Steve Aoki

Steve Aoki, born Steven Hiroyuki Aoki on November 30, 1977, is an American DJ and record producer whose touring work led Pollstar to name him the highest-grossing electronic dance music artist in North America in 2012. Working across electronic dance styles including electro house, house and pop dance, he has built a career around high-profile releases, remixes and collaborations. He is the son of Rocky Aoki, the founder of the Benihana restaurant chain.

Aoki founded Dim Mak Records, a label central to his work as a producer and to related projects including a Dim Mak clothing line. His catalog includes seven studio albums, several of which have appeared on Billboard charts. His debut album, Wonderland, received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Dance/Electronica Album in 2013. He is also known for remixing Kid Cudi's “Pursuit of Happiness” and BTS's “MIC Drop,” while his collaborative recordings have involved artists from electronic music, pop, hip-hop and rock.

Among Aoki's collaborators are will.i.am, Afrojack, LMFAO, Linkin Park, Iggy Azalea, Lil Jon, Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday, BTS, Backstreet Boys, Lauren Jauregui and Fall Out Boy. The range of those partnerships reflects a career that has moved readily between club-focused electronic production and crossover pop releases. In 2024, Gold House included Aoki among its Most Impactful Asians.

Outside music, Aoki published the memoir Blue: The Color of Noise in 2019. He also founded the Steve Aoki Charitable Fund, which raises money for global humanitarian relief organizations, and has supported organizations involved in brain science and research through the Aoki Foundation.