Joseph Simmons Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Joseph Simmons is an American DJ, rapper, and actor. In 1983, he co-founded the popular and influential hip hop group Run–D.M.C. with fellow musicians Darryl McDaniels and the late Jason William Mizell. He is also a practicing Christian minister, affectionately known as Reverend Run. Joseph achieved further prominence after starting an MTV reality TV series titled Run’s House (2005-2009) that revolved around his daily life with his family members.

Born Name

Joseph Ward Simmons

Nick Name

Run, Rev. Run, DJ Run

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Hollis, Queens, New York City, New York, United States

Residence

Saddle River, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States

Nationality

Education

Joseph is a high school graduate.

Occupation

DJ, Rapper, Actor, Music Producer

Family

• Father – Daniel Simmons Sr. (Public School Administrator, History Professor, Poet)
• Mother – Evelyn Simmons (Teacher, Painter, Park Administrator)
• Siblings – Daniel “Danny” Simmons Jr. (Older Brother) (Artist, Painter), Russell Wendell Simmons (Older Brother) (Entrepreneur, Record Executive, Writer, Film Producer)
• Others – Jamel Simmons (Nephew) (Rapper, Actor, Designer), Kimora Lee Leissner (Ex Sister-in-Law) (Fashion Model, Fashion Designer), Ming Lee (Niece), Aoki Lee (Niece), Mia Kaylee Simmons (Granddaughter), Ava Marie Jean Wayans (Granddaughter), Michael Wayans (Son-in-Law) (Actor), Tanice Amira (Daughter-in-Law)

Manager

He is represented by Yoni Goldberg, Booking agent, DGI Management, New York, United States.

Genre

Hip Hop, East Coast Hip Hop, Rap Rock

Instruments

Vocals

Labels

• Def Jam Recordings
• Profile Records
• Arista Records, Inc./Bertelsmann Music Group (BMG)

Build

Average

Height

5 ft 8 in or 173 cm

Weight

80 kg or 176.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Joseph has dated  –

1. Valerie Vaughn (1983–1992) – Joseph got married to teacher and educationist Valerie Vaughn in 1983. They had 3 children together – 2 daughters named Vanessa Simmons (b. August 5, 1983) and Angela Simmons (b. September 18, 1987), and a son named Joseph “JoJo” Ward Simmons, Jr. (b. September 29, 1989). The couple got divorced in 1992.
2. Justine Simmons (1994-Present) – Joseph married actress and his high school sweetheart Justine Simmons on June 25, 1994. He had 3 more children with this relationship – 2 sons named Daniel “Diggy” Simmons III (b. March 21, 1995) and Russell “Russy” Simmons II (b. August 30, 1997), and a daughter named Victoria Anne Simmons. Victoria, however, passed away shortly after her birth on September 26, 2006, after which the couple adopted a baby girl named Miley Justine Simmons (b. 2007).

Race / Ethnicity

Black

He is of African-American descent.

Hair Color

Bald

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Stocky frame
• Clean-shaven look
• Freckled face

Brand Endorsements

Joseph, as a member of the hip hop group Run–D.M.C., has endorsed the multinational brand Adidas.

Religion

Pentecostalism (Protestant Christianity sect)

Joseph Simmons Favorite Things

• Rappers – Drake, Young Thug, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z
• Singer – Frank Sinatra
• Instrumentalists – Nat King Cole, Kenny G
• Radio Station – CD101.9

Source – The New York Times, The Independent, New York Magazine

Joseph Simmons Facts

1. He had started his musical career as the lead vocalist of a hip-hop band named The Force.
2. In 2002, he featured on a special “Rap Stars” episode of the reality TV game show The Weakest Link. He was the 3rd contestant voted out.
3. He began using the stage name “Rev. Run” after his ordainment as a Pentecostal minister by his spiritual mentor E. Bernard Jordan. He was also honored as “Protege of the Year” by Bernard in 2004. Joseph reciprocated by gifting Bernand a Phantom Rolls Royce car worth USD 325k as a thankful gesture for his mentoring.
4. His first musical act after adopting the stage name Rev. Run was an appearance in the British pop band Liberty X‘s 2005 single titled Song 4 Lovers. The song peaked at No. 2 on the Box UK and at No. 4 on the MTV UK TV channels.
5. In October 2005, his first solo album titled Distortion was released. The album’s lead single, Mind on the Road has been featured by EA Sports in its 2006 edition of the Madden NFL video game.
6. In 2007, he featured in an episode of MTV’s reality TV series My Super Sweet 16 with his rapper son Daniel “Diggy” Simmons III. The show documents the lives of teenagers of wealthy and famous celebrity parents.
7. In September 2007, he was honored with the “BMI Icon” award by Broadcast Music Inc., at its annual BMI Urban Awards.
8. In 2008, Joseph and his wife Justine formed a partnership with a non-profit organization called KaBOOM! to raise awareness about the importance of safe play spaces by helping to construct 24 playgrounds in underprivileged communities.
9. He has also co-authored a book with Justine titled Take Back Your Family: A Challenge to America’s Parents, which was published in August 2008.

Featured Image by David Shankbone / Wikimedia / CC BY-3.0