VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast / Ep. 35 - Steve Aoki Talks Health and Heritage
May 26, 2023
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VERSED is a monthly podcast illuminating the heart and soul of music. Featuring in-depth interviews with songwriters and composers, plus tips and insights to help you navigate your music career. Brought to you by ASCAP, home of the world's greatest music creators.
Counting nearly 3 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. A two-time Grammy-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, NFT futurist and Dim Mak Records founder, he has been described by Billboard as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” He holds the Guinness World Record for the “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year,” has collaborated with artists, from BTS to Snoop Dogg, blink-182 to Daddy Yankee. Steve dedicates himself wholeheartedly to every project, including the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, his memoir Blue: The Color of Noise and his influential record label Dim Mak.
In this episode of VERSED, Steve talks to ASCAP Associate Director of Pop/Rock Membership Brian Reyes about how his Japanese heritage has impacted his craft and career. As May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, he shares some of his most effective wellness practices and how he takes care of his mind, body and spirit to be his creative best.
+Check out the ASCAP Wellness Program
EP. 35 FEATURED INTERVIEWEE: Steve Aoki
Counting nearly 3 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. Billboard described the 2x GRAMMY-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, NFT futurist and Dim Mak Records founder as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” A Guinness World Record holder for the “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year,” Aoki has performed at nearly every top festival around the world, including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival, Tomorrowland and Electric Daisy Carnival.
As a globally successful cross-genre solo artist, Aoki has collaborated with an impressive list of varied artists, including BTS, Maluma, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, blink-182, One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Uzi Vert, 2 Chainz and Daddy Yankee, on top of having released three platinum singles, six gold singles, and over ten top 10 radio records. After unveiling four Neon Future albums, Aoki recently released HiROQUEST: Genesis, featuring collaborations with Taking Back Sunday, Mod Sun, Kane Brown and more.
Aoki approaches each new endeavor with the same sense of dedication he’s put into his past achievements, including the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016) and his memoir BLUE: The Color of Noise (2019). In 2012, he also founded THE AOKI FOUNDATION to support organizations in brain science and its research. His influential record label Dim Mak, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021, is known for being a launching pad for the careers of prominent acts like Bloc Party, The Chainsmokers, Bloody Beetroots, The Kills, Zedd and Diplo. Most recently, Aoki created the A0K1VERSE, an NFT membership community, powered by the Passport, that welcomes his fans to both virtual and real-world experiences. Aoki is also executive producer for American Hiro, a series in development with FX Networks directed by Jon M. Chu, chronicling the life of his father, Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki, the legendary entrepreneur and daredevil businessman who created the Benihana empire. In whatever space Steve Aoki enters, the multi-hyphenate innovator continues to set trends and inspire creativity on a global level.