Oregon Music News

Before Hip Hop/Rap became a multi-billion dollar industry, artists used to rhyme for the simple reasons of expression, love for the art, and to relay a message. The DJ would produce beats with the intentions to provide good music for the listeners to dance to and for the artist to rhyme to. Most artists refused to conform or compromise their craft for a substantial amount of money; instead they used Hip Hop as a tool to educate the world about the community from which it originated. Though the music has transformed along with the times, there are still artists who educate and creatively express themselves through the rhythmic sound that was born in the Bronx. An example of that artist resides right here in the City of Roses known by the alias of DLux the Light.  

Desmond Spann (DLux the Light) doesn’t have your usual Hip Hop artist’s history.  He wasn’t the kid in school freestyling with his peers in the lunch room while a crowd quickly accumulated around him.  He didn’t hand out demo tapes to every pedestrian who crossed his path while swearing he was the next best rapper. Growing up in a military family, DLux didn’t have time to establish himself in a community at an early age; he found himself and his family constantly relocating throughout the west coast until he reached high school and finally planted his feet in Portland. Besides his continuous traveling, Desmond was intimidated by the increasingly popular “Gangsta Rap” that plagued the youth of his culture and decided to remain reserved, writing poetry and producing beats for his own pleasure.  

After graduating from Wilson High School in 2000, DLux the Light took his passion for music to Tennessee’s Fisk University in pursuit of a degree in Saxophone Performance. A naturally talented musician, Desmond had been taking saxophone lessons and was able to play the piano by ear for years but lacked the proper training that could help him reach his full potential. During his journey to perfect playing the saxophone, he received his first piano lessons, sparking a new found love for playing the piano that would outshine his current endeavor. Eventually, he would change his major and earn a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance. A Bachelor’s wasn’t the only accomplishment he gained in college; he attended S.A.E (School of Audio Engineering) while enrolled at Fisk, and earned an Audio Technology Degree to add to his already impressive resume. He gained the confidence to publicly perform the poems he was once timid to share at open mic and spoken word sessions. He soon began coordinating his poetry to match the rhythm of his versatile and improving production of beats, finding himself transitioning from a poet to an MC.  

Due to his successful completion of schooling, years of musical training, and evolving phases of poetry and rhyming, DLux the Light possesses the skillful versatility as an artist that most dream of. He brought back his talents to share and teach to the city that his family settled in, hosting several events around town that focus on a variety of intricate areas that make up the Hip Hop artistry. On every second Friday of the month DLux presents “Open Mic Sessions” at Hob Knob (3350 SE Morrison), an event that allows aspiring poets of all ages to express their work freely amongst an audience which provides constructive feedback to the artists after their performance. For those interested in improving their poetic skills, sign ups for “Open Mic Sessions” begin at 8pm and end at 8:30pm.  

Another way that DLux assists in the development of our future artists is by hosting “iRhyme,” an event like “Open Mic Sessions” that thrives off crowd participation. This freestyle, cipher-themed, open session occurs the third Thursday of each month at various venues (check his websites to see where the next session will be) in inner city Portland.  It centers on developing a quick thought process and smooth delivery by forcing improvisation through a series of spectator-involved games and workshops. For example, a chosen audience member will be asked to provide a person, place, or thing for the freestyler to incorporate in their next unrehearsed verse. Like the ciphers that occupy street corners in urban communities, anyone who possesses the ability to rhyme off the top of their head is welcomed to join in the circle.  

When he’s not teaching others to become better MCs, he’s at Elevated Coffee (5261 NE MLK Blvd.) showcasing his material to the general public the last Saturday of every month. He performs music and poetry from his three full length albums “Quest for Truth,” “The Eclipse,” and his most recent release “K.I.M (Keep It Moving)”, which are all available. For those looking to experience a great atmosphere and positive lyrical expression, DLux displays his talent along with other notable local Hip Hop artists around 6pm those evenings.  

At Seattle Slam

His passion for teaching started some 3 years back when he was given an opportunity at Ethos Music Center (2 NE Killingsworth St.) to be the guiding light to students ranging from 4th grade to the college level, who seek to adopt the craft that is freestyle rapping. Demand for his instructing grew as his reputation of excellence did, just last year he was offered a position at the Fir Ridge Campus in the David Douglas School District to teach a freestyle class twice a week. He hopes to elevate his classes to a Portland Community College elective in the near future to continue to influence and intrigue others while spreading his message that “It’s not just entertainment” (referring to Hip Hop).  

Desmond plans to expand his teachings beyond the walls of a classroom by recording a downloadable audio educational program for those who lack the time to attend his class but are still infatuated with the art he represents.  His intentions to strengthen the roots of Hip Hop through influential positive content will be further projected through albums to come. DLux hopes to recruit a solidified cast of MCs who excel in freestyling in an attempt to reinvent his “iRhyme” session into a theater production. He will continue to inspire himself and many with his “A Rhyme a Day” sequence where he reveals a daily two-bar rhyme that he plays off of motivational quotes of some of our greatest martyrs or the ordinary rants on today’s popular social online networks.  

Visit www.DLUXtheLight.com to catch up with DLux the Light’s entertaining schedule of Poetry and Hip Hop related events and classes, such as the Hip Hop Motivates Workshop he will be instructing at the Youth Summit on February 6th at Portland State University’s Smith Hall. Check out the website to also purchase and preview his albums, and to stay hip to his frequently updated archive of spoken word poetry and rhymes. Hear one of his most recent spoken word performances based on the self-help book “From the Barrio to the Board Room.” In relation to Desmond Spann, his father Ricky Spann’s book titled “Man Up: A Plan for the Spiritual and Organizational Retooling of Black America” is available. DLux the Light is living proof that Hip Hop music is more than just entertainment, it’s a lifestyle!