Layton Simon is a former American drug dealer who is the inspiration behind the character Lamar Silas from BMF, an American TV series. Against some claims that he is dead, Layton is still alive in real life.
Ever since the release of the hit series Big Mafia Family in 2021, viewers have been searching to get more information about the real-life stories of its cast members. The series follows the life and activities of the Flenory brothers; Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory and Terry Flenory.
Although the name Layton Simon may not be resounding to those that are unfamiliar with the series, he was the one that inspired the character Lamar Silas which was portrayed by Eric Kofi-Abrefa. Meanwhile, many have concluded that there are similarities between the Lamar Silas character and Layton Simon. This article explores the real life of Layton Simon and also the character he portrays in the series.
Layton Simon’s Ethnicity is African-American
Nothing much is publicly known about Layton Simon’s early life and family background but several sources confirm that he is an American citizen and is of the African American ethnic group. However, it is found that Layton had a tough upbringing. According to Layton, he was only eight years old when he defended his mother from two drug addicts with a shotgun he brought home from the South.
The attackers had broken into their home, attacked his mom, and demanded that she give them $80,000. Layton quickly intervened and threatened to shoot the assailants if they wouldn’t let his mom go. According to him, he could have shot them if his mom hadn’t stopped him from doing so. From that moment, he gathered the confidence he would ever need to survive on the streets.
What Happened to Layton Simon?
Layton Simon was 14 years old when he was introduced to the drug business. He lived in Detroit, a city that was fast becoming the Murder Capital of the US and required only smart street sense to survive. During that time, the city abound with drug gangs who all wanted proceeds from the burgeoning drug trade.
One of the famous drug lords at that time was Harold Stinson, and from him, Layton Simon learned most of the things he knew about the drug trade. A year into the business, Layton earned enough money that afforded him a car at just 15 years old. With time, he started gaining dominance and soon became in charge of the Southwest Detroit drug operation.
Layton’s rise to power simply meant getting embroiled in territory battles with other existing drug gangs. One of such gangs which he would subsequently have serious beef with was the Flenory brothers, Big Meech and Terry. They had a series of altercations, and Layton grew so much hatred for them, especially Big Meech.
This rivalry gave rise to Layton once shooting Big Meech 18 times, although only one of the bullets scraped his cheek. However, regardless of their rivalry, Layton said that he respected Big Meech because he wasn’t a snitch. According to him, Big Meech kept their beef in the streets and never for a day ran to the cops.
This is unlike Edrick E.D. Boyd, who allegedly snitched on him to the police multiple times. Meanwhile, Layton revealed that the Flenory brothers were not his biggest rivals in the drug business but Ashford & Simpson, a songwriting couple that consisted of Nikolas Ashford and his wife, Valerie Simpson.
He Faced Legal Troubles
Layton Simon had already started having trouble with the law back in the days when he was just nine. In 1967, he was arrested during the Detroit riot for stealing some hats. Thanks to his age at that time, he did not go to jail. As a result of his long-year history of drug dealing, that was certainly not his last encounter with the law.
Things came to a climax for him as a result of his fights with his rivals. The police moved into his apartment block, and he had to move away from his territory, leaving the Flenory brothers to rule the streets.
Is Layton Simon, Lamar From BMF, Still Alive in Real Life?
As earlier stated, Lamar from the BMF series, who is in real-life Layton Simon, is still alive. Years after he left his territory, Layton Simon moved back to Detroit but did no longer continue as a drug dealer and gang banger. He is now seemingly a changed person and a decent citizen.
Where Is Layton Simon Now?
Layton Simon is now an upstanding citizen and is currently based in Detroit, Michigan State. Since his return, he has been putting a lot of his time and effort into advocating for youth development and social change. His endeavors to this end have seen him mentor a lot of young people, especially teenagers in his community, by telling his own story and sharing his personal experiences with them.
Furthermore, Simon speaks at schools, symposiums, and different social events, focusing on the importance of education and the threats and dangers of a life of crime. Away from that, Layton is the founder of the clothing line, Made In Plan. He currently runs the business himself, and the profit he makes from it helps him in giving back to society.
Who is Lamar From BMF Actor?
Lamar Silas is a character in the BMF series portrayed by actor Eric Kofi-Abrefa and was one of the Flenory brothers’ rivals. Kofi-Abrefa is a British actor born on 7th September 1976. He gained prominence in 2018 with his role as Helicopter Merc in the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. His excellent portrayal of his role in the ongoing BMF series has also earned him more recognition.
Anyone who has seen the series would certainly agree that the character Lamar modeled after is the real-life personality of Layton Simon. The similarities between them were crystal clear in many ways. However, there are also dissimilarities between them, such as an episode in the first season where Lamar attacked and killed Darius while trying to abduct him.
Layton has expressed his bother about this scene because he said that despite his drug dealings and crimes, he never assaulted nor hurt women and would never hurt children.
Does Lamar Die in BMF?
No, Lamar Silas did not die in the BMF series. With his return to Southwest Detroit, he had the intention to reclaim his territory and woman, but with Big Meech having occupied both, war ensued between them and resulted in Meech almost killing Lamar. They got into a shooting which left him in a coma, but he would later wake up in the hospital and escaped.