Label head, Grammy-nominated producer, restaurant owner, high-grossing DJ, video game character. Steve
Label head, Grammy-nominated producer, restaurant owner, high-grossing DJ, video game character. Steve Aoki wears a number of hats. He’s been a major force in the EDM scene, with his Dim Mak brand spreading wildly over the second half of the 2000s. His name is one that’s synonymous with today’s EDM wave, and his cake-throwing, inflatable-riding, Aoki Jump-ing personality is a hit with crowds worldwide. Yet, how much do you really know about the man? Hell, there might be things that we just mentioned in passing that you might have been unaware of. Test your Aoki knowledge, and see how many of these things you knew about him.
His Father Founded Benihana
Steve Aoki’s father, former professional wrestler Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, founded the first Benihana restaurant in 1965 in New York City. Word is he made $10,000 driving an ice cream truck in Harlem, which he used to open Benihana of Tokyo on West 56th Street.
Steve Credits His Father With Showing Him Proper Brand Marketing
Dim Mak as a brand is a club night, record label, and much more. Steve has said that he learned how to properly market his brand from his father’s work with Benihana: “The strength in everything he did was pushing his marketing and work and art and sportsmanship all to one brand, which was Benihana. He raced Benihana powerboats. He had hot-air balloons branded with Benihana. He marketed to one thing. His influence is unconditional. Now I see why I market everything toward Dim Mak.”
Steve Used to be in a Punk Band
Steve grew up listening to punk rock and hardcore (from Minor Threat and Born Against to Gorilla Biscuits), and was vocalist for This Machine Kills from 1997 to 2000. They released their album on Ebullition Records, which had also released projects from Born Against, Downcast, and others). After their split, Steve started out DJing indie and hip-hop tracks, which eventually lead to him producing his own remixes and original material.
Steve Was Straight-Edge in College
Aoki was big into the punk rock scene as a kid and in college says he lived a straight-edge lifestyle, not touching alcohol or drugs. And while he’s known today for spraying crowds with champagne, Steve says he doesn’t drink alcohol these days.
Steve Learned How to DJ from DJ AM
When Steve first got asked to DJ at a club in 2004, he had a love for hip-hop and rock, but only owned one turntable. He started his friendship with DJ AM around the same time, and in no time AM was showing Aoki how to scratch and beat-match.
Steve Co-Owns Deckstar
The Deckstar management company is co-owned by Steve Aoki, Paul Rosenberg (Eminem’s manager), Aoki’s manager Lawrence Vavra, and Matt Colon (DJ AM was a founder as well). The current Deckstar roster includes NERVO, Gina Turner, Travis Barker, blink-182, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and many other artists.
Steve was Featured in “2K8” and “2K9”
While Aoki admits he’s awful at basketball, he was featured in the 2K8 and 2K9 NBA videogames as a mystery player.
Steve was the Highest Grossing DJ During the First Half of 2012
Pollstar’s poll showed that Aoki grossed $4.5 million during the first half of 2012, based on an 88-city tour with $32 ticket prices, edging out both Avicii and Bassnectar.
Steve Portrayed Himself on an Episode of “Arrow”
Yes, Steve guest-starred as – get this – a DJ in a nightclub on the show Arrow. Apparently, the character Oliver launches a nightclub, and what better DJ to help push your new hotspot than Steve Aoki?
Steve Considered His Grammy Nomination His Biggest Accomplishment
Steve Aoki’s Wonderland was nominated for the best Dance/Electronic album Grammy alongside projects from Skrillex, Chemical Brothers, Kaskade, and Deadmau5. At the time, Steve said that “there’s no way I’m going to win. I’m just happy to be nominated. I’m still celebrating in my head. Every time I smile, it’s because I’m thinking about the nomination.”
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