Blue by Steve Aoki is a Map for Creative Entrepreneurs in the 21st Century
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting world-famous DJ, Steve Aoki and seeing him in action. We were in an enormous house in Beverly Hills, where Steve was doing press for his memoir, Blue: The Color of Noise. The rich and famous brought special cakes, asking Steve to “Cake Me!” His team was prepping him with makeup and his own brand of clothing, and through it all Steve remained calm. He is the eye of the storm of his own success.
If you’re looking for a path to make it big in entertainment, study Steve Aoki’s incredible trajectory. In this article, I share seven lessons from Steve’s memoir, Blue.
“Sometimes I think my whole life can be seen through shades of blue.” -Steve Aoki
1. The Mind Plays Tricks. Steve is quick to point out that human memory is imperfect. That’s tough to admit when you’re writing the story of everything you remember from your life. It’s also comforting. In this raw autobiography, an admission of error takes the edge off a bit. There are lots of sharp corners to Steve’s story and it goes back to before his own memories, back to the stories that people have told him. For example, the time his dad, Rocky Aoki crashed a speed boat, went unconscious, and woke up in a hospital. There, Rocky Aoki was confronted by his wife and his girlfriend, both holding newborn children. Steve recalls his mom’s side of the story, his dad’s side of the story, and the media’s side of the story. Whenever we recall memories, especially those loaded with emotion, consider all sides.
2. Accept Your Flawed Heroes. Steve dedicates a chapter to Michael Jackson’s enormous influence on his music career. It’s exciting to read and imagine the work of one icon rippling through another generation. The thing is, Steve almost left that chapter out. There’s a lot of hesitation around being associated with anyone suspicious and Michael Jackson certainly got a lot of negative attention before anyone ever heard of #metoo. In Blue, Steve acknowledges the controversy, but continues to tell his story. I’m so glad he did. This chapter was one of my favorites and it is filled with poetic imagery of Steve “breathing” in Michael’s music as he remixes old tracks and incorporates them into his modern day shows.
“If you’re afraid of dying, you’re afraid of living.” -Rocky Aoki
3. Family Matters. Michael Jackson isn’t the only hero in Steve Aoki’s life. His father, Rocky Aoki, is described as larger than life. He was a speed boat-racing showman and the founder of the popular restaurant chain Benihana. While there are big shoes for Steve to fill, he never shies away from discussing his dad. Steve also speaks openly about his mother, even when they disagree. And everything in this book comes back to the color blue, even the Aoki family name. Ao means blue. Ki means tree. So, the Aoki name translates to blue tree.
4. Do Acid. OK, not really, but Steve tells an incredible story of taking acid at the age of 13. I actually heard him tell this story in-person in Beverly Hills and it was captivating. He was so animated and I could feel his confusion and frustration at being trapped inside his drugged up mind. What did he conclude from the acid trip? Steve said it was a turning point for him and brought him closer to Jesus. He credits that bad trip for inspiring him to take a greater interest in the human mind. Brain research is now a major philanthropic focus The Aoki Foundation.
5. Connection is Possible, But Not Guaranteed. For much of his life, Steve felt like an outsider. He was the lone Japanese kid in Newport Beach, California. As a kid he saw his older brother connect with people with similar taste in music and tried to develop a connection through rap music. It’s funny to picture young Steve bopping along to rough rap lyrics he’d memorized, but I can relate. To this day, I can still recite lyrics from rap songs that jolted me in middle school. Anyway, this is Steve’s book, and he makes an interesting observation about belonging. He shares that the ocean isn’t really blue, the color is a reflection, an illusion. Is gathering around music the illusion of belonging? It’s hard to know, but Steve is trying to find out. He even quit alcohol to be more present and connected with his audience.
“Make people feel something significant.” -Steve Aoki
6. You Have Permission to be an Artist. What would you do if you went to a show and heard a recording of a corrupt French politician confessing his crimes? Or saw a band take the stage naked and cover themselves with Twinkies? I’d consider a different line of work, but Steve Aoki saw something in these moments. He saw people performing, presenting, and pushing the limits. From these examples he found a permission to bring an element of mystery to the stage. He explained that his goal as a DJ is to, “Make people feel something significant.” He doesn’t record politicians, but he’s known to take a an inflatable life raft crowd surfing over his audience. And does he cover himself in Twinkies? I’d say the “Cake Me!” phenomenon is pretty close.
7. Respect Life. Some of the most interesting parts of Blue are the mini-chapters, called DROPs. Just as a DJ will drop the beat, Steve drops short journal entry-type stories, many of which are about the pain and tragedy he’s scene. For example, being in New York on 9/11 and Vegas for the 2017 Las Vegas shooting. These quick essays point out how fragile life can be. Steve is aware of his mortality and has taken steps to live to the fullest, such as cutting alcohol and working an insane schedule. He’s also taken steps to prepare for death, accepting Jesus in his life and making arrangements to have his body frozen. The work of The Aoki Foundation aligns with his desire to live a longer, better life.
Of all his practices to embrace life, the fascination with the color blue stands out to me. There’s a growing body of evidence that humans are happier and more relaxed when we see things that are blue. It’s probably related to the security of being near water. Maybe all this blue stuff is how Steve remains centered through his breakneck world tours. Either way, he has gone all in on blue and it continues to serve his creative endeavors, through his businesses, producing, DJing, a documentary, and now a book.
For more, check out Blue: The Color of Noise by Steve Aoki.