Over the past eight years, Skrillex, born Sonny John Moore, has become the center of gravity for electronic music. As a DJ, musician, producer, label head, and entrepreneur, the 28-year-old Northeast Los Angeles native currently holds the record for most Grammys won by an electronic artist (eight), has racked up over three billion views on his YouTube channel, and has collaborated with everyone from Rick Ross to Korn. He has achieved all of this while selling millions of records, scoring and providing sound design for films like 2012’s Spring Breakers and 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction, and with only two actual albums released: 2014’s Recess and 2015’s gold-certified Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü. The latter netted the duo two Grammys—one for Best Dance/Electronic Album and the other for Best Dance Recording on the Justin Bieber-blessed “Where Are Ü Now,” which was widely credited with revitalizing Bieber’s career and sound. The pair linked up again in late 2015 with the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit, “Sorry,” one of Skrillex’s five production credits on the pop star’s fourth studio album, Purpose.

Being a man of impeccable taste is largely what made Skrillex a natural choice for the first-ever ComplexCon, where he’ll perform and serve as a member of the Long Beach, California, convention’s Host Committee with Pharrell Williams. He isn’t taking the opportunity lightly, either; ComplexCon will also be the site of a standout OWSLA pop-up shop, which will feature select clothing and artist hangouts that he’s thrilled to share with his fans. “We’re going to come in with the best stuff we’ve ever made and hopefully people like it,” he says.

Exemplifying the independent grind as a path to success like few others in music today, Skrillex shares some of the stories and secrets behind his hustle.

Major labels initially fronted on “Where Are Ü Now.”

“Believe it or not, we played ‘Where Are Ü Now’ for other record labels and they didn’t even really get it,” Skrillex says of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart-topper.Undeterred, Skrillex and Diplo partnered with Atlantic and released the record on their own labels, OWSLA and Mad Decent, respectively. “You never know what’s really going to pop and what’s not. That’s how my career has always been. It just kind of happened.”

His overtures in pop have only just begun.

Skrillex’s collaboration with Bieber isn’t his only high-profile pop partnership. In fact, for as much as he respects Bieber, he counts the work that he’s done with Bruno Mars among his best experiences in the industry. The two have hit the studio together for Mars’ upcoming third LP. “I’m joining him for his album. Who knows if I’ll do something that’s more of a Skrillex thing with him, but he has a vision for his album, and I’m helping him produce it on some of the songs,” he says. “It’s incredible. He’s my favorite songwriter to work with, and he’s the most fun guy to be in the studio with.”

On top of that, Skrillex is also calling for the release of a track he produced with Kehlani and Rihanna ghostwriter Bibi Bourelly: “We did a record. It’s called ‘Chillin,’” he says. “It’s kind of sitting there and I want it to come out, but I don’t know the status of that when it comes to Bibi’s schedule and Kehlani’s schedule. Complex, you should bug them to get their shit together and release it.”