Afrojack
Born on September 9, 1987, in Spijkenisse in the Netherlands, Afrojack is a Dutch citizen who works across several interconnected roles in music. He operates in both Dutch and English, a combination that reflects the dual linguistic environment in which he has built his career.
His work covers a wide range of functions: disc jockey, record producer, remixer, composer, songwriter, and musician. The genres he works in include electronic dance music, electro house, and moombahton, placing him across different corners of the electronic music landscape rather than within a single neatly defined sound.
He has received two notable awards. The first is the Silver Harp, and the second is the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Dutch Act. These two pieces of recognition mark his standing both within the Netherlands and at a European level, with the Best Dutch Act category specifically framing him within a national context even on an international stage.
Afrojack continues to be active as a DJ, producer, remixer, and songwriter working in electronic dance music, electro house, and moombahton. His receipt of the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Dutch Act remains one of the concrete markers of where his career has taken him.
Quotes by Afrojack
When you're walking down the street or in the car just listening to the radio, and you're, like, 'Oh, that's my song.' You want to say, 'Hey Mom!' That never changes.
There's nothing better than making music and hearing 3,000 people chant, 'Afrojack! Afrojack!'
When you're walking down the street or in the car just listening to the radio, and you're, like , 'Oh, that's my song.' You want to say, 'Hey Mom!' That never changes.
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.
I studied psychology for a couple of years as a personal hobby, so you start learning about people and listening to your intuition, like when you you're feeling that people are not being entirely straight with you.
I have a good connection with people from America that come to my shows. It's more the American culture. I like the culture, so I want to spend more time there and make more friends and have some fun.
I do not like people writing songs and then other people singing them. A lot of people don't even sing their own songs anymore. It's like producers these days have ghost producers; 'I don't produce, but I am a producer.'
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.
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?
Most music that comes out of Holland is basically the harder part of dance music - hip-hop, drum'n'bass.