Born in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, Daze grew up in a challenging environment before moving to Logan Square on the North Side, where he felt “hell to heaven” in terms of freedom and community access. As a pre-teen, he rigged a speaker into a window to play music for neighbors, experimenting with EQ to create a powerful, bass-heavy sound. His formative listening included Earth, Wind & Fire, Anita Baker, Sade, John Coltrane, Wu-Tang Clan, and Jamiroquai DownBeat. He was inspired by producers like Rick Rubin, Russell Simmons, and Quincy Jones, valuing music as a thought process and a creative journey.