We had the good fortune of connecting with J$TKZ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi J$TKZ, why did you pursue a creative career?
To be honest, it just came to me. When I was younger, I wasn’t allowed to partake in any sports ,(which was my dream), due to Asthma and my parents being afraid of something happening to me while playing. They essentially began to get me involved in anything music at a young age of 11 to get sports off my mind. It started with forcing me to join the school band and buying me DJ equipment at age 13. I did a few backyard parties and some weddings and actually really liked it. It turned into me mixing famous instrumentals with accapellas then eventually using my software to make my own beats for my gigs. In high school, I connected with Austin Simmon in band and it turned out he rapped, and I asked him to come with me to my first studio session at WM Studios and we partnered up after that. It also turned out that he was good friends with alumni band member from our high school going by the name “The Jokerr” , who had an amazing studio out in Tolleson. He gave us each of our sessions $50 no matter the time frame and let us work in there on our own. I grew to love engineering and producing in that room and was everything to developing me as a creator. Like I said, It all just came to me!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I never create wanting to sound like something I’ve either heard before and definitely not sounding like something I have already done. It keeps the music refreshing and every project has its distinctions. Even from an engineering standpoint, I never approach any one song the same. Every song has a different feel and I wouldn’t be doing anybody justice by creating the same sounds or productions every time. It wasn’t easy and definitely not overnight to feel 100% confident in my mixes and production. That says a lot when I’ve been using my own studio for over 10 years now and I’ve made A LOT of music over that time period. Sometimes I catch myself thinking, “Wow, I can’t believe how much easier it is for me to get the final product I’m going for”. The number one takeaway from all the trial and error and time put in, is simply patience. Trust the process of natural growth and YOU WILL get there. Our goals for our brand is to be known for things that are special, different and something that hasn’t been heard or seen before. Our story is pretty unique from the jump, and I continue to be surprised everyday as we add more and more chapters to it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I can be completely honest, I am an all work no play kind of guy! However, there is a really cool place to check out with great food and entertainment called Desert Rose in Glendale!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my parents for forcing me into something that I never knew I would end up great at and supporting me the whole way! And “The Jokerr” for giving us our first shot to really do this! Of Course, My Wife for hearing all my craziness and being my number one fan all these years!

Website: socertifiedfresh.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisisjstackz?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jesseserna06

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/06Stackz

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