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"Bring your own perspective, bring your culture into it, bring your background into it, bring your loves and likes into it," says DJ Madre, the Minneapolis DJ and owner of Wax World, whose journey from growing up poor in South Minneapolis to curating inclusive, community-driven dance floors is anything but typical.

On this episode of Behind the Decks MPLS, Rosa shares how her early memories of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation tour, drumming lessons as a child, and coming up in immigrant-dense neighborhoods shaped her unique outlook on music and space-making. She dives deep into the real work of making Minneapolis’s DJ scene more equitable—whether that’s teaching others to spin vinyl, building nightlife experiences for queer and trans youth, or running her record shop as a true grassroots hub.

Rosa doesn't shy away from the tougher realities of the music world, sharing what it means to stand firm against racism and exclusion, and honestly reflecting on what it takes to “pay it forward” in an industry that hasn’t always valued her perspective. Her story is a blend of vulnerability, grit, and devotion to authentic community—a refreshing take on what DJing and dance floors can be.

WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/dBkv4-LnbvE

CATCH THE B2B:

DJ Madre + Harry Duran YouTube: https://youtu.be/pL4h6I_2Eso

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-344089927/dj-madre-b2b-harry-duran

5 Key Takeaways

1. Bring your authentic self—infuse your culture, background, and honest perspective into your DJ sets so the crowd sees the real you.
2. Build and nurture community—create safe, inclusive spaces where everyone feels seen, honored, and free to express themselves.
3. Don’t wait for access—get hands-on with the tools you have, start making mixes, and teach yourself relentlessly.
4. Support your scene—share opportunities, pay DJs fairly, and keep money circulating within your local creative community.
5. When setbacks hit, adapt and rebuild—transform loss into momentum by saying yes to new opportunities and collaborations.

Memorable Quotes

"I spent about 10 years of my DJ career teaching other people how to DJ and I still do. I've had my own naive ideas about helping people and what might happen for me if people were to pay it forward. I still do."

"I felt like once I borrowed my friend's DJ controller, it was like, I've been waiting for this. That's another part of being poor, not having access, having to survive, having to deal with so many things coming at me all the time just based on the conditions I brought in."

"Bring your own perspective, bring your culture into it, bring your background into it, bring your loves and likes into it. That was how I was able to start, being in those underground scenes and being able to curate the whole space."

Connect with Rosa AKA DJ Madre

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/waxworldmn

Resources Mentioned

KFAI Radio (Minneapolis community radio station) - https://kfai.org/

District 202 (historic LGBTQ+ youth community center, Minneapolis) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_202

KDWB (Minnesota radio station) - https://kdwb.iheart.com/

Wax World (Minneapolis record store run by Rosa) - https://www.waxworldmpls.com/

Red Sea (Minneapolis venue) - https://redseamn.com/

Suede Studios (media production/streaming company) - https://suedestudios.com/

Technics 1200 (iconic DJ turntable) - https://www.technics.com/global/products/dj/

DVS1 (influential Minneapolis DJ/producer) - https://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/dvs1

Connect with Us

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkPG6MJDADxPDad9Dkzg2ewN4Ry7BOnnL

Listen + Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0nuAdLB1RSemf51PCsTLba?si=ea696f6013d542ba

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/behind-the-decks-mpls/id1868466897

MPLSHOUSE

Website: https://www.mplshouse.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/mplshouse

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mplshouse3333

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mplshouse

Angel Sandro on Instagram: http://instagram.com/angelmsandro

Credits

Podcast Track ID: (Feel For Yuh) - Jeff Swiff feat. MPLSHOUSE on Real Feel Records

https://itstherealfeel.bandcamp.com/album/jeff-swiff-mplshouse-six-won-two-ep-rfr004

Hosted by Harry Duran

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djhdbeats

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/djhd

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Podcast Production & Marketing by FullCast - https://fullcast.co