Sacramento hip-hop artist Young Zel explains origin of Kings anthem ‘Light the Beam’
COMING DOWN THE LANE OFF THE REBOUND. IT’S 916. NOW LOOK TOWARDS THE SKY LIKE THE BEAM. NOW TELL EM LIKE THE BEAM. LIKE THE, LIKE THE BEAM. NOW A SACRAMENTO HIP HOP ARTIST HAS TURNED THE ICONIC BEAM ON TOP OF THE GOLDEN ONE CENTER INTO AN ANTHEM FOR THE TEAM. DENZEL JOYCE, ALSO KNOWN AS YUNG ZELL, IS THE ARTIST BEHIND THE SONG LIGHT THE BEAM. AND WE’RE EXCITED. HE’S RIGHT HERE WITH US HERE IN THE STUDIO. SONG’S BEEN OUT THERE FOR A COUPLE YEARS AGO. HOW DID THIS ALL COME TOGETHER? YOU KNOW, JUST BEING A DIE HARD KINGS FAN, I’VE MADE KINGS SONGS BACK IN THE PAST, AND I WAS JUST SITTING THERE ONE DAY AND ONE OF MY FRIENDS MESSAGED ME. HE SAID, HEY, WE GOT A TEAM THIS YEAR. I THINK IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO COME BACK OUT. AND SO THAT’S HOW IT CAME ABOUT. YEAH, THAT’S A GOOD POINT. WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER SONGS ABOUT THE KINGS THAT YOU’VE BEEN WORKING ON, OR THAT YOU MIGHT RELEASE AT SOME POINT? I’M WORKING ON A COUPLE MORE. I’M JUST KIND OF SEE, YOU KNOW, SEE THE VIBES OF IT. BUT YEAH, YOU KNOW, I’VE LIKE I SAID, I’VE DONE LIKE ONES BLACK AND PURPLE BACK IN THE DAY, I WAS LIKE TEN YEARS AGO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, I’M ALWAYS THINKING OF NEW STUFF ALWAYS. AND THIS IS THE ONLY TEAM YOU’VE COME UP WITH AN ANTHEM FOR, RIGHT? YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND I ALSO DID COME UP WITH SOMETHING, THOUGH, FOR SAC STATE COLLEGE. YES I DID, DID STINGERS UP FOR SAC STATE RECENTLY. NICE. ALL RIGHT. SO ARE YOU GOING TO BE PERFORMING AT ANY OF THE KINGS GAMES AT ALL THIS SEASON? NOT THAT I KNOW OF AS OF NOW, BUT I’M JUST A CALL AWAY. THEY’RE WATCHING MAYBE. YEAH. HERE WE GO. HEY, WE’RE SO HAPPY YOU’RE WITH US. AND WE’
Sacramento hip-hop artist Young Zel explains origin of Kings anthem ‘Light the Beam’
Updated: 4:49 PM PDT Oct 21, 2025
Sacramento hip-hop artist Denzel Joyce, known as Young Zel, has turned the iconic beam atop the Golden 1 Center into an anthem for the Sacramento Kings with his song “Light the Beam.” He joined KCRA 3 on Tuesday ahead of the Kings’ new season and described himself as a “die-hard” fan of the team who had written songs about them in the past. “I was just sitting there one day and one of my friends messaged me,” Young Zel said. “He said, ‘Hey, we got a team this year. I think it’s time for you to come back out. And so that’s how it came about.” Young Zel said he’s “always thinking of new stuff,” including more possible songs about the Kings. He’s also penned an anthem for Sacramento State called “Stingers Up.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
Sacramento hip-hop artist Denzel Joyce, known as Young Zel, has turned the iconic beam atop the Golden 1 Center into an anthem for the Sacramento Kings with his song “Light the Beam.”
He joined KCRA 3 on Tuesday ahead of the Kings’ new season and described himself as a “die-hard” fan of the team who had written songs about them in the past.
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You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
“I was just sitting there one day and one of my friends messaged me,” Young Zel said. “He said, ‘Hey, we got a team this year. I think it’s time for you to come back out. And so that’s how it came about.”
Young Zel said he’s “always thinking of new stuff,” including more possible songs about the Kings.
He’s also penned an anthem for Sacramento State called “Stingers Up.”
This content is imported from YouTube.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel