Best in Show
In his award-winning song "Dog Fight," aspiring hip-hop artist Dwayne Simmons, 32, takes a bite out of animal cruelty and, in turn, gets a shout-out from his favorite dawg.
You recently won a contest by the Humane Society of the United States to identify an original song that best stands up against animal cruelty and dogfighting. One of the judges of "Hip-Hop for Hounds" was Darryl McDaniels - the DMC in Run-DMC. How cool was that?
Very cool. Run-DMC's "Raising Hell" was the first rap record I ever got. They're definitely pioneers and idols.
Give me a few lines from your song.
Moms nursed and delivered the toughest pup in the litter/Always left at home alone, no bone and no sitter/Taken from my family I moved from house to house/Ended up in this basement somewhere down south/I don't have any friends the only dogs I know/Are trapped here with me or they're six below/Abused from young I was trained to be the aggressor/When I fight it's to kill on the real and nothing lesser.
Where can people hear the song?
I think it may end up on some kind of album that the Humane Society will use for educational purposes, and there's a video in the works right now. [Hear the song at myspace.com/hiphopforhounds.]
You're the director of an after-school program in Dorchester by day, but that's not your only gig, right?
No. I'm also a hip-hop MC . . . a master of ceremonies.
Yes, I'm familiar with the term MC.
(Laughs.) Just making sure.
How did you get started?
It was a hobby at first. I started dancing at 13. I was, like, a b-boy dancer for a hip-hop group, and I realized I could probably write better lyrics than the guys I was dancing for. I've been in love with it ever since.
Do you have a dog?
No. I'd love to, but I don't have enough time to take care of a dog. It's like guys who make children and then never see them. There's way too much of that going on in the world.
What's with rappers and pit bulls? There's a perception out there that the hip-hop culture is into dogfighting. Is that fair?
That does an injustice to hip-hop. It's like the whole chains, cars, and girls thing. I don't know where the dog thing started. Maybe DMX. I guess some people think strong, vicious dogs are cool. But taking advantage of a life like that is not cool.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sent to prison for dogfighting. Did he get what he deserved, or did the judge make an example of him?
I think he was made an example, but I also think he got what he deserved. You can't do that.
Would you characterize your raps as old-school, new-school, what?
Oh, man, it's the golden era, music for humanity.
Huh? Who are some of your influences?
Rakim and Big Daddy Kane . . .
Hmm. And Kool Moe Dee's "How You Like Me Now"?
(Laughs) You're well educated.
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