Releases by Mixer / D.J.

DOUBLE DEE & STEINSKI

Total Mixes: 32, Duration: 02:43:57
Click on the 'Release Title' to view the full details of each release
Year Release Title Label Mix Title Length
1984MastermixesDouble Dee & SteinskiLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:17
1984MastermixesDouble Dee & SteinskiLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:18
1984Play That Beat Mr. D.J.New York MixPLAY THAT BEAT MR. D.J. The Trick Mix00:05:16
1984Volume 06, Program 07DisconetPLAY THAT BEAT MR. D.J. Master Mix First Place00:05:16
1984Volume 06, Program 11DisconetLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:17
1985History Of Hip HopR.P.M.LESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:05:03
1985History Of Hip HopR.P.M.LESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:22
1985History Of Hip HopR.P.M.LESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:23
1985The Lessons E.P.Tommy BoyLESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:57
1985The Lessons E.P.Tommy BoyLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:17
1985The Lessons E.P.Tommy BoyLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:18
1985Volume 07, Program 09DisconetLESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:54
1985Volume 1, Program 03Disco TracksLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:19
1993No Rights Given Or ImpliedBond St.LESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:22
1993No Rights Given Or ImpliedBond St.LESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:23
1993No Rights Given Or ImpliedBond St.LESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:50
1998B Boy BreaksNo LabelLESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:54
1998B Boy BreaksNo LabelLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:16
1998B Boy BreaksNo LabelLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:17
1998The Jazz MixTommy BoyJAZZ MIX00:04:57
1998The Jazz MixTommy BoyLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:17
1998The Jazz MixTommy BoyLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:18
1998The Jazz MixTommy BoyLESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:57
2001Still The Joint MegamixSanctuarySUGARHILL SUITE00:05:33
2002The Ultimate LessonsStarchildLESSON ONE The Payoff Mix00:05:17
2002The Ultimate LessonsStarchildLESSON TWO The James Brown Mix00:04:18
2002The Ultimate LessonsStarchildLESSON 3 History Of Hip Hop Mix00:04:57
2002The Ultimate Lessons 2StarchildLESSON 4 Solid Steele Edit00:04:11
2002The Ultimate Lessons 2StarchildJAZZ MIX00:04:57
2002The Ultimate Lessons 2StarchildSUGARHILL SUITE00:05:33
2003Sugarhill SuiteAntidoteSUGARHILL SUITE00:05:33
2019Lesson 4Double Dee & SteinskiLESSON 4 The Beat00:11:10

Information:


Below is a summarised biography created using Google Gemini in April 2026...

Double Dee & Steinski (Doug DiFranco and Steve Stein) are the "grandfathers" of the creative cut-and-paste aesthetic, proving that the DJ’s role wasn't just to play records, but to dismantle and reassemble them into entirely new narratives.

The Origin: "The Lessons"

In 1983, Tommy Boy Records held a remix contest for G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid's track "Play That Beat, Mr. DJ." While most entrants submitted standard dance remixes, an advertising copywriter (Stein) and a studio engineer (DiFranco) entered a track called "Lesson 1 (The Payoff Mix)."
Using only a pair of turntables, a metronome, and a primitive multi-track tape machine, they layered fragments of hip-hop, jazz, funk, and spoken-word instructional records. They won the contest handily, and "The Lessons" became some of the most influential (and bootlegged) records in hip-hop history.

Why They Matter

Before the digital sampler became affordable, Double Dee & Steinski were "sampling" via tape loops and manual splicing. Their work bridges the gap between 1970s radio "break-in" records and the modern era of the producer-DJ.
The "Lesson" Series: They produced three primary tracks—Lesson 1 (The Payoff Mix), Lesson 2 (The James Brown Mix), and Lesson 3 (The History of Hip Hop Mix).
Narrative Splicing: They treated audio like film, using vocal snippets from TV shows, Bogart films, and NASA broadcasts to create a "collage" of sound.
Legal Trailblazers: Because their work used dozens of uncleared samples, their records were rarely released commercially during their peak, existing instead as legendary "under-the-counter" white labels.

Lasting Legacy

The duo’s influence can be heard in the DNA of almost every major DJ and producer who followed. Their "cut-and-paste" style paved the direct path for:
The Beastie Boys: Specifically the dense layering on Paul’s Boutique.
DJ Shadow: His seminal album Endtroducing..... is widely seen as the spiritual successor to "The Lessons."
The Avalanches and Girl Talk: Modern mash-up culture wouldn't exist without Steinski’s blueprint.

"Steinski and Double Dee's 'Lessons' were the most influential records in my life... they showed me that the DJ could be an author." — DJ Shadow