Meet Iesha Irene: DJ

We had the good fortune of connecting with Iesha Irene and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Iesha Irene, how do you think about risk?
I think taking risks is important, I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum of being fearful and fearless. You truly never know what can happen until you try! Taking a risk to make a career switch was very scary at first but honestly, I’m so pleased that I went through with it. The universe really opened up for me as far as community and resources because people in my life actually believed in what I was doing. I had no clue that I had so many folks rooting for my wins. I know what it’s like to be afraid of risks, but I also know what it’s like to watch your gift and time pass you by; and the regret is far worse! I’d like to say that I’m making calculated risks, I’ll ‘jump’ but I have a parachute with me. There’s always something to fall back on if it doesn’t work out, but what if it does?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a DJ — my style is mostly based around Hip Hop, R&B and Pop. I love to play songs that you haven’t heard in a while or haven’t heard before. My hope is that you hear my set and feel some emotions from my selections. I’m most proud of the courage I had to step into my passion of music, even though I had a career in Marketing. Personally, it was a lot of risks because I had to make sacrifices such as moving back home with my parents to buy all of my equipment and save money for the anticipated risk taking. It took a lot of discipline and having to miss a lot of time with loved ones, that was the most challenging. But it paid off, it’s continuing to pay off and I don’t regret it. I would like the world to know that I’m living proof of starting over and believing in yourself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Answering this is going to make me sad, thinking about life pre-pandemic! But I’d say we definitely need hit the beach in Marina Del Rey/Venice borderline during the weekday so that it’s less crowded and go bike riding. I love going to museums and The Broad Museum always has great exhibitions to view. We’re going shopping at the Century City Mall and eating at Javier’s or Rock Sugar afterwards. We’ll go to the Culver City stairs for a morning workout one of the days. I also love hanging out at Harriet’s Rooftop and The London Hotel in Hollywood and Soho Warehouse in DTLA, the city views are fantastic at those spots. If there’s a concert in town at the Hollywood Bowl, that would be a fun experience, Maybe a cute picnic at Malibu Wines to close out the weekend. Can’t forget about Disneyland! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out all of my friends, family and fellow DJs that have been instrumental in helping me throughout my journey. Everyone has made huge contributions and I’m so grateful.

Website: ieshairene.com

Instagram: @iesha_irene

Other: Twitch.tv/ieshairene

Image Credits
Jennifer Johnson