The Numberz FM is providing a very unique listener and creator experience, by carving out a media space to empower communities of color to share their thoughts, concerns and celebrate each other. The intent of our current musical format is to give a full representation of the Black music experience, not just Hip Hop and R&B. Along with those genres, we play Reggae, House, Afro Beat, Jazz, Funk and Gospel. The primary purpose of The Numberz is to create media space for Black people and communities of color, in a city where gentrification has played a significant part in scattering their voices.

Being involved in The Numberz doesn't require that you are a musician. Through our Community Playlist campaign we're able to highlight change makers, activists, entrepreneurs and people making a positive impact, by asking them to share the music that moves and motivates them. We then turn that music into an hour mix that is then shared with everyone via our broadcast. Doing this creates a dialog in the community through those songs. We also offer airtime for community organizations to share event information that will benefit our listeners.

From the North to the Numberz

  • Executive Director

    Currently the executive director of The Numberz, DJ Ambush is a music industry professional with a career spanning 30yrs. Originally from the greater Philadelphia Area he has settled in historically Black North Portland which he affectionately calls home. His passion for community organizing, music industry education and social justice has perfectly aligned him with the core values of The Numberz. His vision for the growth of the station includes solidifying it as Portland’s premier black media entity that will continue to provide a full representation of the multifaceted Black Experience.

  • Program Director

    Deanna (Dee) Smith is a Program Director and Philanthropist committed to working with organizations rooted in creating stronger communities for youth and people of color. Originally contracted to coordinate the Sightz & Soundz youth content creation camp in 2021, her organizational and planning skills quickly caught the eye of Executive Director (Ambush) and she was brought on to be The Numberz FM Program Director.

    She has a strong (10+ years) background in handling multi-million dollar program budgets, operational efficiency, and organizational change management. In addition to working with The Numberz, she designs and directs programs for SneakerWeekPDX, Friends of Noise, and Music Portland. In 2022 she launched PMG, a career development company dedicated to providing Project Management and Business Consulting work experience to BIPOC youth. She holds the Board Chair position for the Alberta Abbey Foundation, which manages the historic Alberta Abbey in NE Portland, and also serves as Portland's Community Impact Director for a nationwide consulting agency.

    Dee's love for music ranges from West Coast rap to Bossa Nova Jazz. She listens to the Numberz FM (96.7) in her car while riding around town or online when working remotely.

  • Graphic Designer

  • Music Content Coordinator

    Brittain is honored to be a member of the NumberzFM team as the Music Content Coordinator. Hailing from Washington DC, Brittain’s background is rooted in the Performing Arts as a professional concert dancer, musical theatre performer, and singer nationally and internationally. He is credited as an emcee and host (My People's Market, WILDFANG), speaker (TEDx), yoga and dance instructor, editor, writer, producer, and host of his own podcast (VillageVibesPodcast). He has also directed and produced events and performances for the NumberzFM. Brittain is grateful to be part of the Numberz mission to amplify the voices of communities of color.

  • Music Content Lead

    My name is Taiyah Simone aka, Simone, The Waterbearer. I am a creative at heart expanding my knowledge in music and media. Those around me would describe me as a curious, intuitive, goofball. I’m a proud aquarian! So being in community with so many pioneering thinkers and artists who look like keeps me grounded everyday. It’s a deep joy to be able to say “I work at Portland’s only Black Lead radio station”. Seeing ideas become fully realized, collaborating, and seeing the direct impact in our community is personally one of my biggest highlights in doing this work.

  • Talk Content Lead

    My name is Edouard Mbenza-Ngoma aka King E.D.O and I’m a proud member of the Numberz family! I’m an eccentric and excited soul at heart but don’t be surprised if I ask a question about mental health. Creatively I exist in many worlds but music and video editing are my bread and butter. The Numberz has brought me a safe space where I feel like not only am I sharpening my tools but I’m doing it in the way I want to. So weather it’s on a stage rapping to an audience or in the office asking random questions while editing videos, I wear my Numberz position proudly!

  • Numz Bodega Lead

    Hi my name is David, and I go by Solsra professionally! In my freetime I love listening to and making music, collecting Yu-Gi-Oh cards, reading, and spending time with my partner and cats! I do audio and video editing for the station, podcast production, radio mixes and more! I joined THENUMBERZ team in April of 2021 and since then I have been a part of many wonderful projects such as the Sightz and Soundz Youth Camp, DripFest 2021, NumzBodega, and the Content Curation team. I am very thankful to be working with such talented and inspiring people; the mission and work of THENUMBERZ.FM is beautiful and incredibly important and I am grateful to be a part of the team!

  • Aux Mute Curator

Inside the Portland Art Museum’s Aux/Mute Gallery

At the top of the Portland Art Museum sits a welcome explosion of color. The building’s fourth floor galleries, historically used as painting studios and then as a showplace for Northwest art, have been repainted in shocks of blue and red. Near the stairs there’s a faux-rooftop with neon sneakers slumped over a power line; high windows refract a rainbow across the ground. 

Since August, the space has been home to the Aux/Mute Gallery, the latest fruit from the museum’s partnership with local radio station the Numberz. The two orgs first linked up in 2019, when the station became an integral part of PAM’s Hank Willis Thomas exhibition, hosting workshops and live broadcasts from within the exhibit. Read More

19 Winter Art Exhibitions To See

Institutions like the Portland Art Museum and Times Square Arts are also evolving the terms of partnerships they’re forming with artists like Pamela Council and collectives like The Numberz, taking regional art away from begrudging basements and attics and into the spotlight. 

By adding unique programming that compliments the art including stylish pop-up shops, buoyant cabarets, public wish fulfillment, and tapping people who understand the art and their patrons to engage with its message they are speaking to the communities they are designed to serve. Read More

How Museums Are Reaching Out to Their Local Communities

Brian Ferriso, the director of the Portland Art Museum in Oregon, is keenly aware of how empty his art museum still is. “We are still much more locked down than the rest of the country, and we can only allow 50 people in at a time,” he said. “For a museum of 200,000 square feet, let’s say it’s a very special experience for people.”

So when the independent Black radio station The Numberz was looking for a new place to broadcast from, the museum offered their space. Read More

Listening to Community: Reflecting on The Numberz and Portland Art Museum Partnership

A central component of our work at the Museum is building meaningful relationships that strengthen the bridge between art and community. This guiding principal has been at the core of an ongoing partnership with The Numberz FM, a community-based radio station that identifies with the taglines “Liberated Black Media” and “The Black Music Experience for Black Portland.” The Museum and The Numberz first worked together during the exhibition Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal… in 2019, where The Numberz was a community partner in residence, conducting interviews, broadcasting on-site, presenting playlist workshops, and more. Read More

State of Wonder: Carving Out Space on the Airwaves

“If you’re ever driving around on Portland’s east side, tune your radio to 96.7 FM, and you’ll find something special. The Numberz is the city’s only station committed to airing “Black music by Black people from Black Portland.” Listen Here

Willamette Weekly: Portland’s Only All-Black Radio Station Aims to Be as Diverse as the Community it Serves

“Just because you have two of us, doesn’t mean you have us. We’re such a deep, rich people. If we had 200 community playlists on there, it’s not enough, because that’s how dope and rich we are.” Read More

Portland Monthly Magazine: Launched by two Grant High School alums, the Numberz aims to unite a community spread thin by gentrification.

“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.” Read More