D.J. Hines, also known as Poppastep, is a highly talented musician, artist, DJ, and producer. He is widely regarded as a Staten Island DJ Legend, having made a name for himself as the only local DJ to perform with the legendary Grandmaster Flash at the Ritz Roller Rink and twice with the legendary Funky Four plus one. He was also the first DJ to play with the Cold Crush Bros at St. George Theater and the first Staten Island DJ invited to play at the legendary Harlem World with DJ AJ and Jeckle and Hyde.
D.J. Hines was a pioneer who paved the way for Staten Island to gain Hip-Hop credibility during the Hip-Hop insurgence when the borough was treated as the step-child borough. He was known for his mastery of music and ability to rock the party! He was a music historian and master of music who combined musical styles and ideas never heard before.
He started as a drummer during the civil rights movement, with his mother being a soloist at St. Phillips Baptist Church. His Godfather was a pianist and organist, and his other family members always played the latest soul music. He expanded into disco and dance music, Salsoul, the sound of Philly, etc.
His first gig was at the Capital Lounge with his mother’s best friend from Harlem Jazz Legend Irene Reid at only 12 years old! At that same age, he learned the importance of mixing on the beat after spending a few summers in Wydanch LI, where he got to hang out with a true mixologist, DJ Pleasure, who played music on beat non- stop. This laid the proper foundation for him to seamlessly combine all those forms of music on the beat, making him stand out from the rest.
He was the first DJ to program Hip-Hop on a college radio station, WSOU. Seton Hall radio, where he played a huge role in introducing Hip-Hop to a Jersey audience. He even broke the album of the legendary "Force MDs" on WSOU, not mainstream radio. Later on, he added house music to his repertoire as the Jersey house scene was spreading all over the world. At this point, his transition to producing began, meeting so many groups at the college station.
As an emerging artist, Poppastep has gained underground notoriety for his unique style of Funk, Soul, and HipHop called Shaolin HipHop Funk. He was even named Artist of the Week in Belgium with his first single, "In This Together.”
With an unlimited palette of unique lyrics and music he continues to demonstrate that he is an independent artist/producer to be reckoned with. His ability to combine Hiphop, funk, and soul has been clearly on display but there are no musical boundaries. With years of musical listening he easily transitions into House and Afrobeat. His love of music has shown there are no limits.
