Simmons is the son of Daniel Simmons Sr., a truant officer and black history professor who also wrote poetry, and Evelyn Simmons, a teacher who painted as a hobby. Simmons grew up in Hollis, Queens. He earned a degree in social work from New York University and a master\'s in public finance from Long Island University Brooklyn. He began painting after he realized how much he hated his job with the Bureau of Child Support. In 2012 he received an honorary PhD in fine arts from Long Island University Brooklyn.\n', '

Simmons, an abstract expressionist painter, has had his work shown nationally. Chase Manhattan Bank, the United Nations, and the Schomburg Center for Black Culture all show his work as part of their collections. The Brooklyn museum, as well as the Smithsonian African American Museum, have featured his work. His paintings can often be seen in his published books of poetry. He is also an avid collector of African art and comic books.\n', '

Simmons is the co-executive producer of Russell Simmons\' Def Poetry. Def Poetry of which episodes were produced for HBO from 2002 to 2007. Simmons came up with the idea for the series when a group of Simmons\'s friends would gather and perform open mikes at art galleries in the early 1990s. The poets did shows at the Nuyorican, Danny\'s home, and an art gallery in Manhattan. 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.\n', '

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