by SCOTT C

What’s your definition of a hip hop legend? LL Cool J 10 albums deep with his shirt off? KRS One rockin’ mics with seven- and eight-year-old Bronx hopefuls? Whatever your answer, New York DJ, advertising writer, producer and record collector David Stein might turn up on your list if you were around when his legendary cut-up appeared on the hip hop charts in 1983. Double Dee and Steinski’s “The Payoff Mix” won Tommy Boy Records’ Hey Mr. DJ Play That Beat Down by Law Switch the Licks Mastermix Contest that year and thrust them into the production spotlight. What followed was that great series of “Lessons” that inspired many other DJs to try out some more ambitious productions. Steinski still lives in New York, up to his eyes in everyone else’s music and loving it. With a New Year’s gig at the Rialto fast approaching, the Mirror spoke to Steinski from his Sonic Boom Studios in NYC.

Mirror: Given the wide array of musical talent you’ll be playing with on New Year’s at the Rialto, what kind of set can the kids expect from Steinski?

Steinski: That assumes that I play (laughs).

M: You don’t play records that often?

S: Nah.

M: How many times a year, let’s say?

S: Well, if we go by the last couple of years, then I’d say about three, but I’m trying to up that considerably because I like doing it. It’s just been a case of re-evaluating what my priorities are. I’m trying now to become a better DJ so I don’t go out and make a fool out of myself.

M: You really felt like a fool?

S: Not always, because when I started out I was party-rockin’ like mad in Brooklyn, but as you may have noticed, it’s not 1982 anymore (laughs). People’s expectations have really changed. I played a 90-minute set over the summer at this really nice club, y’know, a lot of good instrumental hip hop and head-nodding stuff. But the guy who came after me, his first record was this intense radio-rap record and everybody put down their drinks, got up and started to dance without stop for an hour. I was like, “Oh shit. I think I’m doing something wrong here.”

M: I kinda like those guys who play in their own world but can still move the floor.

S: Well, I have to say my selection is relatively quirky, but at a New Year’s party people want to dance, and that’s exactly what I’d like to have happen. All I’m bringing is funky old soul and rap.

Pennies from heaven

S: I hope you guys realize how lucky you are up there with those Canada Council grants. It’s fabulous. That stuff vanished from the United States years ago.

M: I think the hardest part is the application process.

S: I think it’s ace. Just that the country supports that and that people aren’t sitting around going, “Wait a minute, that’s my tax money! Why are you giving it to some no-good hip hop loafer?” I think it’s great.

M: Are you working on any projects worthy of a large investment?

S: I’m starting work on a very cool project for a label called Antidote in the U.K. They’re owned by a music holding company called Sanctuary and they own many, many music catalogues. They’ve asked me to do a full-length mix of the Sugar Hill catalogue for the U.K., and do it up with anything I like from their other catalogues. I’m sitting here looking at videos, about 400 CDs, vinyl.

M: How long does something like that take, from beginning to end?

S: I’m probably only going to get about five months. I mean. I just finished a mixed CD that took me two years.

M: That’s the one for the Solid Steel radio show in the U.K.?

S: Yeah. Have you heard that?

M: No, I was reading about it on your Web site.

S: They originally told me I had a month. I was like, I won’t even get through the vinyl in a month, so we’re negotiating backwards from there. It’s interesting because listening in this respect is different than listening for enjoyment’s sake. I’m making notes on segments of songs and blah, blah, blah. It goes on and on, but ever so slowly. It’s tiresome sometimes, but it’s a lot of fun. Believe me, I’m not complaining at all. It could be a lot worse. I’ve worked on some bad projects in my time and this ain’t one of them. :

With Amon Tobin, DJ Ram, Llorca and Sixtoo
at the Rialto on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 10pm, $40

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