# @djuzo on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DU3JIDgDmlk
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/56569676-djuzo-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/8be239e679.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-02-17T14:00:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** UZO UDU | DJ UZO (@djuzo) — https://gondola.cc/djuzo

## Caption

Some chapters don’t fit into one lane. Mine definitely didn’t.

I was playing at The MID regularly, a room where legends like Chuckie, Erick Morillo, Gene Farris, Paul Johnson, and so many others shared their stories through music. That place is gone now, but I’m grateful I got to play it while it was still breathing.

In the same stretch of life, we were running fundraisers like Holiday Heroes and raising millions for causes that mattered. Between 2015 and 2017, a lot of my time went into supporting, consulting, reading, and helping shape musical experiences for community work. That path eventually led to being recognized by the White House the following year, but that’s a story for the 2017 posts.

Some days were skyline views and late nights.
Some days were spent recording StoryCorps interviews with my brother and mentor, Ahmed (Flex), for the Library of Congress, NPR, and CPB.
Some nights were spinning for the Ukrainian community with United in America.
Some mornings were long, slow Uber office days, learning systems, structure, and patience.

Some moments just happened: rain on a statue through a moonroof, random rooftop photos with friends, sketching out a remix structure for Ciara’s “Goodies,” an old imported Lada passing by, or chasing conversations with Gene Farris at Gramophone during Boiler Room Chicago, the day the whole city showed up to pay respect to Frankie Knuckles.

There were green rooms with Loboda, weddings I flew out to play for friends in Miami, and records I was proud to touch, like remixing alongside Paul Johnson, Coflo, The Funk District, Alpha & Omega, for a project with Julius the Mad Thinker and Russell, with my guy Orion Mangus.

There was my crew on Chicago Boat Parties.
There was Milla, who brought me out for that wedding.
There was Chicago from the 47th floor.
There was YBAR, holding down my residency.

Tech by day. Music by night. Community in between.

This wasn’t a highlight reel. This was life in motion.

More to come.

— DJ UZO

#DJLife #ChicagoNights #BehindTheDecks #FromTheForge #MusicJourney

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## Tags

chicagonights, behindthedecks, djlife, musicjourney, fromtheforge

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