Arts
Keon Josh Simmons better known as JoshSimmons has the heart of a soldier and the voice of an icon in-the-making.Raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, music has been Simmons’ backbone since he can remember. He picked up the sticks and started playing the drums at 4 years old. His passion for music transitioned into freestyle rapping with his friends and older brother. By the time he was in high school, Simmons started making music and formed the creative collective Col-Der-Sac (CDS) with a few of his closest friends.The 20-year-old creative isn’t your average Louisiana rapper. His distinct deep, raspy voice and confident delivery has landed him on the same stages as New York rapper Rob Banks and Grammy award-winning artist and producer Rick Ross. Through his music, he aims to motivate and inspire the youth to “get up and go get it.”On May 25th 2018, Simmons’ life was turned upside down when his mother and brother were tragically killed in an 18-wheeler accident. He turned his pain into fuel and didn’t look back, becoming the influential music artist he is today. Just six months after the accident, Simmons flew to California and competed in a freestyle competition at Complex magazine’s festival Complexcon. After being judged by the late rap legend Nipsey Hussle, Simmons was handpicked and won 50 free studio hours at any studio of his choice.Simmons and his collective CDS are just getting started. After making a name for himself in the underground Baton Rouge music scene and using social media to build a following, he’s ready to show the world what he’s been working on. In 2020, he plans to release his debut project, “[Demo]” which will feature original new music about growing up in Baton Rouge, not becoming a product of his environment, being an outcast and having fun doing what he loves: making music.