After breaking ground with the success of Run-DMC in the 1980s, Rev Run can now see his children succeed. One of his kids, Diggy Simmons, has grown considerably within Hip Hop, earning a deal with Atlantic Records. Diggy has followed in the footsteps of his father, pursuing a career in music that has blossomed over the last few years.
Diggy’s fan base has been growing but as Rev Run shared in a recent conversation with HipHopDX, “Diggy is his own man.”
When asked if he has given Diggy a lot of advice or guidance in regards to the Rap world, Rev Run was candid enough to share that he hasn’t done much coaching. “No,” he confirmed to DX at BMI’s “How I Wrote This Song” event. “He just wanted to do things on his own. Diggy is his own man, his own boy, whatever. He’s 16 but he knows what he’s doing. So, I don’t really bother him. I don’t think he wants to be bothered.”
Still, Rev Run added that the lessons he has given Diggy can still be carried into music.
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“I’m sure he can pull from lessons anytime he wants,” he noted. “He can go in the archives and pull things.”
The family aspirations for success do not stop with Diggy, who will be releasing his Atlantic debutUnexpected Arrival in March. The Simmons’ oldest son, Jo Jo, is also pursuing a Rap career. Daughters Angela and Vanessa Simmons are modeling and working with their Pastry line, among other things. With other family members in line to succeed in different avenues, Rev said that the most important lesson he’s given his children has been about humility.
“Just to be humble and to never let nobody pick you up too high or put you down too low. Don’t get gassed,” he shared, acknowledging that while the love, fame and success can be somewhat overwhelming, one can also get caught up in the negative aspects of recognition. “You can also get caught up in haters. See, they can bother you too. So, don’t get caught up in yourself.”
While Run holds a place in Hip Hop history books as a pioneer for his early success within the genre, he also says he has been humbled with time. When asked how he has remained humble, he shared that it has to do with his faith.
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“I think I’m not so much humble; I’ve been humbled by God,” he explained. “So I’m in God’s hands. My position is to just be thankful and humble. I have a new found faith. It’s not just Run. It’s Rev Run. I’m just thankful.”
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