Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Guzman
Hi Alan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Alan Guzman, I’m 24 years old. I was born on February 8, 2001, in Santa Ana, CA. But I grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, due to different circumstances.
I come from a family where you have to make the most of every day, make every second, every minute, worthwhile. I was never one of the most popular kids due to economic reasons, because of where I lived, and not having what others did. I attended kindergarten, elementary school, and part of high school in Mexico.
When I was 14, my mother decided to send me to the USA to live with a family I didn’t know, all so I could speak English and study in the USA. It was one of the most difficult years of my life, being with people I couldn’t trust for various reasons. Having difficulty speaking to others because of the language barrier. My parents were over 150 miles away, and I was alone with my own company. Although I went through difficult times, there were also good ones: experiencing new cultures and connecting deeply with my paternal family, who were key to keeping me sane.
After a year, I had to return to Tijuana because the family my mother’s side of the family lived with never accepted me, nor did I accept them, and I felt more hurt than true support. In 2017, I started crossing the San Ysidro International Airport daily to go to school and finish high school. While I was studying, I also worked because my parents couldn’t afford the tickets for me. My schedule consisted of getting up at 2 a.m. to wait in line to cross. There were days when it took me 2 to 5 hours to cross. After crossing, I had to take a bus to the train station, and from there, I had to take the train to get to school. Many times when I crossed early, I had to wait for the bus for two hours. During that time, I would lie on the floor to get some more sleep.
For four years, I slept on average between two and six hours a day. This was because after school, I would go to work and wouldn’t get off until 10 at night, and it was like a two-hour drive to get back to my home in Tijuana. Something that always helped me pass the time was watching freestyle battles and listening to music. I was always a big fan of both because I like seeing and hearing how people were creative enough to say things that could make other people laugh, cry, or make them happy.
In 2019, I decided to start freestyling and participating in battles because in those moments, I felt the freedom to say whatever I wanted, to explore myself, and to see what was inside me. Sadly, I was never able to follow through because I was crossing the border, and I had to keep working and studying. So I was never able to give her the time she deserved to improve.
In 2020, during the pandemic, my job closed, so I was stuck at home, bored. That’s when I decided to adopt my two dogs, Roma and Blaster. Over the past few years, they’ve given me happiness and the companionship I needed when I was tired, stressed, and going through difficult times in my daily life. Coming home tired from my daily commute, I knew they would be waiting for me every time I flew. In 2021, I met a woman who is now my girlfriend. She not only opened the door to her heart to me, but also to her home. She gave me a roof, a bed, a place where I could relax. Because she lived in Chula Vista, California, she let me stay at her house so I wouldn’t have to cross the border again every day and commute from San Diego to Tijuana.
When I thought everything was getting better, I got sick to my stomach with an infection called H. pylori. which was stomach pain, nausea, loss of appetite, stomach pains, making my day to day life hell. For almost 2 years I couldn’t leave the house, because of the urge to go to the bathroom, not being able to eat the food, not being able to enjoy what made me happy due to lack of energy. It could have been avoided that it was so long, but the doctors never knew what I had, they thought I had IBS which is something very common in the US, but instead of doing the corresponding tests, they took the easy way and only told me the same thing. The reasons why I got this infection were due to poor nutrition, lack of rest, and the death of my brother in 2023. So many things that they gave me at once and what I was already carrying was so much, that my body could not take it. After that, I was alone at home, unable to eat, unable to go out, unable to play soccer, which is one of my hobbies I’ve enjoyed the most since I was a kid. I started playing with a bottle filled with dirt, and today, I have more balls than clothes. After so much pain, in 2024, I was able to release my first song, called “Intento,” which was like having a child, seeing how people liked it, seeing how people identified with it. It was something I wanted to make people feel like other artists have done for me. As of today, I only have two songs, because it’s complicated; it takes money, time, and a lot of storage to be able to improve.
But I know that with the support of my parents, girlfriend, and friends, I can get to where I want to be. Which is to be a well-known artist and be able to help my community so they can fulfill their dreams. Many friends and people I’ve met throughout my life have gone down paths that sadly haven’t ended well, due to not having a choice, due to desperation to want to improve their lives. But in Latin America, it’s very difficult to grow and believe that you can see a future, but of course it is possible. You just have to know how to seize opportunities and do everything with passion and courage to achieve it.
Today, March 17th, I make music and work, hoping to make my artist name Deka XV reach everywhere. I know it will be difficult because there are millions looking for the same thing, but I will not stop trying.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Throughout that time, there have always been obstacles. To this day, no one has told me their path has been easy.
Something I’ve always struggled with is finances. For as long as I can remember, my parents have struggled with money, working long hours for so little income.
While people say money can’t buy happiness, it does help with many basic things, like paying for food, school supplies, electricity, water, and rent. Not to mention clothes, soap for bathing, laundry, etc.
I think 2014-15 was one of the hardest years, having to leave my home and everything I knew to be able to come to the US to study. It was the hardest part, having to deal with not understanding what the teacher was explaining, not knowing how to do my homework, and not being able to make friends because I couldn’t understand what they were saying. And living at home with people who were my family, it never felt like that. I never felt their trust, empathy, or honesty. Many times, I felt singled out and, according to them, an example of what I shouldn’t do.
Then, from 2017 to 2021, having to cross the border every day to go to school and work has been one of the most difficult experiences I’ve ever had. Waking up at 2 a.m. to walk from my house to the bus, then standing in line for 30 minutes to 4 hours a day, enduring a lack of food, enduring the cold, and even rain on several occasions. Having to study on the bus, eat, and sleep so I would have energy for my daily life. Not to mention all the stress and fatigue that comes with school, having to go to work and work for 8 hours and then go home. I would leave school between 9 and 10 p.m. and get home at 12 a.m., just to rest for a few hours and do it all over again. Sometimes I felt like I didn’t have a home, just a hotel where I could rest.
When I got sick to my stomach in 2023 after my brother passed away, it was one of the most difficult challenges I’ve ever had to face. Not being able to eat anything or drink anything because everything hurt, made me not want to be here. I got used to ignoring everyone, feeling trapped and not seeing how I was going to get better. Until a doctor was able to find out what I really had. And that’s how she was able to give me the right treatment so I could recover. Today, I’m still recovering, but with greater stability, being able to go to the movies, play soccer, among other things I couldn’t do before.
Today, I make music, and one of the hardest challenges is being consistent, keeping my mind free but full, to unleash all my creativity to make songs that reach people. I want them to share what others have shared with me on different occasions.
Sometimes I look back, use what happened as inspiration to be able to write, and realize that everything was part of
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Today I make music, write, and compose my own melodies and lyrics. I’m looking to be able to live this life, for my music to inspire others to follow their dreams, have a good time, and create memories they might not have known they had or wanted.
I’ve always been a fan of music. I’ve seen it as a way to escape my reality. I feel like each song takes you to a different place, generating different feelings.
My stage name is Deka XV. Why did I decide to create my own name? It was because I wanted to give it a zero value, for it to have its own essence. Deka is created from my middle name, Dominik, using the D and K as the main characters. And XV is more than my name, it’s my symbol. I always used 15 as my soccer jersey number, after a player who played for Pumas when I was a kid. I always identified with him because he always put passion and drive into every game, which is something I try to do in my daily life.
I’m also part of the SD scene, a group of freestylers who like to improvise, rap, and especially hip-hop. We compete with each other, learn, and try to improve. Most of us have the same dream, but not everyone has the same passion and perseverance to be one. Because you don’t just have to invest money in this business, but also time. And I feel that’s what sets me apart from the rest of my community: that I put time into not only my writing, but also how to produce myself, understand what program works and what it’s for, and above all, learn to sing. Because today everything is so digitalized, making any program sound good.
What I’m most proud of is that I dared to do it. That I wasn’t afraid to try and expose myself to ridicule or people telling me I couldn’t for reasons that might stop them. It’s like many people want to do it anyway, spending money and time. People aren’t willing to sacrifice. I’ve seen a big change from the first song I wrote to the ones I write today. And that’s made me feel like this is the right path.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
The main people who have helped me with this new challenge have been my parents, my girlfriend, friends, and family.
My parents supported me without hesitation, giving me their advice, “Of course it will be difficult, but difficult things last.” And they are partly my inspiration for writing, because they have been a big part of my story.
Friends are the ones I practice with, and we exchange words to see how it can help others.
My girlfriend has had to sacrifice money and time to be able to carry out this project. She helped me record my first official video; it was just her and me with my cell phone. Recording in a parking lot, enduring stares from people.
All of them together, along with my family, have helped me the most by sharing every song I’ve released. Sharing it on social media so it reaches more people, and leaving positive comments so I feel like I’m doing things right.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deka_xv/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@dekaxvoficial?si=Zi3dMfc9O6m0s0QW
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@dekagxv?_t=ZM-8unTXLrxiJZ&_r=1
Image Credits
Alan Guzman
