Life & Work with Io Chaney of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Io Chaney.

Hi Io, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been someone who loves energy, storytelling, and bringing people together, and that’s really the thread connecting everything I do today as a DJ, commercial actor, and marketing professional.

Music has always been part of my foundation. Growing up, my dad played everything in the house, from jazz, reggae, hip hop, house, and afro beats. That mix really shaped how I hear and feel music. After graduating from American University in 2018, where I was also a Division I basketball player and had the opportunity to compete in March Madness against UCLA, I was looking for a new creative outlet and decided to buy my first DJ controller.

At the time, I had no big plan. I just knew I loved music. I started DJing small events around the DMV like cookouts, parties, and graduations, and over time that grew into larger opportunities. Now I DJ everything from private events to corporate galas for national organizations. I’m an open format DJ, so I love blending genres and reading a room. For me, it’s always about creating a moment where people feel good, let go, and connect.

Alongside DJing, I also built a career in marketing, where I work in content creation, social media management, and event marketing. That experience has given me a deeper understanding of how audiences connect with stories and brands, both online and in person. It also naturally feeds into everything I do creatively, especially how I think about energy, presentation, and audience experience across DJ sets and commercial work.

Acting came into my life in a more unexpected way. It was something I always wanted to do growing up, but I didn’t have a clear path into it. My fiancé, Dushaun Thompson, who is a commercial actor, introduced me to the industry and encouraged me to pursue it seriously. That moment really shifted things for me because it made it feel accessible. He referred me to his agency Eris Talent Agency, and I signed with them in 2024. Within my first year, I booked 13 commercials, which still feels surreal to say out loud.

I’ve had the opportunity to work with brands like Sprouts, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket Wireless, Kiehl’s, and the NBA. What’s been most meaningful is how acting has allowed me to blend so many parts of my life. I’ve played a basketball player in commercials, which connects back to my college career, and I’ve taken on firefighter roles, which is personal since my brother, cousin, and uncle are all firefighters. I’ve also had moments where my DJ experience naturally shows up in auditions and roles. It feels like everything I’ve done is starting to connect in ways I didn’t expect.

Now, my career has grown into a bi-coastal journey between the DMV and Los Angeles. While I’m rooted on the East Coast, I frequently travel to LA for commercial work, creative opportunities, and marketing projects. Being in both markets has pushed me to grow, adapt, and stay open to new opportunities, especially as I continue building across DJing, acting, and brand work.

Whether I’m behind the DJ booth, on set, or building a campaign, my goal is the same: to create a feeling and tell a story that resonates. DJing taught me how to read energy in real time, acting has taught me how to embody emotion, and marketing has taught me how to understand audiences and shape how stories are received. All three continue to inform each other in ways I didn’t expect when I first started.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to stay open to trying new things and developing new skills. You never know where one decision might lead. For me, buying a DJ controller and saying yes to acting completely changed the trajectory of my life. Now, I’m focused on continuing to grow across all three spaces and building a career that blends creativity, culture, and connection across coasts.

For DJ bookings or collaborations, I specialize in creating high energy, feel good experiences across multiple genres including hip hop, pop, R&B, afrobeats, house, soca, latin, and caribbean music, tailored to the crowd and moment. You can connect with me at my DJ Instagram @djiceyy or book directly via email at djiceyy@gmail.com. For updates on acting, commercial work, and creative projects, you can also follow me on Instagram @iochaney.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a completely smooth road, but I think that’s part of building anything creative.

With DJing, one of the early challenges was just figuring out how to properly invest in equipment and build things step by step. I had to learn that you do not need everything at once, and that growth happens over time as you start booking more gigs. In the beginning, I also leaned heavily on a DJ friend from college when I ran into technical issues, and spent a lot of time practicing at home learning how to organize my music, build crates, and understand beat matching and setup. A lot of it was self taught through repetition, YouTube, and trial and error, which helped me build confidence over time.

Acting brought a different kind of challenge. Early on, I had to become aware of small habits like overusing my hands or shifting my eyes, and learning how to control those instincts on camera. I also had to learn how to better tap into emotion and range, like using different vocal inflections and really committing to a moment. One of my early auditions involved playing a basketball player getting stopped and having to cry on cue while showing fear and distress, and that ended up being one of the strongest auditions I’ve done. It pushed me to trust my ability to fully step into a character.

Overall, both DJing and acting required patience, consistency, and a willingness to keep refining the craft rather than rushing the process.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What really separates me from other DJs is my ear for a wide range of genres and my ability to blend them in a way that feels natural and intentional. I don’t limit myself to one sound or style, and that comes directly from growing up in the DMV area, where I was constantly exposed to different cultures and music scenes.

The DC, Maryland, and Virginia area is incredibly diverse. A lot of my close friends are Caribbean, and I also grew up around strong African and Latino communities, so I was naturally influenced by all of those sounds early on. That shaped how I hear music today and how I approach every set.

Because of that, I’m able to bring a very curated and culturally aware energy to events. Whether it’s hip hop, afro beats, house, soca, latin, or Caribbean music, I understand the context behind the records and how they connect with different audiences. For me, it’s never just about playing songs, it’s about reading the room and building a vibe that feels intentional from start to finish.

That ability to blend cultures and genres seamlessly is what I think sets me apart, and it’s something I bring into every space I step into as a DJ.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me are my relationships and my sense of community. That includes my relationship with God, my family, my fiancé, and my close friends, who all make up my foundation and support system.

I really believe I would not be where I am in my career without that kind of community around me. Pursuing DJing, acting, and marketing all require a lot of growth, consistency, and uncertainty at times, and having people who believe in me has made a huge difference in my ability to keep going and stay grounded.

I’m deeply grateful for the support system I have. It has shaped not only my personal life, but also the way I move through my career and the way I show up in every space I’m in.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iochaney

Image Credits
Credits for scifi acting photo: HDJ Media Spotlight