Daniel Simmons Jr. is a Neo-African abstract expressionist painter, a published author, poet and philanthropist.

Along with his brother Russell, Simmons established Def Poetry Jam, which has enjoyed long-running success on HBO.

[2] In 2004, Simmons published Three Days As the Crow Flies, a fictional account of the 1980s New York art scene.

Today, his works appear in Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn Museum, Chase Manhattan Bank, Deutsche Bank, Schomburg Center for Black Culture, The Smithsonian, United Nations, and, on an international scope has shown work in France, Amsterdam and Ghana.

Simmons then asked his younger brother Russell about extending the "Def Jam" name in a new direction.

After many more live events and showcases Danny and his associates Stan Lathan, Bruce George and Bob Sumner managed to launch "Def Poetry Jam" as both a cable show and a Broadway play.