Welcome to our Creative Crush Corner where we’re featuring Creatives who are CRUSHIN it! Today, we’re introducing you to DJ KICKIT who will be DJ’ing at our upcoming 2/14 Gaylentine’s Celebration!
We're thrilled to have DJ Karla Sofia Rendon, aka DJ Kick It, on deck at our first ever Gaylentine's Celebration presented by Frida Friday ATX in partnership with Waterloo Greenway. Karla Rendon, aka DJ Kick It, is an open format female DJ from San Antonio and is a new resident of Austin Texas. Born in Mexico, Karla has a strong rooted background in latino culture and pride. Her first love of music stems from the age of 4 as a former drummer, violinist, rapper, and on-air personality.
DJ Kick It has been entertaining Texas since 2013 and was recently recognized for her mixes that were on rotation during the A Cypher in Queens exhibition in New York City (Nov. 2019 - present). Her mixing style of blending of classic hip-hop, funk, and latino faves are a sure way to keep the reventon going all night for our Gaylentine's celebration on Friday (2.14)!
When asked what's coming in 2020 Karla says, "My goal in 2020 is to put my stake on the ground and make my mark as a woman DJ in Austin. To be given the opportunity to be here in the US and not share my talent with the world would feel like a wasted effort when my family and I to moved to this country. We came from absolutely nothing! I feel like I have something to prove not only to myself but to all Latina girls in the world. That we can do it! No matter where you come from. What you have and don’t have. Que si se puede!"
Read our entire interview with DJ Kick It below.
Where are you from? Monterrey, Nuevo Leon by way of San Antonio, TX
How long have you lived in Austin? 5 months!
What's your favorite thing to do? Play with music! I've been djing for over 8 years and still find ways to learn new skills, artists, and keep up with the culture.
We see that you are the first female DJ to rock The Hot Box with DJ Tee Rock. Could you tell us about this experience and accomplishment?
I knew of DJ Tee Rock for over 10 years and learned that he had a new segment called “30 minutes of heat” on his show called The Hot Box on KROV-FM. I built the courage to reach out about being a guest DJ on the show and he asked for a demo. There was no due date for the demo but I busted my butt to create it that same night! After I got off work at 5p, went to the gym for a couple hours and just got in the zone. I listened to different styles of hip-hop and R&B in my headphones to get inspirations and see what I wanted to do for my mix. I went home and worked on that mix until about 3am, recorded and sent it. And still went to work the next day! But it paid off because not only did I get the opportunity to perform on the show, I have been back 3x! And to this date, I have been the first and only female to do a live mix in that segment. So a huge thank you Tee Rock and the KROV family for the opportunity!
Who are some of your favorite local DJs? I don’t have one specifically because every DJ I have met in Austin is incredibly talented in their own way. From Hip-Hop to Latin, Baile Funk to straight vinyl, everyone is very unique. I can honestly say “everyone’s my favorite DJ”!
Who inspires you musically, creatively, in life? I get inspired when I workout. It’s a good stress reliever and helps me really focus on the music. Just me and the headphones. So I listen to Joe Kay on Soulection Radio or mixes by DJs like: DJ Jazzy Jeff, Miles Medina, J Espinosa and DJ Dynamix. These guys amaze me at how they put their sets together and their styles are mind blowing.
Be sure to come to our Gaylentine’s Celebration (2.14) to hear DJ Kick It crush it and keep the party going all night long! Follow DJ Kick It on Instagram here for her aventuras and see where she spins next.
(Our very first Blog post ever was contributed to by: Sheila Lopez. Karla Rendon y tk tunchez)