Afrojack

Emerging from the Dutch dance music landscape, Nick van de Wall, professionally known as Afrojack, ranks among the most globally prominent DJs and producers. He remains a regular presence at major EDM events and consistently places in the upper ranks of DJ Magazine’s yearly Top 100 DJs poll. His platinum-certified worldwide successes include the 2010 single “Take Over Control” featuring Eva Simons and the 2013 track “The Spark” featuring Spree Wilson, while he has also co-written or appeared on major international releases by Beyoncé, David Guetta, and Miami rapper Pitbull. Although his earlier productions in the 2000s leaned toward leaner electro-house instrumentals, his approach grew more expansive and ambitious in the early 2010s, contributing to the rise of the moombahton style and steadily folding in pop, hip-hop, and R&B elements. The 2014 full-length debut Forget the World featured contributions from Snoop Dogg and Sting. Maintaining a steady output under the names Afrojack, NLW, and Kapuchon, he has at times revisited a more underground aesthetic, as heard on the 2018 project Press Play. Recent years have brought further singles alongside Guetta, Imanbek, Missy Elliott, R3hab, and additional collaborators. He additionally records as the duo Afroki with Steve Aoki.

Born in Spijkenisse in 1988, van de Wall took up piano at age five, yet a copy of the sequencing software Fruity Loops soon shifted his focus toward sampling and original track creation. Exposure to Rotterdam’s club environment led him to perform brief DJ sets, after which he spent five months sharpening his skills at venues across the Mediterranean. Back in the Netherlands, he joined the independent Digidance imprint and issued his first single, 2007’s “In Your Face,” before establishing Wall Recordings and achieving club traction with “Maybe” and “Drop Down (Do My Dance).”

Appearances at Tomorrowland and Sensation, along with the Guetta collaboration “Toyfriend” on the album One Love, opened doors to remixes for Madonna’s “Revolver” and Lady Gaga’s “Alejandro.” In 2010 he joined forces with dancehall queen Lady Saw’s successor Eva Simons for the U.K. Top 40 entry “Take Over Control” and simultaneously put out the rarities collection Lost & Found, which gathered nine previously unheard recordings. The following year brought the Pitbull team-up “Give Me Everything,” plus continued work with Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and Steve Aoki.

An extensive 2012 U.S. run that encompassed Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Coachella in Indio, California, and more than forty additional dates underscored his rising profile. Shortly afterward he secured a worldwide agreement with Universal and Island/Def Jam, which yielded the global hit “As Your Friend” featuring Chris Brown. The subsequent singles “The Spark” featuring Spree Wilson and “Ten Feet Tall” featuring Wrabel paved the way for Forget the World, whose guest roster also included Wiz Khalifa alongside the previously noted Snoop Dogg and Sting.

In the ensuing period he remained active through multiple Guetta pairings such as “Hey Mama” and “Another Life,” while also linking with Martin Garrix, Ty Dolla $ign, Luis Fonsi, Sia, and others. Under the NLW alias he began issuing more underground material in 2015. He appeared in the Grammy-nominated Steve Aoki documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, which arrived in 2016. Press Play, a club-oriented set issued on Wall Recordings in 2018, included production input from Brohug and Jewelz & Sparks. “Sober” featuring Rae Sremmurd and Stanaj surfaced in 2019. Further 2020 collaborations encompassed the Fifth Harmony alumna Ally Brooke on “All Night” and “What Are We Waiting For?,” the Fedde Le Grand and MC Ambush track “1234,” and sessions with Chico Rose, Jeremih, and Imanbek. He revived the long-dormant Kapuchon moniker for the aptly named “10 Years Later,” which spawned multiple follow-ups in 2021. That same year he issued a single with Marc Benjamin and Timmy Trumpet, returned to the Dutch charts via the Guetta collaboration “Hero,” and delivered “Anywhere with You” alongside Lucas & Steve and DubVision.

The 2022 schedule featured the Guetta, Missy Elliott, Doechii, and Bia cut “Trampoline” as well as “Worlds on Fire” with R3hab and Au/Ra. Afrojack Presents NLW assembled seven previously unreleased tracks already familiar from his DJ sets, while additional material continued to appear under both the NLW and Afrojack banners, including joint releases with Muni Long, James Arthur, DubVision, and others. 2023 yielded “Alone Again” with Chico Rose and Mougleta, “Shockwave” with R3hab, and “Let Me Go” with Theresa Rex. In 2024 he joined Timmy Trumpet and Lil Jon for “We Can’t Stop,” launched the Afroki project with Steve Aoki via “Everything You Do” featuring Aviella and “Save My Soul” featuring Jordan Grace, reunited with Pitbull and Ne-Yo on “2 the Moon,” issued the Guetta collaboration “Raving,” and partnered with Tiësto on “Light It Up.” “Don’t Go” with Gil Glaze arrived in October.