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@its_daej

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Furniture Maker/Designer/Woodshop Teacher | @daejdesigns

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Love Letter 💌

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Last Sunday in June Views Part 1 :BLOCKORAMA
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For me BLOCKORAMA Sunday is always the highlight of Pride in Toronto. Full stop! The space curated by the volunteer committee Blackness Yes! @blocko_to is Canada’s longest running Black Pride celebration which is deeply rooted in centering African, Caribbean, and Black Queer and Trans communities. It has become an annual space to reunite with folks one hasn’t seen all year or for years. As BLOCKO approaches its 30th year, a few of us reflected on how it’s grown, and changed but remained, in spirit, the celebratory and affirming space we imagined. As I stood with AC looking across the sea of bodies we marveled at the fact that many of these folks have no memory of a Toronto Pride without BLOCKO.
In this moment of resurgent challenges to the rights for which we’ve fought and our collective freedoms to be all of who we are as ACB Queer and Trans people, we need to be vigilant and ready to resist. In this joyful, free-up space I am reminded of the words of uncle James Baldwin, “There is no liberation without community” These are my comrades and collaborators, my community. To echo this year’s @pridetoronto theme - We Won’t Stop!

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May is wrapping up already?! Luckily, we’ve been keeping track of all the fun happening near you! This week’s edition of PROFLIR brings you a selection of DJs guaranteed to make this weekend fly by❤️‍🔥

@auxgod_ - FLING WEH - The Libertine, 1307 Dundas St W • May 22 - 10:00PM - Toronto

@nsaa_spins - Back Outside : BIPOC Sapphic Party - Three Dollar Bill, 1592 Queen Street W • May 22 - 10:00PM - Toronto

@ashbanks.wav - Sound of Stms - Ace Hotel Lobby, 51 CAMDEN ST • May 23 - 8:00PM - Toronto - FREE

@trapment - TAKEOVER SATURDAY - 473 Adelaide St W • May 23 - 10:00PM - Toronto

@niceboyjose - PLUS1 - 1566 Queen St • May 24 - 10:00PM - Toronto

@pumajune - School Night - Adelaide Hall, Adelaide Street W • May 25 - 7:00PM - Toronto - FREE

Cover Image by @justmissedme_

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slice of life dump pt. 1 🍰💝🐅🫧☀️
mainly people that have pieces of my heart 🥺👉🏽👈🏽 and the occasional selfie 🙂‍↕️🫦

i love my liiiife. outside of DJing (& also because of DJing), i'm blessed with a beautiful community & nourishing friendships. moving back home a year & a half ago was truly the best decision i could have made for myself despite all the challenges and adjustments. i dreamed for all this and worked hard to love myself... now i'm here! the healing keeps going and the lessons never stop, yet i'm endlessly grateful for the abundance of laughter, joy, adventure, creativity, depth, honesty & tender, tender love i get to practice with myself & others. mwah! 💋

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This is WINE DUNG! 🙂‍↕️🤸🏽‍♀️❤️‍🔥

Long awaited recap from our Bana Fete last summer!

We can't wait to see you this Friday, April 17th at @threedollarbill.parkdale 💐

Ticket link in bio, only 20 tickets left online!!!

Thank you to our wonderful photographer @its_daej for these beautiful shots 📸

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This was such a beautiful and powerful space to relax into movement together as a community.

On February 21st, we honoured Black History Month through movement, stillness, and community at @downwarddogyoga 🖤

We flowed through vinyasa, softened into restoration, and grounded ourselves in meditation and sound healing.

Thank you to everyone (not all pictured here) who came out to participate in our Black Community Yoga & Sound Healing event. It was such a pleasure to be able to gather, share tea and snacks, and foster meaningful connection with everyone.

A special shout out all who showed up for themselves and community for such a beautiful and transformative session.

Stay tuned for more sessions like this coming up!

Captured by @elated.co

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“I know love exists because I am full of it.”
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So much love so much sweetness, so much much much! So much new and continuous love. Thank you to those that keep me here 🫶🏾

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Craving some Dancehall rn 🫦
#tbt to @winedung.to
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Excited to bring my 🏳️‍⚧️🇯🇲 Energy @smokedto
@miatoronto_ on FEB 07 for Why Are You Gay?

QUEERRIBEAN sound to di world 🔥
Thee Doll is gonna bring the Club, the Dancehall and the Vogue beats for the real movers and ass shakers 💋
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#toronto #bashment #femaledj #queerdanceparty

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2025 DJ Recap: Thank u to everyone that ever thought to dm, book, comment my name, refer me in ur projects/gigs/productions this year. It was greatly appreciated; it helped me experiment and see myself in so many different uniquely curated spaces💕🌎🫂!

Some thoughts:

- Curating and executing is a ride, shoutout to my friends, collaborators and strangers who trusted me this year !
- I met so many cool ppl and expanded my horizons 💭
- Touched a couple event spaces this past year that I never really even imagined playing at
- I let myself experiment with different sounds & textures; my sets have been “weirder” and that’s more me anyways.
- DJing is whatever u want it to be; don’t get wrapped up in the “rules”, do you always.
- I realized the importance of capturing ur sets, projects, literally whatever u make just for your own archival purposes but also its good to listen back to things

Year 3 was fab 🎧🎚️🥂!

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December, you were chill 🙇🏾‍♀️

1 ~ I love wearing my paranthis out
2 ~ I put my girls on to hot pot
3 ~ chili night at my aunt’s
4 ~ finding myself in flow
5 ~ always spoiled, it’s a lifestyle atp
6 ~ finding joy through cozy fits
7 ~ love these rings
8 ~ learning how to wood
9 ~ she goes everywhere with me
10 ~ so many lessons
11 ~ patiently waited for this restock
12 ~ my didi’s are the coolest
13 ~ say it with me “today is a good day, to have a good day”
14 ~ South Indian food is ELITE
15 ~ I want all of Pavan’s puppies
16 ~ not a baker, but give me some banana’s and I’ll make it work
17 ~ morning pages has changed me
18 ~ I LOVE colour
19 ~ Malav’s iconic Barbie pink table
20 ~ having friends on set is fun

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I’ve been trying to make Instagram feel more personal, while still staying true to the craft.

This is just the first of many ways I’m experimenting with this.

Thank you to everyone who let me photograph them in 2025—I truly appreciate you. You definitely helped in my creative journey last year. And to those who don’t see themselves here, don’t hide your faces… let me photograph you. Jk!

PS: Major respect to everyone who posts on IG, because this was a little nerve-racking 😅
Happy New Year ✨ (hopefully not too late) #2025 #ImJustAPhotographer

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“Love is the easiest thing in the world when it happens by accident —but it doesn’t get real until you do it on purpose.”
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2025, I’ve never cried more or felt loved more and that’s on duality. Here are some of the moments and people that truly got me through this year long grieving session.

Also yall: I held 2 jazz events this year, modelled for 4 brands (with no experience), was the cover of an international magazine, had my first ever solo exhibit, fell in love (but yall know that bit), committed to writing and have written every week for 18 weeks, I’ve performed my poetry 5 times this year and even started a substack. I honestly don’t know how I did it all but my god am I ever grateful that I found the space.
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Thank you year of the snake you taught me so much and I pray the shedding is over! Also Saturn return be nice to me next year (pls, I beg.)

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