Afrojack knows how to party as well as DJ

And now, here's Afrojack, whose reputation in Vegas is that he might be the most partying DJ-producer there is. What's his typical Vegas day like?

"I wake up, party, eat, party, eat again, sleep. It's the same every day," says the Dutch DJ, who will DJ on Jan. 11 at Surrender.

He told me this on a recent Wednesday night in a quiet VIP lounge at Encore, while Paris Hilton sat waiting for him 4 feet away.

After our interview, he and Hilton (and entourage) strolled into Surrender nightclub, packed with screaming fans, as 500 more people lined up outside, trying to get in.

At 1:15 a.m., Afrojack ambled up to his DJ booth and began spinning, occasionally drinking straight from a bottle of vodka. Hilton stood on the side of the stage, drinking and grooving.

But back to our interview.

"The craziest parties are in Vegas," says Afrojack, real name Nick van de Wall, 24, of the Netherlands.

"Everyone gets the most (expletive) up here," compared to other party cities around the world, he says. "Ibiza doesn't go that crazy."

Last spring, Afrojack looked like the next big thing. But then DJ-producer Skrillex came along and dominated the buzz of electronic music in the fall and winter.

Regardless, Afrojack remains one of the world's top A-listers.

In fact, he beat other DJ-producers at collecting a Grammy in 2011 with his remix (in collaboration with David Guetta) of Madonna's "Revolver."

Afrojack is again nominated for a Grammy in 2012, for his remix of Leona Lewis' "Collide."

With his typical laid-back attitude, he calmly says he's happy the Grammys have recognized him.

"The most important thing is fans are happy and coming to the shows," he says.

He hopes to go to the Grammys again -- "if I can get a ticket," he says and laughs.

"Last year, it was hard getting a ticket, even though I was nominated and even though I won. It was a pain in the ass getting in there."

Afrojack hit it big so young in life, several years ago, that he barely worked jobs outside of music. He labored in catering services for a few months, then in graphic design.

But by 2006, he was releasing his own music.

He picked his DJ name because he used to have an afro, and "jack is a moniker in dance music -- jack your body, jack your house music," he explains.

He headlines the biggest electronic music festivals in the world, including last summer's Electric Daisy Carnival at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"EDC was really sick, crazier here" than when EDC previously was set in Los Angeles.

"The crew was stressed" in L.A., he says. "In Vegas, everyone was happy and smiling. It was like an electric Woodstock. I don't think they can do it any better."

In the studio and at his DJ booth, Afrojack is always exploring subgenres.

"I'm already doing lots of different types already. I did a few dubsteps just for fun. I did basic dance music, but also some hip-hop stuff. I've already done everything, and I'm going to keep doing everything, because it's fun."

His new single, "Can't Stop Me Now," officially comes out Jan. 23.

The Wynn-Encore plans to keep him booked for 2012.

In his spare time, he plays PlayStation 3 now and then, he says.

But his true hobby is driving fast cars. He used to run a Ferrari and an Audi R8 V10.

But his new car is his fastest yet: an Audi RS6R MTM Tuned 730 HP.

You may have read that last sentence and thought, "Wow, where could he even go to max that car's speedometer on the road?"

He won't say.

"I find my way," he says, with that mischievous Afrojack smile.

Doug Elfman's column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Email him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.