The New Superstar Deejay: Steve Aoki

We love Paul Sevigny. And Mark and Samantha Ronson too. But here comes the next turntablist with luminary family connections, sure to be turning heads while laying down catchy cues at a party near you.

By Matt Diehl

For our full interview with Steve Aoki, click here!


Aoki, above, New York City.

Whatever you do, don't call Steve Aoki a "celebrity deejay." (We'll do it for you.) "I'm no celebrity, so it doesn't fit anyway," he explains. Well, okay, but Aoki does keep pretty illustrious company: He's the brother of supermodel Devon Aoki, son of colorful Benihana chain founder Rocky Aoki. And "Page Six" denizens like Lindsay Lohan and Good Charlotte's Benji Madden routinely haunt his club appearances (check Aoki's MySpace for proof).

Regardless of the showbiz factor, Aoki is a true music-industry innovator, with the cred to prove it. The indie label he founded, DimMak, helped propel buzz-worthy bands like the Klaxons and Bloc Party from underground to over-ground; as a deejay, meanwhile, he’s helped break edgy acts like French neo-disco titans Justice.

Above all, Aoki, 29, has created his own scene in his Los Angeles habitat-a place where modish electro, raw punk, funky hip-hop, and cooler-than-thou rock can all co-exist peacefully on ye olde dance floor. “I love L.A.,” Aoki explains. “I play all kinds of different parties, from indie to bottle-service Hollywood. My range of music is wide; a good song is a good song, regardless of genre. But if the kids come, then I play what I want to play. The kids are taking over!”

Photo by Moses Berkson.