Kii Monroe Arens was born in St. Paul, Minnesota to parents Robert and LaVae Arens. He has two brothers and one sister. From an early age, Arens had an affinity for morning cartoons, notably Sid and Marty Krofft. The show, coupled with his interest in fonts, colors, spacing and layout, set in motion a growing fascination with art and design. His early passion for music was also strong, augmented by growing up in a musically inclined family. By the mid to late 1980s, Arens was DJâing around the Twin Cities, and had a brief stint in Rap music, under the alias â2 Percentâ, opening for Gang Starr, EPMD, DJ Quik, amongst others.
After returning to the Twin Cities, he started working for Niceman Merchandising.
Arensâ album design/layout career continues to this day, and has featured many projects, including: Dolly Partonâs Backwoods Barbie and latest, Blue Smoke,Eagles of Death Metalâs Heart On, Ziggy Marleyâs Wild and Free , Glen Campbellâs Ghost on the Canvas, Pete Yornâs Back and Forth, and, most recently, LA musician/producer Jonathan Wilsonâs Fanfare.
