Today we’d like to introduce you to Darrell Simms.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Darrell. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
During my childhood, my mom would play a lot of various music in the living room we had. Everything from George Michael, Whitney Houston to LL cool J. I was exposed to every genre possible. One day, I found a Michael Jackson CD and it changed my perspective on music entirely. I started really paying attention. I got inspired to start writing songs and poetry because I felt everything he said. I carried around a voice recorder and practiced because I wanted to sound exactly like Michael Jackson. After that, I started broadening genres and listened more to rap. OutKast, Lil Wayne, Eminem, etc. were among those that were my first influences.
Fast forward senior year in high school, I met David Teymouri, who played a major part in my music. We shared the same interests and started recording tracks together. After I graduated high school in Sweden, I decided to move to the States to better my opportunity. I knew that if I wanted to take my craft to the next level, I had to be amongst a broader audience. I met my dad for the first time in 11 years and his side of the family. I got a job working at Sawgrass Outlet Mall at Lacoste and Vince part-time.
A year working there, my dad considered that I should start going to school so I started at Broward College. I liked going to school but yet again I didn’t think I would benefit from it. It just felt like I was doing something someone else wanted me to do so I dropped out after a semester. At the time, I was in a long-distance relationship that had just ended and I also find out one of my best friends got diagnosed with leukemia. I wasn’t in the correct mindset to continue. Knowing that he probably wouldn’t have that much time left to live; I flew back to Sweden and I decided to work on my first full-length mixtape dedicated to him called “ The First Blink” co-produced by David.
It was mixture of Hip hop, Indie Pop, Acoustic, etc. That sparked the fuel I needed to continue put out songs. Most specifically on SoundCloud. After a year of working on it, I got fired from job at Sawgrass and decided to take a trip to California to continue pursuing the music. It felt like I needed a change of scenery. I took my last check, booked the flight and left.
I started doing background acting the first few months to get a little extra cash on the side. I was also living in an art-house the first year, with a few other artists. Mekfly, an Oakland rapper who was multi-talented. He ended up being like a little brother to me. Ralph Luchese, an aspiring Film director that played a major part in my first music video in LA called “Elements. He is one of the few that believed in my skill set. Danny Jimenez who remains one of the sickest dancers I know.
Gaston Jeanty, who had a major part in creating my second mixtape called “Wilcox Ave” and Anthony Pena, who was also an aspiring film director. Every one of these guys played a major role in me adapting to LA. We all had the same dream. To make a living off the crafts we loved and to make our family proud.
What were you like growing up?
Ever since I was a kid, I had no future plans on what I wanted to become when I grew up. I was born and raised in Florida but spent the other half of my life in Europe. I always enjoyed drawing cartoons and fantasized about the idea of being something creative. I just didn’t know what. I always had difficulty paying attention in school because I never found it interesting.
My strongest subjects were English, Art, and Gym because it just came natural for me. I felt that I suffered a lot through depression as well, moving from Florida at a very young age and being distant from my biological father. My mother moved my sister and myself to Europe with my stepfather, and that became the next chapter in my life.
In Sweden, I found it hard to make friends because of the language barrier, Even though I attended an international school, I still felt left out. I struggled for identity and hung around various groups of friends. I started even playing soccer just to find some direction in my younger years. It wasn’t anything I yearned for. It was just to get me to be pro-active and hopefully make a few new friends.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being in Los Angeles challenges you mentally due to the fact that the competition a lot higher than in most places. Before coming to LA, you have to really know yourself. You can get lost in a life you think is yours but is someone else’s reality or you can work hard and be given the opportunity to succeed. It requires sacrificing and good honest people around you.
Whilst creating Wilcox Ave, I felt that certain people didn’t take my craft seriously so it led to me to using drugs to cope with stuff. I was ashamed to answer calls from family because it felt like I was caught in a spiral. I had to find myself again and realize why I started doing music in the first place. Now I’m on the right path and feel like my experiences will make me stronger
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am most known for my music. I have always been independent. Those that know me know that I have always taken my craft seriously. I have sacrificed a lot of time with friends and family to focus on music. It becomes an obsession, to the point that you constantly stay thinking of new ideas and ways to improve. I have always been an artist to clash different genres together. I have never stayed in one lane.
Contact Info:
- Website: soundcloud.com/iamdsimms
- Phone: 9544711583
- Instagram: instagram.com/iamdsimms
- Facebook: Facebook.com/iamdsimms
- Twitter: twitter.com/iamdsimms
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KRytc4AX8ONAwIs5OjAP7?si=DdPBZgZ6T96xE4QlR8LBDQ
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