Steve Stein, aka STEINSKI, became one of the most influential figures in hip-hop almost by accident. In 1983 Tommy Boy Records sponsored a remixing contest to boost the sagging sales of a 12-inch called “Play That Beat Mr. D.J.” by G.L.O.B.E. & Whiz Kid. Stein and his pal Doug DiFranco (aka Double Dee) had their way with the track, winning the contest with a compositional patchwork of samples that was a quantum leap beyond the usual purloined bass lick or drum break–they treated sampling as an art form in its own right, not just a utilitarian shortcut, and paved the way for radical turntablists like DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist. Their entry, “Lesson One: The Payoff Mix,” includes everything from bits of Culture Club’s “I’ll Tumble 4 Ya!” to Humphrey Bogart quotes from Casablanca–unlike most remixers of the day, Steinski didn’t stop with Top 40 radio when he went hunting for samples, and he worked to keep them pertinent to the song’s lyrics as well as its musical direction. He and Double Dee created two more “lessons” before parting ways in 1985, one a salute to James Brown and the other a compact history of hip-hop, but due to problems with sample clearance none of the three has ever been legitimately released. Though Steinski continues to work as a remixer and is still wildly talented, he’ll probably never top that initial salvo–once you’ve fired a shot heard round the world, it’s tough to make a bigger noise. –Peter Margasak
