Daveed Diggs

Episode notes

He starred in the original cast of Hamilton – he won a Grammy and a Tony for his roles as Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette.

He’s an actor on screen, too. You’ve seen him on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Get Down, Black -ish. Every now and then, he’s got a great role in the Elmo’s World segment on Sesame Street. His latest can be seen on the Amazon series Undone.

He’s also a writer. Diggs co-wrote the screenplay for Blindspotting, a movie about violence and gentrification in Oakland, his hometown. Diggs also co-stars in the film, and it’s brilliant.

And, if that wasn’t enough he’s a very talented musician. He’s a member of the rap group Clipping. He serves as the MC, and producer alongside William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. They create their beats out of weird samples: beer bottles, alarm clocks. They collaborate with noise artists, and Daveed never raps in the first person. Their newest record, There Existed An Addiction to Blood is a study in horror – horror movies, horror soundtracks, and horror rap.

Diggs joins us to talk about Clipping’s new record, his various acting roles, and of course, Hamilton. Diggs reflects on his favorite music from his teenage years, and growing up in Oakland. Plus, what it’s like to be recognized as a Sesame Street character.

Clipping’s new album There Existed an Addiction to Blood is available October 18.