Daveed Diggs

Template:Use mdy dates

* Actor
* rapper
* singer
* songwriter

* Experimental hip hop
* industrial hip hop
* noise
* Clipping

**Daveed Daniele Diggs** (born January 24, 1982) is an American actor, rapper, singer and songwriter. He is the vocalist of the experimental hip hop group Clipping and in 2015 originated the roles of Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the musical *Hamilton*, for which he won both a Grammy Award and Tony Award. Since leaving *Hamilton* in 2016, he has had a recurring role on the television series *Black-ish*, and co-starred in the film *Wonder*. Diggs also wrote, produced and starred in the 2018 film *Blindspotting*, which earned him a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead.

## Early life and education

Diggs was born in Oakland, California, the son of Barbara, a social worker, and Dountes Diggs, a bus driver. His mother is Jewish, and his father is African-American. His parents named him "Daveed", the Hebrew pronunciation of David. Diggs has said, Template:"'David' means beloved in Hebrew... They spelled it with two E's because my dad liked the look of it.” His parents' ethnic/racial identities have contributed to his own self-identification: "The cultures never seemed separate—I had a lot of mixed friends. When I was young, I identified with being Jewish, but I embraced my dad's side too.”

Diggs is an alumnus of Berkeley High School and Brown University, where he graduated in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in theatre arts. He was recruited by Brown for his track skills, and broke the Brown Bears' school record in the 110 meter hurdles as a sophomore with a time of 14.21 seconds. After graduating, he worked as a substitute teacher.

## Career

### Theater

Diggs performed in experimental theater early in his career, most notably when he was on the national tour for Marc Bamuthi Joseph's choreopoem, *Word Becomes Flesh*, about a nine-month pregnancy through the eyes of a young, single father. He also frequently performed in regional Shakespeare productions.

Around 2012, Lin-Manuel Miranda invited Diggs to read and hear early versions of *Hamilton*. Diggs was impressed by Miranda's demos and passion for the project, and saw that the concept was a perceptive use of the rap-musical medium. He played the roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette off-Broadway in 2015, continuing with the roles when the show was moved to Broadway later in the year. For his performance, Diggs won the 2016 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, as well as a 2016 Grammy Award for the cast album. Diggs played his final performance in the show on July 15, 2016.

### Music

Diggs is the vocalist of and writer for the experimental hip-hop and rap group Clipping. The group was founded by William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes in 2009, with Diggs joining in 2010. The trio self-released their first mixtape album *midcity* in 2013 to fairly positive reviews. Signing with Sub Pop, they released their album *CLPPNG* in 2014, which they promoted with their CLPPNG Tour. In 2016, they released an EP titled *Wriggle*, then the album *Splendor & Misery*. In 2017, they released *The Deep,* a five-and-a-half minute track that tells the story of a society of slave descendants living underwater. In 2018, the song was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form).

Diggs is a member of True Neutral Crew, with Brian Kinsman, Margot Padilla, and Signor Benedick the Moor. The group have released two EPs, *#MONSANTO* (2013)Template:Better source and 2014's *#POPPUNK*, as well as *Live*, a 20-minute short film of a live performance. They released their debut album *soft rules* in 2016.

In 2010, he made an album with Rafael Casal titled *The BAY BOY Mixtape.* Diggs also founded a hip hop triumvirate with Chinaka Hodge and Casal known as The Getback. The Getback later became a collaborative ensemble composed of Diggs, Hodge, Casal and other artists along with a band formed by drummer Chukwudi Hodge, turntablist Dion Decibels and Max Miller-Logan on trumpet and Keys. Though the band have diversified themselves from their work with the ensemble, they are still known as The GetBack (Get:Band) on Facebook. Two years later, in 2012, he released his first solo rap album, *Small Things to a Giant*, composed of original music he had written. Both *The BAY BOY Mixtape* and *Small Things to a Giant* included other artists in The Getback collective.

He is also a member of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail's freestyle rap group Freestyle Love Supreme, or FLS, which performs across the country.

His rapping has also been featured on tracks by Busdriver, George Watsky, Rafael Casal, and Leslie Odom, Jr., and he wrote and performed a rap number for the 2016 animated film *Zootopia*.

### Television

Diggs has had recurring roles on the series *The Get Down*, *Black-ish*, and *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*.

Diggs served as an executive producer of the ABC series *The Mayor*. In addition, he wrote original music for it, as well as guest starring on it. He will also star in the upcoming television adaption of *Snowpiercer*.

In early 2018, Diggs was featured in several television commercials for the Zelle digital payment service.

### Film

Diggs had his Hollywood film debut in the Disney animated film *Zootopia*, for which he wrote and performed the "Parlez Vous Rap".

Diggs appeared in the 2017 film *Wonder*, starring Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson. Diggs played the schoolteacher of the protagonist, a boy with a facial deformity.

Diggs had a voice role in the animated film *Ferdinand*, in which he played the character Dos.

Alongside his lifelong friend Rafael Casal, Diggs co-wrote, co-produced, and co-starred in the 2018 film *Blindspotting*, which premiered at Sundance in January 2018. He received the Atlanta Film Festival's inaugural Innovator Award in April, prior to the film's theatrical release on July 27, 2018. Diggs plays Collin, a felon living in Oakland, as he tries to get through the last three days of his year-long probation without incident. Diggs and Casal wrote the film over nine years to tell a story about their quickly gentrifying hometown as they knew it. Diggs received critical praise for his performance in the film.

Diggs is currently in talks to play Sebastian in the live-action remake of *The Little Mermaid*.

## Discography

Template:BLP sources section

* *The BAY BOY Mixtape* (2010) - collaboration with Rafael Casal
* *Small Things to a Giant* (2012)
* *Blindspotting: The Collin EP* (2018)
* Seven Nights in Chicago (2019) - collaboration with Rafael Casal

### With clipping.

* *Dba118* (2012) - EP
* *midcity* (2013)
* *CLPPNG* (2014)
* *Wriggle (EP)* (2016) - EP
* *REMXNG* (2016) - EP
* *Splendor & Misery* (2016)
* *There Existed An Addiction To Blood* (2019)

### With True Neutral Crew

* *#MONSANTO* (2013) - EP
* *#POPPUNK* (2014) - EP
* *soft rules* (2016)

### Featured artist

* *The Monster* (2009) - featured on "Running Down" & "Wise Guys"
* *Mean Ones* (2012) - additional vocals
* *Hamilton* (2015) - original Broadway cast recording
* *Thumbs* (2015) - featured on "Surrounded by Millionaires"
* *Good For You* (2016) - single; featured rapper
* *Maiden Voyage Suite* (2016) - EP by Sir Benedick the Moor; featured on *1200am*
* *x Infinity* (2016) - featured on *Exquisite Corpse*

## Concerts

* *midcity* promotional concerts (5 shows, in the US and UK, Feb. 19, 2013 - Mar. 18, 2014)
* CLPPNG Tour (19 shows, in the US and the UK, Jul. 3 - Nov. 10, 2014)
* *#POPPUNK* promotional concerts (3 shows, in the US, Jul. 17, 2014 - Jun. 5, 2015)

## Awards and nominations

### Honors

On May 28, 2017, an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree was conferred upon Diggs, during the 249th commencement ceremony at Brown University, his alma mater.

## References

1. ↑ "Daveed Diggs Theatre Credits and Profile". http://www.abouttheartists.com/artists/309617-daveed-daniele-diggs.
2. ↑ Erbland, Kate (November 16, 2018). "2019 Independent Spirit Awards Nominees, 'Eighth Grade' & 'We the Animals' Lead". https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/2019-independent-spirit-awards-nominations-1202021241/. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
3. ↑ "How Hamilton Changed Daveed Diggs's Life (and Preferred Mode of Transportation)" (in en), *Vanity Fair* (November 29, 2016). Retrieved on May 13, 2018.
4. ↑ "Daveed Diggs leaps to Broadway stardom in 'Hamilton'". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121658/http://www.timesofisrael.com/daveed-diggs-leaps-to-broadway-stardom-in-hamilton/.
5. ↑ Bloom, Nate (May 12, 2016). "celebrity Jews". https://www.jweekly.com/2016/05/12/celebrity-jews0513/.
6. ↑ Brunner, Jeryl. "Daveed Diggs Of 'Hamilton' On His Greatest Life Lessons". https://www.forbes.com/sites/jerylbrunner/2018/02/28/daveed-diggs-on-his-greatest-life-lessons/.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Hoffman, Barbara (18 July 2015). "'I went from couch-surfing to starring on Broadway'". *New York Post*. Archived from the original on August 8, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150808143931/http://nypost.com/2015/07/18/i-went-from-couch-surfing-to-starring-on-broadway/.
8. ↑ Henderson, Kathy. "Daveed Diggs on His Hebrew School Roots, Meeting Crazy Celebrities & Getting His Shot on Broadway in Hamilton". Broadway.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160201062516/http://www.broadway.com/buzz/181630/daveed-diggs-on-his-hebrew-school-roots-meeting-crazy-celebrities-getting-his-shot-on-broadway-in-hamilton/.
9. ↑ Departments & Degree Programs Brown University. 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Brown to confer six honorary degrees O'rya Hyde-Keller. Brown University. April 20, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017
11. ↑ "Senior profile: Daveed Diggs", *Brown Daily Herald* (September 22, 2004). Retrieved on 1 March 2016. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016.
12. ↑ "Daveed Diggs was a track star at Brown University. Now he's a rap star in Hamilton on Broadway.". *The Boston Globe*. 17 February 2016. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160224172806/http://www.boston.com/entertainment/2016/02/17/daveed-diggs-was-track-star-brown-university-now-rap-star-hamilton-broadway/tQQn2xVgtY3rPaxxFdrNrI/story.html.
13. ↑ Template:Citation
14. ↑ "Word Becomes Flesh". Living Word Project. Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160130081703/http://livingwordproject.org/core/2010/12/16/word-becomes-flesh-re-creation/.
15. ↑ "Daveed Diggs". *Playbill*. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160506224513/http://www.playbill.com/person/daveed-diggs-vault-0000126579.
16. ↑ Template:Citation
17. ↑ Plitt, Amy; Reilly, Phoebe (June 13, 2016). "20 Best, Worst and WTF Moments at 2016 Tony Awards". *Rolling Stone*. Archived from the original on June 20, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160620223024/http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/20-best-worst-and-wtf-moments-at-2016-tony-awards-20160613?page=3. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
18. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Daveed Diggs’ Post-Hamilton Plate Starts to Fill Up - Playbill". Playbill. http://www.playbill.com/article/daveed-diggs-post-hamilton-plate-starts-to-fill-up.
19. ↑ "2018 Hugo Awards" (in en-US), *The Hugo Awards* (2018-03-15).
20. ↑ Miserachi, Raquel (May 15, 2014). "TRUE NEUTRAL CREW: #POPPUNK". VICE. http://noisey.vice.com/es\_mx/blog/true-neutral-crew-poppunk.
21. ↑ Fantano, Anthony (September 9, 2013). "True Neutral Crew - #MONSANTO". Archived from the original on June 29, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160629120335/http://www.theneedledrop.com/articles/2013/09/true-neutral-crew-monsanto.
22. ↑ Tucker, Simon (July 9, 2014). "True Neutral Crew: #POPPUNK – album review". Archived from the original on July 1, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160701230404/http://louderthanwar.com/true-neutral-crew-poppunk-album-review/.
23. ↑ "Watch This: True Neutral Crew Release 20 Minute Short Film Of Themselves Playing Live". November 14, 2014. http://louderthanwar.com/true-neutral-crew-release-new-film/.
24. ↑ "Getbackers". http://daveeddiggs.tumblr.com/getbackers.
25. ↑ "The GetBack (Get:Band)". http://www.facebook.com/The-GetBack-GetBand-165095893524531/.
26. ↑ "7 Things We Learned at Baz Luhrmann's 'Get Down' Talk". April 25, 2016. https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/7-things-we-learned-at-baz-luhrmanns-get-down-talk-20160425?page=2. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
27. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (July 20, 2016). "Daveed Diggs of ‘Hamilton’ Joins ‘Black-ish’ Family in Season 3 (EXCLUSIVE)". https://variety.com/2016/tv/features/black-ish-daveed-diggs-kenya-barris-1201818550/.
28. ↑ "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt season 3’s best new guest stars, from Daveed Diggs to Beyoncé (kinda)". https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/5/21/15667468/unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt-season-3-guest-stars-crossover.
29. ↑ Otterson, Joe (August 6, 2017). "‘The Mayor’ Creator Explains How Chance the Rapper Inspired ABC Comedy Series". https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/chance-the-rapper-abc-the-mayor-daveed-diggs-1202516911/.
30. ↑ "Daveed Diggs gives scoop on new ABC series". http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/tv/daveed-diggs-gives-scoop-on-new-abc-comedy-series-the-mayor-1.13942450.
31. ↑ "(#101) "Pilot"". The Futon Critic. http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings/20170918abc04/. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
32. ↑ Rosen, Christopher (17 May 2017). "Hamilton star Daveed Diggs to lead Snowpiercer show". Archived from the original on 19 May 2017.
33. ↑ Surane, Jennifer (February 2, 2018). "‘Banks Hire Rapping Broadway Star to Give Venmo Run for Its Money". https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-02/banks-hire-rapping-broadway-star-to-give-venmo-run-for-its-money.
34. ↑ "First trailer for Blindspotting starring Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal" (in en-US), *Flickering Myth* (2018-04-20).
35. ↑ Template:Citation
36. ↑ Kohn, Eric (2018-01-19). "‘Blindspotting’ Review: Daveed Diggs Is an Instant Movie Star in Intense, Uneven Oakland Buddy Movie — Sundance 2018" (in en-US), *IndieWire*.
37. ↑ "Blindspotting Review: Daveed Diggs is About to Become a Star" (in en-US), */Film* (2018-01-19).
38. ↑ Vandegrift, Tamiera; Articles, More; October 11, 2019 (October 11, 2019). "‘The Little Mermaid’: This ‘Hamilton’ Star Will Be Joining the Cast Under the Sea". https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-little-mermaid-this-hamilton-star-will-be-joining-the-cast-under-the-sea.html/.

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