Ladon (‘Layton’) ‘Beast’ Simon is a former Detroit street figure and later youth advocate whose life loosely inspired Lamar Silas in STARZ’s BMF. Simon is known for his role as a rival of the Flenory brothers, Big Meech and Southwest T. The series, which narrates the journeys of the Flenory brothers, features the character Lamar Silas, portrayed by actor Eric Kofi-Abrefa.
While Simon gained fame after the series, there are some notable differences between the fictional character and Layton Simon. The real-life Layton Simon’s life story is a fascinating exploration of the Flenory brothers’ criminal past and their rivalry.
Early Life and Background of Layton Simon
Layton Simon, a notorious American personality, was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, United States, where he currently resides. He is an American national with African-American heritage. He had four siblings, but one brother died during a murder, and now he has three sisters.
The upbringing of Layton Simon
Layton’s upbringing was difficult, to say the least. According to him, he was eight years old when he used a shotgun he had brought home from the South to defend his mother from two drug addicts. The intruders had broken into his home and assaulted his mother, demanding $80,000 and some drugs.
He had intervened, threatening to shoot the drug dealers if they refused to let his mother go. He believes he would have shot them if his mother had not stopped him. According to the former drug dealer, the encounter provided him with the confidence he needed to survive on the streets.
Layton Simon Started the Drug Trade as a Teenager
According to multiple intimate sources, Layton Simon was 14 years old when he started the drug business. Living in Detroit, then known as the Motor City and quickly becoming the Murder Capital of the United States with 751 homicides in 1973, requires street smarts to survive.
Harold Stinson as Drug Trade Mentor of Layton Simon
Layton had a lot of it and quickly found a use for it. In the 1970s, Detroit was swarming with drug gangs all vying for a piece of the expanding drug trade, and one of the drug lords was a man named Harold Stinson.
Stinson taught Layton nearly everything he knew about the drug business. At the age of 15, Layton had earned enough money to buy a car after only a year in business. The car was a 1972 Lincoln Town that he paid cash for despite his friend’s advice that doing so would hurt his credit score.
Layton Simon as Drug Trade Incharge of Southwest Detroit Drug Operation
Layton Simon rose to the top of the chain over time and was soon in charge of the Southwest Detroit drug operation and rise to power, which meant he was soon embroiled in territory fights and rivalries with other drug mafias.
Rivalry Between Layton Simon and Big Meech
The Flenory brothers, Big Meech and Terry were among the groups with whom Layton had severe disagreements and even strong rivalries. He had a special hatred for Big Meech, and Simon claims in a VladTV interview that he fired at Big Meech during a confrontation, saying he pulled the trigger ‘18 times’; Meech survived..
Big Meech as Killer of Layton Simon’s Brother
Although there is no official proof, Simon’s brother Elvis was killed in a shootout involving the 50 Boyz; Simon has alleged that Meech later bragged about it. Things appeared to have been going generally until Layton’s nephew was also found dead, and Big Meech was the suspect behind it once again.
On his way home one night, he sees the now-incarcerated drug dealer in a Coney Island restaurant with around 30 of his thugs. The restaurant was just down the street from his house, so as soon as he arrived home, he grabbed his revolver and shot Meech, who fled by hiding beneath his vehicle’s dashboard.
Layton respected Big Meech despite their animosity since he was not a snitch. He disclosed that the latter maintained their beef on the streets and never ran to the cops, in contrast to Edrick E.D. Boyd, whom Layton claims snitched on him and went to the police multiple times.
Layton Simon Went Against The Law From Early Age
Layton Simon had always had trouble with the law, a problem that went as far back as when he was just nine years old when he was arrested during the Detroit Riots of 1967 for stealing some hats. He didn’t exactly go to jail because of his age at the time. One can easily understand that the incident was not his last conflict with the law, given his history of drug smuggling, but things came to a head for him when he had to leave his area after a police officer moved into his apartment block. That paved the way for the Flenory brothers to move in his place.
Layton Simon: The Real Inspiration Behind Lamar Silas in BMF
Similarities Between the Lamar and Layton Simon
Fans who have watched the BMF series know the character Lamar Silas, played by actor Eric Kofi-Abrefa. Throughout the series, it has become evident that the character was inspired by the real life of Layton Simon.
Simon and the character match in many ways, including rumors that the former drug dealer was committed to a mental facility in the 1980s.
Differences Between Lamar and Layton Simon
There are also a few differences between the character and Layton. During the first season of the series, Lamar attacks and murders Darius, Big Meech’s sister Nicole’s lover, while attempting to kidnap her. Simon has objected to Lamar’s portrayal as abusive toward women/children and to the plotline about being institutionalized, saying these depictions are fictional.
Another modification made by the showrunners that did not correspond to actual events was Lamar’s escape from a mental facility. Layton claims that accusations that he was sent to a mental facility were unfounded since his faculties were intact, despite rumors that he was insane.
While he confesses that dealing with his brother’s death was horrific enough to drive anyone mad, he hung on to his sanity rather effectively.
At The End
The way Layton Simon changed his life and moved out of his dark past to become a respected member of the community, even a community leader, is a true inspiration for everyone. He is a true example of the power of change.
In later years, Simon has presented himself as reformed and has spoken in interviews about mentoring youth and moving beyond his past. By making his clothing brand and guiding youth to stay out of the world of crimes, he is leaving a legacy behind that will keep impacting new generations.
