gonna write about?’ But if you listen to the mixtape or listen to the tracks, there’s a lot of different topics and things that I touch on. And a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, I can relate to this at any age.’ It’s like a breath of fresh air”.
Style Star
As if working so hard on his music weren’t enough, Diggy is also creating his own clothing line, due out by the end of this year. He’s called it Chivalrous Culture—maybe because he’s such a sensitive gentleman himself! Diggy says his mentor Pharrell Williams has helped him put the line together, and we’ll be seeing the results Fall 2011.
Here's Diggy rapping over the beat of Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones"
