Steve Aoki – More than just a DJ

Steve Aoki is the most familiar Asian face on the International Djing scene. In fact, Steve won Set of the Season in Ibiza in 2007. But don’t just call him a DJ, he’s an entrepreneur, fashion designer, record label owner and… ., based on research we did, somewhat of a playboy. haha! Steve Aoki is the most familiar Asian face on the International DJing scene. In fact, Steve won Set of the Season in Ibiza in 2007. But don’t just call him a DJ, he’s an entrepreneur, fashion designer, record label owner and… based on research we did, somewhat of a playboy. haha!

Steve Aoki remembers when he was made fun of for being an Asian kid and says the only Asian face in media that he knew growing up and his self proclaimed idol was Bruce Lee. I would always tell the kids, “I’ll karate chop you!” He draws that Asian influence in to many of his businesses including the name of his record label Dim Mak, which means Death Touch, also considered a martial arts move by Bruce Lee. In case you didn’t know, Steve’s dad is Benihana founder Rocky Aoki.

Steve DJ’s the coolest parties and has many celebrity friends, but don’t look at him to dish the dirt. A big fan of Perez Hilton, he’s not into dishing his own gossip.. sorry we tried. Aoki let us film him behind the scenes on the first night of his Dim Mak/Fool’s Gold Tour in New York City. And of course we asked him many questions about his love life.

ASIANCE: Who is your ultimate woman?

Steve: An honest girl. It’s really hard to find honest girls. It’s hard to meet honest people.

ASIANCE: What do you think of all the rumors of you being this playboy?

Steve: There are rumors that I’m a playboy? Where?

ASIANCE: All over the internet.

Steve: People are saying that on the internet? I don’t think I’m a playboy. I have zero game. Maybe a little. I might have a little charm.

ASIANCE: Didn’t we see a girl run up on stage and give you her room key as soon as you started your set?

Steve: (Laughs) hehehe.. See this is the biggest misconception for people that don’t know anything about me. People in general in a club environment will always gravitate to the center of attention. Just like you’re driving on a freeway and there’s an accident and everyone looks.

Girls..I like them around me. I don’t mind it. So everyone has this idea that I’m hooking up with all these bad girls. At the end of the show they’re gone. I don’t ever see them.

I’m friends with girls. I have a lot of girl friends. I’m not gay but I have a lot of girl friends.

Watch our behind the scenes interview with Steve Aoki

ASIANCE: Oh you mean friends with benefits type of thing?

Steve: Nononoonoo haha! I’m a nice guy. I don’t have that much gossip about myself. I’m the worst person to interview

ASIANCE: Would you ever cut your hair?

Steve: I don’t think so. I don’t have plans to cut my hair. I used to have short hair in high school. I don’t have any reason to cut my hair now. I like it long. Long and greasy. For the firsts 6 years of me having my hair long, I never let anyone cut my hair. Only my girlfriend (at the time) and myself. There is a certain rhythm to my hair. If someone were to style it, it would look too nice. That is not the kind of look I want to get. You know like the Fabio long hair guys. I want to stay far away from that as possible. I just cut my own hair.

One time my hair was getting really long, same with my Asian beard, which is thin, not very thick. So I had to cut my hair. My hotel was right next to a Rite Aid. My hotel was literally 4 blocks from the club. I went into Rite Aid, got a pocket mirror, scissors and a brush and I walked to the club. I was with Cobrasnake cutting my hair on the street. He was filming it. By the time I got to the club it was gone already.

ASIANCE: Do people grab your crotch when you crowd surf?

Steve: Yes. Yeah Yeah..Sometimes I notice it and sometimes I have no idea. I’ll see it in photos.

ASIANCE: Who would be your ideal woman?

Steve: I’m a single man..Single and Free. I still love my ex. It’s complicated. There are so many things I’m looking for. To be my girlfriend? I don’t think that is possible to find her. There’s a lot.

It’s tough. Honesty. I have to be really attracted to them. Sharing the same interests. Very boring human things. Low maintenance. I don’t like girls super done up that need to have all this shit on their face… they need money..they need shoes, etc. I’m not necessarily down with the hippy girl, but I’m more with the hippy than the overly dressed “I need everything from my boyfriend” type of girl. I need an independent woman man! Someone that has her own shit together. They are doing their own thing. They don’t need a dude. They don’t need him. Those are the girls I’m attracted to. I’m attracted to business women.

ASIANCE: A business woman? Really?

Steve: Hell yeah..Business women..Powerful business women. I need a girl who is like, “I don’t need anything from you. I’m going to do my own shit.” I’m a humble guy. I’ve been living in the same apartment since I’ve moved to LA 7 years ago. I pay $1,000 a month rent. I’m a very humble dude. I rarely spend $$ on things other than food, clothes, records, music. The majority I spend my money on are my businesses. I’m definitely a gambler and I gamble on myself. I take risks on things I believe in. Sometimes they do really well and sometimes it’s an art thing. In the end, it’s all about the art I’m involved in. Last year, I could’ve bought a house with all the money I invested in Dim Mak.

The ones I look up to. They look at their business as an art form. It naturally becomes a business. It has meaning. Genuine connection towards people, not just this capitalistic machine that makes money.

ASIANCE: So who do you look up to like that?

Steve: I’m more inspired by people who aren’t in my field. Powerful speakers. They resonate. How they say things. Malcom X. Bruce Lee. Two mainstay heroes til the day I die. They are powerful. They are culturally important. Less about them and more about the community. Sacrificing.

At the end of the day. The people that inspire me are my friends. A-Track would be one of them. Pedro from Headbanger. The MSTRKRFT guys.. DJ AM is one. Mark Cobrasnake is my best friend. Jeremy Scott. Uffie. My sister, Devon. My whole family. My mom is the biggest inspiration in my life. My dad. He’s never forced me to do anything. No one pushed him. He lit his own fire under his ass.

ASIANCE: Do you compete with A-Track for chicks?

Steve: Never. A-Track has a serious relationship with Melissa from Kid Sister. They’re boyfriend and girlfriend. A-Track is not the playboy. He’s a very focused entrepreneur. He’s djing and taking care of his label.

ASIANCE: Who do you like the most back in Japan, as a hot celeb?

Steve: My favorite band in Japan is called Envy. I just signed Shinichi Osawa, a DJ to Dim Mak. I love Lovelace. I love Dog. It’s a store. I love Japanese people. If they’re at the shows there is always a great connection. My shirts and clothing all do really well in Japan. People respond to the art that we are doing.

ASIANCE: Have you ever had SEX in a club?

Steve: No I haven’t.

ASIANCE: What’s the craziest place you’ve ever had sex?

Steve: Love Hotel in Japan. You can rent these rooms out for an hour. They have pornos running the whole time. It’s not like a prostitution ring. It’s a really nice room. The bathroom is a big shower. A lot of people do that in Japan… In Japan, a lot of kids still live with their parents until they get married so when they are with their boyfriends they go to Love Hotel.

ASIANCE: Are you drawn more to the kind of girl who is quiet, do opposites attract?

Steve: Yes opposites do attract. There is a time and place for the party girls. They are fun to hang out with. We’re friends that party. As a guy, I don’t do any drugs but I can party.

ASIANCE: You don’t do drugs?

Steve: I have never even touched cocaine. People think because I act crazy and how I act in clubs, they say, “That dude has to be on drugs. He’s gotta be dropping E”. I never even popped pills or even Xanax. I did Vicodin and I started drooling… I almost threw up. I’ll drink til I black out..that could be a problem. I am always so wasted. I might as well be on every drug in the book.. I hate alcohol though. I don’t really drink unless I’m djing.

Drinking alone is heavy. Taking that flight the next day and being in a huge cloud..and still drunk on the plane. Then I get 10 requests from my office. I might have to quit drinking again. I drink when I’m djing..that’s it. Traveling alone is tough on you. Traveling to Asia is hard. That Asia tour…

If I go out to dinner, I won’t even have a cocktail. I’m not really that cool. I might have that look because I wear tight clothes and hang out with hipsters.

I have no interest in doing that. Inhaling that shit. I don’t smoke. I’m a square, an oval. Someone called me an Oval. I’m not really a square because I’m djing these parties..If you make a circle out of a square. I’m really an egg. I can hang and have zero judgments…

ASIANCE: Who would you want to hang with?

Steve: Mozart, Beethoven. I just met Mike Tyson. I was djing at Pure and they told me that Mike Tyson wanted to say, “What’s up?” I met Carrot Top. He’s actually a really nice guy. Most of these people are really nice people. They’re one dimensional. They turn into what people say. It doesn’t really matter. Public opinion is so powerful.

ASIANCE: There are tons of things said about you. How do you handle that?

Steve: I just stopped reading it. I can only manage and worry about the things in my area. Everything outside of that… .I have so much shit going on. LA is not a place for me to rest. We’re signing MSTRKRFT. This whole thing with Uffie and Devon going on, that is a big operation.

I feel like I’m doing something right. There are haters out there. At the end of the day, I’m just doing what I’m doing and making sure it’s worthy and quality.

ASIANCE: Describe your Dad in 3 words

Steve: Determined, Successful, Inspirational

ASIANCE: Who would you like to see as Obama’s running mate?

Steve: That’s a good question. I just want to see the guy win. I just want to see him take over. Whatever he wants, I’m down for it. Whenever he speaks, I get inspired. There are some people that just how they say things. I like the way he talks. I like the way he looks. I prefer that. He has never said anything politically incorrect. All his stances I believe in. There might be something but I haven’t heard it yet.

For more information visit dimmak.com, www.steveaoki.com, www.myspace.com/steveaoki.

Pictures by thecobrasnake