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Darrick Herndon; Hip-Hop’s Next Dynamic Duo: Diggy Simmons and Black The Beast…

May 24, 2011 by  
Filed under Ent., Music, News, Opinion, Weekly Columns

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(ThyBlackMan.com) The MC/DJ duo is nothing new in Hip-Hop music.  The DJ has evolved from the position of skilled disc spinner to the position of producer.  The MC/DJ combo of the now is the MC/Producer.  This formula has worked to success several times over in the history of the music with notable acts pairings like: Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Erick Sermon and Redman, Eric B. & Rakim, DMX & Swizz Beats, Snoop & Dre, and Jay-Z & Pharrell Williams, the list is too long to not leave out all-time greats.

Today brings with it a new force of two not yet named, but forming a powerful alliance on Hip-Hop’s mixtape circuit that is bringing them acclaim  from at least this critic.  The truth is that not everyone can rap.  It is a skill and in some instances, it is a gift.  It is as artistic and as formidable as playing the electric guitar, yet often gets overlooked in terms of degree of difficulty.  In the case of young Daniel Simmons, the son of Run-DMC rapper DJ Run, young Diggy inherited what has apparently skipped over his older brother JoJo and both of his sisters.

At 14 years of age, young Simmons constructed his own mixtape completely independent of the influence of his father and famous Hip-Hop mogul Uncle, Russell Simmons.  He gathered his own team, wrote his own lyrics and delivered the most jaw-dropping debut from a teenager in Hip-Hop since Special Ed.  The success of Simmons’ mixtape can in no way be mentioned without mentioning the emergence of a new young Super-Producer; Black the Beast.

Tyrone Wright aka Black the Beast is a breath of fresh air.  His music is deep and sophisticated while being fun and inspirational.  He makes music that will motivate you to higher planes in your own life.  Black’s best creations are his synth-heavy mid-tempo joints which can best be described as Pharell meets DJ Khaled.  Black’s production is fresh and new, but it maintains a fine East Coast edge to it that suits Diggy’s versatile flow well. 

Simmons & Wright are what is next in Hip-Hop music.  Simmons lyrics are clean and accessible while Wright’s beats will have mass appeal once heard by a wider audience.  I hope that the two of them realize the special chemistry that lies in songs like “Fly Away” and “No Gravity”, “Laid Back”, and “You Got Me Now” which features another youngfresh2def talent in Jacob Lattimore.  Simmons & Wright have worked together on two of Simmons’ mixtapes to date.  2009’s spectacular First Flight and 2011’s outstanding follow-up “Airborne”.  With independent work like this, the sky is the limit for the two emerging Hip-Hop Superstars.

Staff Writer; Darrick Herndon

For more thought provoking articles by this writer visit; blackfrankluntz.


Comments

2 Responses to “Darrick Herndon; Hip-Hop’s Next Dynamic Duo: Diggy Simmons and Black The Beast…”
  1. Ben says:

    I do not respect diggy. He has a good flow and made his own music but think about it, all the technology was there right infront of him. His father had to work to get where hes at, all diggy did was decide he wanted to try, and boom, he was in a studio. Rappers like mac miller chris webby yelawolf chiddy bang all had to work to make music, and i respect the hell out of them.

  2. Writer’s edit: “You Got Me Now” produced by Kane Beatz

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