Spread the word and play the music,
this will put and keep me up on the
charts!!!!!!!
D’Analyst’s musical influences are, Beethoven,
Bach, Chopin, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles,
Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie,
INXS, James Brown, George Clinton, Lenny Kravitz,
D'Angelo, Run-DMC, KRS-ONE, Public Enemy, A Tribe
Called Quest, Arrested Development X-Clan, Rakim,
Poor Righteous Teachers, N.W.A. , Tupac, Biggie,
Eminem, and various others.
Prince, however, is one of his biggest
influences. They share a love for music that
only true music connoisseurs can appreciate.
As denoted by his influences D’Analyst’s lyrical
style is as complex as it is diversified. From
the moment he heard "Rappers Delight" he was
hooked. Between the ages of 10 to 18 D'Analyst
Professor D'Analyst back then) and his cousin
Garland Thomas (G.T.), known as the Lyrical Lords,
battled any one who crossed their paths and never
lost. Unfortunately personal conflicts brought it
to an end. Music was always an escape for Damon,
he played French horn for nearly 10 years and
attended the Youth Performing Arts High School.
At 17 he was forced to drop out and was rendered
homeless due to his mothers addiction to crack.
Living on the streets and angry at the world,
music was his one and only escape. He ended up
living with Paul Moffett, the founder of the
Louisville Area Songwriters Co-Op and re-entering
school. He earned his diploma but more importantly
Paul taught him to harness his love for music.
He made his way to Morehead State University and
majored in communications. In 1994 with Mick
Caswell(R.I.P.) and Ernie Ensign he began
recording what started as a school project and
became his first solo album Wargasm.
Soon after this, he got married, divorced and
dropped out of school. Long had three bi-racial
children (Xavier, Isis and Torin), and eventually
married their mother.
While searching for a studio fate brought Damon
together with Greg Miske, a music student at
M.S.U. who had a home studio. Once again what
started as a demo became a full album. Between
the two of them a labor of love called Wargasm
The Second Coming was created. Just as things
were coming together, tragedy struck. On April
15, 2003 He had a mild heart attack and was
eventually taken to St. Joseph's Hospital in
Lexington, Kentucky.
Somehow a hole developed in his aortic valve.
During a test Damon’s blood pressure sky rocketed,
his lungs filled with fluid and he nearly died.
The doctor's saved him but had to wait until
May 2, 2003 to replace his valve due to an
infection in his lungs. In total he spent 24
days in the hospital, with his second wife
by his side the entire time. He made her promise
to finish the CD because if he died he wanted to
share the pieces of his soul contained in his
songs. But God had a different plan.
On May 9th, 2003 he returned home to Morehead
and his family.
After recovering from surgery, Damon recorded
Verbatim in 2004. He also recorded the album,
Codename: Bluegrass Assassin.
In 2006 he recorded the album, Child of
the Elements. Damon also had a second
heart attack, that year, and surgery to
repair the valve once again. He came through
another “rough patch†that he is very thankful
for.
In 2007 he recorded Rhymes Equal Actual Life
(R.E.A.L.).
Long is not nor will he ever be a "gangsta".
He is a loving father, good friend and talented
lyricist whose song styles are as varied as
their subject matter. Above all else he is a
man with a scar on his chest that reminds him
of how precious life truly is. D'Analyst is a
wordsmith, not by choice but by the grace of
God and he will share his gift with the world.
