DeLon

Dilan Jayasingha known by his stage name DeLon is an American Hip-Hop Artist (DJ/Producer) from Los Angeles, California.

DeLon is the first Sri Lankan artist to place on the U.S. Billboard charts"^[1] with his single "Calor de la Salsa" 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] Also he's the only Sri Lankan artist who owns an official Vevo channel (DelonVEVO^[3]) on YouTube.

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

In 2012 DeLon was an official artist at South by South West opening for Lil Jon and The Chemical Brothers at Sundance and he was on tour with Lindsey Sterling.

In 2013 he accomplished a #1 MTV Most Popular Music Video with "Pretty Girls" and won a freestyle rap competition on Indi.com.

In 2014 he was amongst the top 2% finalists with his single "Head High" out of 18,000 entrants in the International Songwriting Competition 2014.

DeLon, also known by his community as the "King of Ceylon",^[4] has also collaborated with 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. He has worked with Ty Dolla Sign and Iggy Azalea, who was a model in his music video "Slow It Down" (in the early stages of her career).

Early life and education

At the age of 12 DeLon started becoming a Hip-Hop Artist by first learning to DJ for local parties and clubs around his hometown of Pasadena, CA. DJ gave DeLon the chance to study music and gain a stronger perspective of how people responded to certain beats and melodies.

At the age of 18, DeLon began writing and producing his own music and improving his musical, performing and entertainment skills by regularly attending local rap competitions. After his graduation from college with a Degree in Finance and Real Estate from USC, he travelled to over 33 countries gathering musical, spiritual and general knowledge from all over the world.

DeLon was a first-hand survivor in the Tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004; After this experience he was determined to shed light and positivity to worldly atrocities of famine, and racial and cultural injustices. Delon always intends to bring unity and consciousness to the forefront through Hip-Hop music with his lyrics while also maintaining a fun vibe. Utilizing his multi-cultural knowledge and identity, DeLon fuses electronic beats with Hip-Hop to create a unique style, which distinguishes him from other rapper in the game. DeLon strives to influence ways of thinking and create a change through his music.

He is going to release his 2nd EP, "Awake" later this year.

Music career

The Connection (2005)

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.^[5] 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)

DeLon's second album, Unstoppable was originally meant for promotional use for his Unity Through Education Tour. The first single, "Nasty Girl", featured Sri Lankan R&B singer Ranidu and debuted at number 36 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.^[6]

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 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. The album features a mix of funky electronic tracks, upbeat melodies and hip-hop lyrics about growing up, falling in love and chasing your dreams. DeLon’s upcoming album is similar to this style, but will take S.O.N. to a completely different level.

This kind of musical innovation, combining a hip-hop performance with a DJ set, allowed DeLon to start touring internationally, from South Asia to the UK. In 2012, DeLon was an official artist at South by Southwest, the second largest music festival in the United States.

2012

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

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 artists and producers.

2nd EP in 2015

DeLon’s specialty was always in the underground hip-hop scene, but in 2012, he began pushing the boundaries. He focused on meshing hip-hop with electronic and dubstep, resulting in up-tempo beats – different from any other MC and/or DJ. Now, he’s creating his own lane by mixing rap with electronic in a new dimension.

2015 marks the beginning of a new era for DeLon. He has two new singles coming out this summer and his EP “Awake” will be released later this year. DeLon is a musician, producer, businessman, innovator and creator; an inspiration to many.

Discography

Filmography

References

• DeLon's iPhone/iPod Touch App
• DeLon's upcoming movie "In Retrospect"

External links

• DeLon's official website
• DeLon's Facebook page
• DeLon's Twitter page
• DeLon's Instagram page
• DeLon's Youtube page
• DeLon's Soundcloud page
• DeLon's EPK