Grammy-Nominated DJ/Producer Steve Aoki And DJ Diesel (Aka Platinum Recording Artist SHAQ) Release Booming New Track “Welcome To The Playhouse”

January 7, 2021—2x-Grammy nominated artist Steve Aoki joins forces with platinum-selling recording artist and basketball legend DJ Diesel aka SHAQ on the new gametime anthem “Welcome to the Playhouse.” Out now through Aoki’s Dim Mak label, the collaboration sees SHAQ spit hype-ready-for-the-court raps over thundering EDM production. The song is paired with a high-energy animated music video that follows adolescent versions of Aoki and SHAQ on a wild adventure through the carnival-esque Playhouse. 

 Listen here: https://ffm.to/aokixshaq

The two multi-hyphenates have been moving toward a collaboration since SHAQ first watched Aoki DJ at 2014’s TomorrowWorld—one of the first live DJ sets SHAQ ever experienced. In 2015, DJ Diesel made his own debut at TomorrowWorld, unveiling his potent mix of trap, hip hop, and EDM, announcing his arrival to the dance music community. Diesel invited Steve to perform at the 2018 inaugural “SHAQ’s Fun House” festival alongside an all-star lineup with Diplo, A-Trak, and Carnage. In 2020 they connected again, when Dim Mak released “Ultimate,” DJ Diesel’s track with Riot Ten, featuring T-Wayne—leveling  Diesel up  within a musical evolution that spans back to 1993’s platinum hip hop album, Shaq Diesel.

Steve Aoki states, "SHAQ and I have been wanting to collaborate on a track together for a while now, but it wasn’t until he came over to Aoki’s Playhouse one day that we finally found the inspiration for our collab. We hopped into the studio and the track just came together. That same kind of fun energy is carried through to the artwork and video as well, and I’m so excited to be kicking off the new year with this release." 

“Working with Steve on ‘Welcome to the Playhouse’ was a blast,” SHAQ exclaims. “We went back and forth for hours together in his studio and eventually ended up with one of my favorite DIESEL releases to date. WELCOME TO THE PLAYHOUSE!" 

About Steve Aoki

Counting nearly 4 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. Billboard described the 2x-GRAMMY-Nominated artist/DJ/producer and Dim Mak Records founder as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” As a solo artist, Aoki boasts a lauded cross-genre discography that includes 7 studio albums and collaborations with Lil Uzi Vert, Maluma, BTS, Linkin Park and Louis Tomlinson amongst others. In 1996, he established Dim Mak out of his college dorm room, a trendsetting record label, events/lifestyle company and apparel brand. It has served as a launch pad for global acts like The Chainsmokers, Bloc Party, The Bloody Beetroots, and The Kills, in addition to being the home of early releases from acts such as ZEDD and Diplo. As a nightlife impresario, Aoki’s legendary Hollywood club night Dim Mak Tuesdays hosted early performances from future superstars such as Kid Cudi, Daft Punk, Lady Gaga, and Travis Scott. A true renaissance man, Steve Aoki is also a fashion designer, author and entrepreneur. In 2012, he founded THE AOKI FOUNDATION, which primarily supports organizations in the field of brain science research with a specific focus on regenerative medicine and brain preservation. In addition, Aoki has pushed his clothing line Dim Mak Collection to new heights, both with original designs and collaborations with everyone from A Bathing Ape to the Bruce Lee estate. Aoki’s multi-faceted journey is chronicled through the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (2016) and his memoir BLUE: The Color of Noise (2019). In the summer of 2020, Aoki unveiled his Latin music imprint, Dim Mak En Fuego, continuing to break down musical and cultural boundaries ‘by any means necessary.’

About DJ Diesel aka SHAQ

Shaquille O'Neal is one of the most dominant basketball players in NBA history and is now also one of the greatest entertainers on earth. At 7'1" and 325 pounds, Shaq's larger-than-life personality and powerful athleticism have resulted in worldwide admiration and one of the most passionate fan bases in sports and entertainment. The Hall of Famer first discovered electronic dance music after crashing the festival TomorrowWorld in 2014, a milestone event that changed his life forever after being exposed to DJs such as Steve Aoki and Skrillex. Shaquille has been passionate about music from a very young age. At just 14 after O'Neal saw Public Enemy live for the first time, while sandwiched in a crowd of 5,000 people, he became fixated on DJ'ing. He cut his neighbor's' grass, walked dogs, and scraped together any cash that he could until he saved up $200 to buy his first set of turntables at a local pawn shop. Fast forward to 1993, Shaquille's rap album, Shaq Diesel, did the unthinkable of selling over a million copies and peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 100, cementing O'Neal as the only athlete ever with a platinum-selling album. SHAQ aka DJ Diesel's dance music debut was at TomorrowWorld 2015, as the Hall of Famer took the stage for the first time in front of tens of thousands of fans mixing the best of Trap, EDM, and hip hop. From there DJ Diesel's career was born as he cemented the title of ‘the biggest DJ in the world.' DJ Diesel recently embarked on a 15+ date ‘Summer of SHAQ' tour, has graced main stages around the globe from Tomorrowland, Lost Lands, Life in Color, and even launched his own festival series - Shaq's Fun House. Part festival, part carnival, part circus, Shaq's Fun House pops up at leading cultural events around the world. Shaq's inaugural Fun House in March of 2018 was one of the most viral events of the year with surprise performances and appearances by Diplo, Steve Aoki, A-Track, DJ Carnage, Rob Gronkowski, Von Miller, designer Alexander Wang, and Shark Tank's Daymond John. Shaq's Super Bowl Fun House featured performances and appearances from Migos, Diplo, Tiesto, Lil Jon, T-Pain, Adam Levine, Jamie Foxx, Akon, Patrick Mahomes,Reggie Bush, Adrian Peterson, Evander Holyfield and many more cementing it as one of the most legendary events of all time. Shaquille O'Neal's off-court accolades rival his athletic accomplishments, having found success in acting, music, television, and gaming. And while SHAQ is already a platinum recording hip hop artist, this is just the beginning for Diesel.

INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER 

MORE FROM STEVE AOKI:

ONLINE  | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER