_This is a series of interviews with our favorite electronic music artists, celebrating the Arrival of Thump and made possible by the new Heineken Star Bottle. In this edition: _TJR.__ For more arrivals check here.Of the many quirks that surround TJR—his breakout hit with Pitbull, his striking honesty, the visual contrast between his bushy beard and his gleaming bald head—perhaps the most striking is that he was a hair's breadth away from becoming a professional golfer.He even hated dance music, and went to college thinking he'd continue his golf training there. Until one night, when his roommate brought him to a rave…and he got hooked to house music instead.After ditching his golf clubs for mixers, TJR hung around New York and Connecticut, where he grew up, for a few years before a second big revelation set in in 2009—this time at Burning Man. "I realized I had to move out West," he said, "The northeast dance music scene was just limping along at the time." So he jumped over to Southern California.This move precipitated the track that would launch his career: "Funky Vodka," an energetic house tune that samples heavily from "Funky Kingston" by the Jamaican ska band Toots and the Maytals. TJR's "Funky Vodka" takes the old-school funk of "Funky Kingston," speeds it up, and adds an addictively bouncy beat—somehow making it even groovier than the original. It's hard to imagine TJR's sunny track coming out from anywhere but California.But the moment when the catchy tune—and TJR himself—really exploded was when Miami homeboy Pitbull picked it up for his 2012 hit, "Don't Stop The Party." That was when TJR went from underground hero to EDM superstar. And the party hasn't really stopped since.We recently spoke with TJR about how Chris Lake saved his life, almost crying at a Rangers game, and why he doesn't have a personal life—but kinda likes it that way.What made you decide to become a DJ?
I entered a DJ competition after only DJing for six months. But mind you, I spent eight hours a day practicing when I first started. I didn't care about anything but learning how to mix. I was an outsider in the local scene—but won the competition, and it gave me the confidence that this was the path I wanted to take in life.What memories from your early days still make you shudder?
The toughest part about starting out as a DJ was learning about how local scene politics influence bookings. Promoters and DJs always clogged up the lineups. But that's the best thing about music today—it's all about what you produce, and you can easily leapfrog those frustrating promoter scenarios by making great records.What was your first big break?
I was a few months away from going flat broke and moving back to the Northeast. Then my track "Funky Vodka" went to number one on Beatport, and Chris Lake signed me to his Rising Music/Three Six Zero Group label. Shortly there after, Pitbull picked up "Funky Vodka" for "Don't Stop The Party." That signing saved me life.What's been the most surreal moment you've had as a DJ?
Hearing "Don't Stop The Party" at a New York Rangers game in Madison Square Garden this year. I've been a diehard Ranger fan my whole life. I almost cried when I heard it. [laughs]You're known for getting pretty crazy when you're DJing in front of a crowd. When did you learn to develop this showmanship?
In my opinion, when you DJ, you do it for the crowd. Not yourself. You should produce music for yourself. But DJing is about making the people who paid money to get into the club happy, so you should look at the crowd and see how they're responding.What key steps did you take to arrive at where you are now?
I realized that if you want success bad enough, you will lose friends and lovers over it. You have to put everything you have into this. I have no personal life. This is all I want and all I think about. But I love it!
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I entered a DJ competition after only DJing for six months. But mind you, I spent eight hours a day practicing when I first started. I didn't care about anything but learning how to mix. I was an outsider in the local scene—but won the competition, and it gave me the confidence that this was the path I wanted to take in life.What memories from your early days still make you shudder?
The toughest part about starting out as a DJ was learning about how local scene politics influence bookings. Promoters and DJs always clogged up the lineups. But that's the best thing about music today—it's all about what you produce, and you can easily leapfrog those frustrating promoter scenarios by making great records.What was your first big break?
I was a few months away from going flat broke and moving back to the Northeast. Then my track "Funky Vodka" went to number one on Beatport, and Chris Lake signed me to his Rising Music/Three Six Zero Group label. Shortly there after, Pitbull picked up "Funky Vodka" for "Don't Stop The Party." That signing saved me life.What's been the most surreal moment you've had as a DJ?
Hearing "Don't Stop The Party" at a New York Rangers game in Madison Square Garden this year. I've been a diehard Ranger fan my whole life. I almost cried when I heard it. [laughs]You're known for getting pretty crazy when you're DJing in front of a crowd. When did you learn to develop this showmanship?
In my opinion, when you DJ, you do it for the crowd. Not yourself. You should produce music for yourself. But DJing is about making the people who paid money to get into the club happy, so you should look at the crowd and see how they're responding.What key steps did you take to arrive at where you are now?
I realized that if you want success bad enough, you will lose friends and lovers over it. You have to put everything you have into this. I have no personal life. This is all I want and all I think about. But I love it!