Meet Jordan Renteria of DJ KiLLz in Scottsdale

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jordan Renteria.

Jordan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
So, I grew up in a small mining town named globe Arizona. My mother had me at a very young age when she was just 16 years old. It was very hard on her being such a young parent because it was hard for her to get the resources she needed to raise a child of her own like financial stability, a proper education, childcare, etc. Being from globe there really isn’t much opportunity for people unless you can go work at the mine for 10-12 hours a shift doing intense labor work so there weren’t many options. During my childhood, my mother struggled with me because I was a super energetic kid and suffered from ADHD and I was also diagnosed with being bipolar. I was always a distraction and interrupting in school because I loved being the center of attention and having g the spotlight and I’m still this way today in some ways. I constantly got in trouble in school and was always getting kicked out or suspended so my mom and stepdad had to deal with that as well. My father left my life when I was two and hasn’t been a big part of it since.

So, as I got older, my mom kinda lost it and the pressures of being a young mom with a troubled child were really starting to get to her. We didn’t have a horrible life my mom and stepdad both did ok, I also have a little sister that was born when I was five years old named Valany. My stepdad Eric owned His own tattoo shop because he was a professional tattoo artist and he did pretty good. My mom worked at the salvation army doing office stuff as a secretary so they really relied on my stepfather. My stepfather was always a really bad alcoholic when I was growing up and he and my mom often got into fights over it. After years of problems and trying to do the best that they could my mom finally broke and started using drugs when I was 12 years old. My stepdad found this out and left my mom and took my sister with him. Every other day, I would stay with my stepdad until my mom lost everything we had and I had to stay with him permanently. My mom lost everything we owned including all of my childhood belongings from moving them place to place, pictures, and eventually, CPS got involved and took me from her custody. My grandmother which would be my real father’s mom got guardianship of me.

When I was about 13 and a half, my stepfather took my little sister and moved to New Mexico where he was originally from and I couldn’t go with him because he wasn’t my legal guardian. That devastated me because I grew up my entire life with them. After that happened, I started hanging out with people that were a few years older than me and skateboarding every single day from the time I had to wake up and skate to school until it was completely dark outside and I had to go home. I started drinking and smoking weed and going to parties when I was very young about 14 years old. The only thing I always cared about was music. That was my escape from everything and the only thing I wanted to do my entire life was listening to music. I grew up listening to mostly rap because that’s what my parents liked. I remember my mom having two subwoofers in her car and I loved the bass. This was also around the time I discovered my love for EDM. I started to listen to hardstyle and different bass music like dubstep because the kids I hung out with and partied with used to drive down to Phoenix and go to underground raves on the weekends. I never went to them myself but I was always fascinated with the music. I started to really disobey my grandmother and she could no longer control me and I was getting into a lot of trouble doing careless things.

When I was 15 years old, my dad was staying with us at my grandmother’s and while he was at work I took his car without permission. He was informed and when he got home we got into a huge fight. After that happened, my aunt Kristi who is my mom’s sister got granted custody of me and moved me down to Phoenix with her. So, I was a sophomore in high school starting over in a huge city I never knew anyone in. After I moved down with my aunt, we moved to east Mesa and I went to skyline high school. In that time, I met a lot of rest amazing people and had a ton of fun. Unfortunately, I never cared too much about school it just wasn’t ever my thing. When I was 17, I stopped going to school and dropped out. When I was 18, I got into trouble and got a DUI with my aunts truck. Because I used her vehicle without permission she reported the vehicle stolen and I got a class 6 felony charge. I was put on probation for three years and I violated it two times. Things were looking very bad for me and the judge told me if I violated again I would be sent to prison, so I did everything I was supposed to and completed my term. Two years ago in 2017, my life changed when I got a job doing Door to Door sales for a company selling ADT security systems. I was homeless and didn’t have anything to my name. I was 22 and the girl I had been in love with for the last year before that left me. My aunt Kristi that took me into custody died in the hospital after surgery because her lungs weren’t strong enough to create oxygen so she could be taken out of her medically induced coma. After a week, they took her off of life support. At that moment, I was attempting the lowest point I had ever been in. I was super depressed and partying every single night.

After I got the job doing sales for ADT, my mindset completely changed, I realized that the only way my life would change would be if I stopped self demising, stopped playing the victim and worked hard for the things I wanted I could have a good life. That is when my life changed and I learned about the law of attraction. My first year doing sales, I was able to move into an apartment with my best friend who also worked with me and got me the job. I was able to start paying off the debts I owed for my past, I was able to buy myself a car and also all of the life essentials I needed to be happy. Not only was I able to do this without having someone hand it to me. I did it without having hardly any resources aside from my pure will to change my life. As I mentioned before, the music has always been my biggest passion in life and last year I was lucky enough to experience EDC last Vegas for the first time after going to local festivals for years. After I got back from EDC, I couldn’t stop thinking about my experience and my love for Bass music. I would stay up until the late hours of the night researching all I could and what I should do to start. So eventually, it became a burning desire of mine, I had to do this because I felt like I wouldn’t be living my life’s true purpose. So, I eventually got enough money, around $3,500 to get an iMac computer, Ableton lives 10 which is a software used for music production. A brand new DJ controller so I could learn how to DJ and mix, and also an Akai mini midi keyboard and also 2 Krk studio monitors speakers. That was eight months ago since then, I’ve been learning and studying all I can and have been working on music in my bedroom. I just released my first single with a record collection with another local Artist named Sleeper Cell who started the label called “Slept on Records.”

I also do a radio mix series once a week on a nationally syndicated dance show that’s on 22 stations and in four countries that I help my buddy MJR (Michael John Roach) with. It hasn’t always been an easy road but I know that life can all be changed if you’re willing to do so and put the work in as well. I’m very grateful for the life I live today and I’m also grateful to be able to do something I’ve been passionate about my entire life and living my life’s true purpose.

Great, 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?
Keeping my mental fortitude and not using my hard life as an excuse. My biggest struggle was getting ahead and to a point where I wasn’t in a hole anymore and having the things and resources everyone needs to succeed.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DJ KiLLz – what should we know?
Doing sales has made me very good at communicating and talking to people and also making connections. I’m very proud of the brand I’m building with my music career and I refuse to do anything halfway or take shortcuts. I do believe we all have a chance to do what we love, I’m not different than anyone. It comes down to how much you want it and how hard you’ll work for something. I want to be better than everyone else that’s already doing what I am.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
Driving around with my family listening to music.

Contact Info:

• Email:  Killzmusic94@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Killz_music/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/KiLLZMusicAz

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