The first time I heard the name Steve Aoki was when my sister, a long-time fan, showed me a picture of him standing on top of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro a couple years ago. And I just remember thinking, “I really want that.” Obviously, I don’t mean I want to be a super famous and successful DJ like he is (I can barely work my phone. let alone a turntable). What I mean is that I want to work hard to have a stable enough income that allows me to do some crazy fun things. Work hard, play harder. I want to enjoy life the way that man in the picture was obviously enjoying it. I also thought, “That dude is crazy,” but sometimes the craziest adventures are the ones you end up holding onto and remembering with satisfaction. "No shoudas, couldas, or wouldas" as one of my teachers used to say. (Unfortunately the internet has failed me and I didn’t find that picture, but I’m sure you’ve seen it if you’re a fan.)

And for those of you who aren’t fans? Well, whether you’re an EDM lover or not, you will be a Steve Aoki lover by the end of this.

Who is this dude? That was the first question I asked myself after seeing that fateful picture. My sister, who was a college DJ at the time, clued me in on his status as an up and coming EDM star. Now he’s known around the world as a musician, producer, and music executive of electric house music. Everyone on the scene knows his name and he is well-respected by his fellow DJ’s such as Tiesto and Diplo. So yeah, he’s a pretty big deal right now.

I know a lot of the older generation (our parents), don’t think of DJ’s as real musicians just because they don’t play an instrument or sing. But anyone who’s been to a show knows that that is what makes their job so much harder. They have to keep our attention in some way and really get us attached to the sound or else we’ll lose interest. This differs from the more traditional music performances because seeing the band play and seeing them put their heart and soul into their instruments and lyrics is very powerful. How does a DJ compete with that?

Well, they make their shows as varied as possible. Whether it’s Tiesto who has balloons falling from the ceiling and light up bracelets for the crowd or Zedd who uses a laser light show and fire cannons, DJ’s do put their all into making their shows a fun and unforgettable experience. Some, like Tritonal and Steve Aoki will pre-record some of their tracks so that they can go out and interact with their fans. Aoki actually throws cakes at people. CAKES. He also throws inflatable rafts to the crowd which he will then go and ride in with. Others like Cash Cash will climb up onto their turntables and throw shirts to the crowds. And don’t get me started on dancing. Every single one of them will jam out with you. It’s a very physically demanding job.

And Steve Aoki is one of the hardest workers out there. He grew up in Florida and played varsity badminton in high school before moving to Santa Barbara, California and pursuing 2 BA’s, one in Feminist Studies and the other in Sociology (seriously, a super smart dude). During this time he made do-it-yourself records and ran underground concerts. By his early 20s, he’d built up his own record label, named Dim Mak after his childhood hero, Bruce Lee.

But the key fact here? He did this all on his own, taking after his own father. His dad was the Japanese-American wrestler Rocky Aoki. For those of you who are thinking, “Why is this relevant?” maybe you’ve heard of Benihana? Yeah, he founded that. He also did a lot of crazy things like powerboat racing and other thrill-seeking activities. Suffice to say, he had a lot of money. When I saw Aoki at AOL Build in New York City on the 15^th, he discussed how this lifestyle impacted him. Having his father allow him and his siblings to live through these experiences with him left Aoki with the drive to also work hard. He refused to ask his father for help even when he was drowning in debt while building up his label. His dad had built up a successful life after starting out selling ice cream at a stand, and Aoki would follow in his footsteps. He worked hard and though his father died in 2008, he did get to witness the beginnings of his son’s success when Aoki started bringing in thousands of dollars for his shows.

The documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 15^th, focuses a lot on this father-son dynamic. However, it also serves to tell the general origin story of this self-made man and share in his successes and failures as he rose up through the ladders of the music industry. We get to see behind the scenes footage of his tours around the world and also more personal scenes from his life, which for the most part, he’s kept private. Directed and produced by Justin Krook, the documentary was a new experience for Aoki who admitted that he was very nervous about how people would react to it.

However, I don’t think he has anything to worry about. His story has served as an inspiration to my sister and me as fellow Asian Americans, and I think everyone can find something in common with his down-to-earth personality and love of life. His passion for his work is so evident in how he talks about it and how he performs, which I think is something most would naturally respect.

We may not all want to be DJ’s, but I do think we all want happiness. So thanks Steve Aoki for bringing that happiness all around the world! Check out the trailer for his documentary and the interview I went to in the link below!

http://build.aol.com/video/5711299fe4b00fb375811adc/