DeLon

DeLon
Native name	ඩිලාන් ජයසිංහ
Birth name	Dilan Jayasinha
Also known as	DeLonMusic
Born	(1987-03-14) March 14, 1987 Los Angeles, California, United States
Origin	Gampaha, Sri Lanka
Genres	House Pop Electro House Hip hop dubstep
Occupation(s)	DJ, Record Producer, Rapper, Actor,
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Ceylon Records Independent
Associated acts	Zedd Calvin Harris Diplo DJ Snake Skrillex Bathiya and Santhush Example Flux Pavilion Kill The Noise Martin Garrix Kaskade Disclosure
Website	delonmusic.com

DeLon (born Dilan Jayasinha; March 14, 1987) , is an American DJ/Producer from Los Angeles, California.

DeLon is the first Sri Lankan artist to place on the U.S. Billboard charts, first with his single "Calor de la Salsa (The Heat Of Salsa)"^[1] in 2005 off of his debut album The Connection and then again in 2007 with his single "Nasty Girl" from his second album Unstoppable^[2]

On April 5, 2008, DeLon won "Best Rap Performance" at the Derana Music Video Awards in Sri Lanka.

DeLon, known by his community as the "King of Ceylon",^[3] has also collaborated American award-winning songwriter Jacob Luttrell, as well as new age Sri Lankan Hip Hop artists and producers such as Bathiya and Santhush, Ranidu, Ashanthi and Iraj,

Biography

Early life and career beginnings

Born to parents from a small village in Gampaha, Sri Lanka, Delon learned at an early age the importance of hard work and humility while at the same time trying to attain a level of greatness never thought of by someone from his island. Delon made his musical debut at the young age of 12; but it wasn’t his lyrics people were listening to. Delon began his love affair with Hip-Hop by first learning to DJ for local parties and clubs around his hometown of Pasadena, CA. A perfect match from the start; Delon soon made a name for himself and word of his talent spread through to the hottest clubs in Hollywood. DJ gave DeLon the chance to study music and gain a stronger perspective of how people responded to certain beats and melodies.

Destined for something greater, at the age of 18, DeLon began writing and producing his own music and perfecting his skills on the microphone by regularly attending local competitions. Due to his engaging personality, performing and entertaining came as second nature. With the determination to experience a world more than what he was given, Delon after his graduation from college, decided to expand his horizons. Through lifetime travels to over 33 countries, Delon collected knowledge, spiritual and worldly, and indulged himself into music from all over the world.

After experiencing the devastation of his country of Sri Lanka, as a first-hand survivor, by the Tsunami of 2004; Delon is determined to shed light and positivity to worldly atrocities of famine, and racial and cultural injustices. Delon is one of the leading voices in bringing unity and consciousness to the forefront through Hip-Hop music. Utilizing his multi-cultural knowledge and identity, DeLon fuses eclectic cultural beats with Hip-Hop to create a unique style that cannot be sonically compared with any other rapper in the game. Those tracks combined with the ability to perform in Spanish, English and Sinhala; DeLon produces a crossover appeal that makes him marketable to a wider fan base through genres and markets worldwide. Authentic, unique, diverse and entertaining; DeLon strives to achieve a level of international greatness and influence through his music at the same time keeping his roots grounded to his village upbringing.

He is currently working on his 3rd studio album.

Music career

The Connection (2005)

Main article: The Connection (DeLon album)

DeLon made his debut in 2005 with The Connection, which featured "Calor de la Salsa" as the lead single. "Calor de la Salsa" peaked at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.^[4] The Connection united hip hop listeners of all cultures as it features eclectic beats of different styles of cultural music mixed with American hip hop. With roots in salsa, samba, reggae, soca, Sri Lankan, Indian and Middle Eastern music, The Connection is an album that unites all cultures through international hip hop. As reviewed by YRB Magazine,

"Hitting the rap game from all sides, DeLon manages to be 'conscious' and 'street' on the same album...a seamless merger of hot production, a catchy hook and the lyrical precision of a young Talib Kweli." - Yellow Rat Bastard (YRB) Magazine, Issue ..61 "The Connection" Review.

The Connection was released through DeLon's record label, Ceylon Records.

Unstoppable (2008)

Main article: Unstoppable (DeLon album)

DeLon's second album, Unstoppable was originally meant for promotional use and only had 10,000 copies made to be sold at shows but due to the success of the Unity Through Education Tour, which DeLon headlined, the stock sold out. Unstoppable was then made available digitally through iTunes in February 2008. The first single, "Nasty Girl", featured Sri Lankan R&B singer Ranidu and debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.^[5]

Singles (2010-2011)

On November 9, 2010, DeLon released "Slow It Down" which featured urban hip-hop artist Dylan Synclaire. "This Is the Life" was DeLon's first release of 2011 and kept the same flowing hip-hop vibe.

Something Out Of Nothing (S.O.N.) (2011)

On November 28, 2011 DeLon released his latest album, Something Out of Nothing (S.O.N.) which showcased a brand new sound and collaborations with other artists. "You Got Me" features rapper/singer producer Tydolla$ign (Toot It & Boot It), while the anthem "Come Alive" features a collaboration with singer/songwriter Daniel Luttrell. On this album, DeLon creates a more modern sound, adding elements of house and dance music, while maintaining his smooth vocal delivery he has executed time and time again.

2012-present

In 2012, DeLon began revamping his musical style and image, while maintaining his loyalty to his fans and home country of Sri Lanka. His music has seen a transformation from underground, urban hip-hop to a unique blend of singing over rapping, combining elements of pop, house, dubstep, and hip-hop. In early 2012, DeLon released his single "Body Rock" along with a music video via the internet. While this was not an official release, the song garnered 150K hits on YouTube in just four weeks. "Body Rock" has since been remixed, and will be officially released in 2013 along with a brand new music video. In September 2012, DeLon joined America's Got Talent finalist and YouTube sensation Lindsey Stirling on the first leg of her first-ever U.S. Tour.

In March 2013, DeLon had a number hit on MTV's Most Popular Music Videos with a song called "Pretty Girls." Since then DeLon has created a production company called MJW Music Production and has been working on revamping his style to consider more social responsibility. On August 29, 2014, DeLon release a Youtube video entitled "Let's De-Objectify Women" a video meaning to congratulate smart women. This video is part of series of videos meant to challenge the social construct of "main stream" thought.

2014-present

DeLon is producing and creating content based on a new style artistry and thought process. DeLon is currently working on his new production company MJW Music Production and signing new artist and producer who insight change.

Discography

Solo albums

The Connection (2005)
Unstoppable (2007)
S.O.N (Something Out of Nothing) (2011)

Compilation albums

The Reality Mixtape (2008)

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
2010	Sinhawalokanaya^[6] "In Retrospect	Jangu	Drama