Meet Thee-O

We had the good fortune of connecting with Thee-O and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Thee-O, why did you pursue a creative career?
I didn’t. Well not really. It chose me. I started DJing when I was 13, in 1986. I started going to and DJing at raves in 1992. When I went to my first rave, my life changed at that point. Even though I had been DJing for a while, it wasn’t until I witnessed the power of the DJ and the symbiotic relationship with the dance floor at a rave, that changed things for me. Seeing that, I knew what I wanted in life and 32 years later, I am still doing it. Although it isn’t my primary source of income these days, it is still something I am passionate about and continue to work hard for..

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
So I have 2 careers really. My DJing of course but I also have a career in IT Management. IT was always something I was interested in and I kept that as my “Plan B” if the DJing thing didn’t work out. Well back in 2004, I had just been DJing and living of the art for 4 years and I found myself needing to move things forward for myself. I was about to get married, buy a house, etc. So I found myself working at a IT department at a Hospital. Going back to work at that point was bittersweet for me. I thought I had failed. That if I couldn’t live off the music that I was a failure. Oh how wrong I was. I decided to keep pushing on both the music and IT careers. So in my IT career, I worked my way up. I took advantage of any training being provided by my employer. Fast forward to now, and I am an IT Director at UCSB. I have been here almost 5 years and now live near campus. My job allows me the opportunity to continue with my passion. My teams, my boss and my department know about my DJing. They have all been very supportive of me. That isn’t always the case. A lot of companies may frown on a working DJ joining the ranks.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love Los Angeles. It is where I was born and raised. In 2019 I moved to Honolulu for work and then moved to Santa Barbara the next year. So even though I no longer live in LA, I am still there all the time to visit family and to DJ of course. When I lived in LA I mainly lived in Pasadena and the Eastside. I still love that area. For food, you have to dine around the San Gabriel Valley. So much great asian food. My go to spots include Chengdu Taste, Mian for spicy Chinese food. For Dim Sum I love Lunasia and 888. I just found out about a great Hawaiian spot called Top Restaurant in Pasadena. For pizza I have been enjoying Prince Street and Triple Beam. I also love going to Grand Central Market. So many great stalls there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped push me in music. But the standouts for me are my parents. Both my mom and dad have been instrumental to my growth. From the initial support when I was teenager, to their continued support when I started to make a living from the music. Their love and dedication really helped me push through challenging times. The other person that really helped push me, is my wife. We met at a rave in 1997 and her support for my music has never faltered. She has pushed me when I couldn’t push myself. I am lucky to have someone who has helped me over the years to meet my goals.

Website: https://www.djthee-o.com

Instagram: theeo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-thee-o-ofilas-itil-mp-9a6a677/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thee-o