The annual Electric Daisy Carnival festival in Las Vegas brings together dance music's top DJs, with an estimated 500,000 attendees enjoying the three-day event. For many EDM artists, performing at the festival is a sign of true success. This year, Toronto native HNTR made his EDC debut. Although his set wasn't on the 2025 lineup, his presence was certainly felt. His remix of Cloonee and InntRaw's "Stephanie," which samples Young MA's "OOOUUU," could be heard on virtually every stage.
A year has passed, and HNTR has released his new track, "Holla At A Player," featuring Oscar winner Juicy J. We spoke with the DJ and producer to learn about the creation of the song, how his life has changed since the viral remix's success, and to get to know the man behind the stage name.
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At last year's EDC, I asked several DJs what the most popular track of the festival would be, and Tiësto, Alison Wonderland, Alok, Morten, and Tape B all said your remix of Cloonee's "Stephanie" would be the most popular track of the year. A year later, what was it like watching that song become incredibly popular?
It was honestly incredible. There was no strategy behind this remix. It was just something I did for fun because I thought it would be cool to add my own twist.
Seeing my record go from being a bootleg in my sets to a track that's played by virtually everyone was incredible. It changed my career, but most of all, it reinforced my belief that the sound I was creating had a real audience. Special thanks to Dom Dolla. That one video changed everything.
From your song becoming the most played last year to your EDC debut this year, did your performance at Stereo Bloom live up to expectations? What were you thinking about while preparing for this set?
EDC has always been a dream festival for me, so just being on the bill was a huge deal. I think I've never put so much effort into preparing my set before: I was working on the music on my laptop in my trailer until the last minute before going on stage. I wanted to play as much of my (new) music as possible.
After I walked out on stage and saw the audience, I had a moment of solitude. It was one of those moments when you realize what all that hard work has led to.
For those fans who discovered you through this track, who is HNTR? Can you tell us about your background, your influences, and what helped you get to where you are today?
I'm a producer and DJ from Toronto. It's a city with a huge hip-hop culture and a very thriving dance music scene, so these influences naturally come together in the music I create.
Many people told me that fusing hip-hop and dance music the way I wanted wouldn't work. But I always believed there would be an audience for it. People discovered me thanks to Stefani, but before that, there were years of learning, experimenting, releasing music, performing in clubs, throwing parties, and searching for the true HNTR sound. If you go back to the very first HNTR release, you'll hear that I spent years trying to implement this formula before it really worked.
A lot can change in such a short period of time. What are your biggest accomplishments over the past year?
Of course, Stefani's performance was a huge highlight, but debuting at EDC, touring internationally, and having my music supported by artists I've admired for years are all major milestones.
I'm most proud of how we continued to build momentum beyond just one record. Eight number-one spots on the Beatport charts in a year is incredible, as is breaking into the top 101 producers at number 46 and winning Remix of the Year at the Beatport Awards.
Our goal has always been to create something bigger than just one song, and I feel like we're succeeding. Flying to Asia and meeting someone who was influenced by my music reassured me that our efforts are paying off.
Many artists I speak with after "overnight success" say it's followed by unexpected difficulties or emotional upheavals. Have you encountered anything similar with the rapid changes in your life and career?
Absolutely. It's funny that people call it an overnight success, but in reality, it took 15 years to achieve this success.
Perhaps the biggest challenge is expectations. More people are paying attention to me, and every step I take is more closely scrutinized. But this is what I've been striving for my entire career, so I'm grateful for it and focused on maintaining the same mindset that got me here.
Moving on to your new track, tell us how the song «Holla At A Player» came about and how Juicy J was involved in its creation?
I've always been a huge fan of Juicy J. He's not only one of the most influential artists for me personally, but also, in my opinion, for all of modern hip-hop. The record started out as usual: a sample with a simple drop idea, without any particular expectations.
We have a great creative relationship with Kinetica Records, and they loved the idea and said, "Make a list of people you'd like to work with. I put Juicy J at the top just for fun, like, yeah, right." They gave him the list within a day, and he loved the idea and was thrilled. As soon as he laid down the vocals, it felt like the record was immediately taken to a new level.
He even made a surprise appearance during your performance at Billboard's The Arrival party in Coachella Valley in April. What was it like to get such an immediate response to your track?
Yo, man, I actually invited Juicy J to perform "Slob On My Knob," "Bandz that Make Her Dance," and MY OWN ORIGINAL SONG... It was an incredible moment I'll never forget. It's one thing to hear a record in the studio, but it's another to see people's reactions to it live and then hear Juicy J perform it with you.
These are the moments every producer dreams of. The response was incredible, and it made me even more eager to finally release the album.
I don't want to seem greedy, since you just released a track, but what else are you planning? Anything you can hint at?
There's still a lot of exciting stuff ahead. We've been working hard behind the scenes, and I think we're just beginning to unlock the potential of the HNTR project.
There are still many recordings, interesting collaborations, and major concerts and festivals ahead. The most important thing now is to keep moving forward.
Who's on your wish list of people you'd like to collaborate with? Rappers, singers, DJs, and producers—they're all on your list.
Honestly, I usually just remix artists whose music I want to hear, but here's a short list of artists I think I could make cool music with: Denzel Curry, Ty Dolla, Don Toliver, Project Pat... I could list them all day.
As for dance, I've been fortunate to work with many, but overall, I enjoy collaborating with artists who are forging their own path. For me, it's not so much the fame of a person that matters, but their unique contribution.
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