When I had my first gig, I was 18 in January in 2007. My first gig that I got paid, I was playing for 10 people in a 250 people capacity venue. The promoter wanted to book me because he liked my music. I played a couple of songs that made people dance. To me, that rush has always stayed the same.
For me, it's a great thing to tell people anything is possible. When I was 15, people told me 'You're not going to be a DJ.'
I even have shoes that don't fit. They're just so cool, I wanted to have them.
I always loved cars. I used to play 'Need for Speed' all the time... any racing game.
Maybe one day there will finally be an education for electronic music.
My debut album, 'Forget the World,' is all about not listening to the negativity around you and to continue to do what you love, no matter what people think. I love what I do. Dance music is my passion, my life. There is no greater feeling than being one with my fans, partying to the music we love.
At a festival, a lot of people came to see other artists, so you have to put on a signature set and performance: 'This is what I do, this is why I'm here.' At solo gigs, I'm a DJ - I'll play two-and-a-half hours, and not just my own music, also my favorite songs by other artists.
Most music that comes out of Holland is basically the harder part of dance music - hip-hop, drum'n'bass.
Holland is a really small country, but with a very strong club and festival scene. Dance music has been huge in Holland since the late eighties. So there were a lot of opportunities for producers and DJs to release records and play live.
The only way you can be happy is if you be completely yourself. You have to be you. Don't be what you think you should be.
The only person you need to be credible to is yourself. When you stand in front of the mirror and nobody is watching, are you happy with yourself?
Holland is to dance music what Nashville is to country.
People need realness, reality. People can sense when someone is being pretentious or fake. It's because you feel it; you see it in someone's body language.
If you really want a radio station to play your song, go to that radio station every day with that song in your hand and say, 'Please play it.'
The coolest things in life are things that you have not done before. That's the key to life: new things always.
If you really want to be a music producer, stop watching 'Friends' when you get home from school. Start trying to make music. If you're not going to try, then it's impossible. When you try, it's always possible.
Every song, every form of art, clothing, shoes, it has to be special.
When I was growing up, I said to my ex-girlfriend, 'I will not be successful until everyone in Holland knows my name.' And it worked.
When I started producing, I was just making music under all different names. 'Black Afro.' 'Super Grandmaster.' 'Mister Bull.' Like, the most stupid, idiotic names. 'Afrojack' was one of those idiotic names.
I have a living room full of clothes. It's insane.
