Background
Diggs was born in in Oakland, California. His mother is white Jewish and his father is African-American.
Diggs was born in in Oakland, California. His mother is white Jewish and his father is African-American.
Diggs is an alumnus of Berkeley High School and of Brown University, from which he graduated in 2004.
He is the vocalist of the hip hop group clipping. and originated the roles of both the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson in the 2015 musical Hamilton. He was originally recruited for his track skills but eventually earned a degree in theatre. Diggs broke the Brown Bears" school record in the 110 meter hurdles as a sophomore when he finished with a time of 14.21 seconds.
Before Hamilton, he was on the national tour for Marc Bamuthi Joseph"s choreopoem, Word Becomes Flesh, about a nine month pregnancy, through the eyes of a young, single father.
He has also released an album in 2012 called Small Things to a Giant. In 2016, a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Cast Album was awarded to Hamilton.
On that recording, Diggs sings the roles of Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette.
Also, Diggs, along with Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton, Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington, and Thomas Kail, the musical"s director, were members of the hip-hop improv group, Freestyle Love Supreme, which Kail co-created with Miranda. He is a member of the experimental hip-hop group clipping., which records for Sub Population