Steve Aoki Drops the First-Ever AMG-Graded Vinyl Release with HiROQUEST 3: Paragon

On Friday, May 30, 2025 at 10 AM PT, Steve Aoki did something no artist had done before: released a vinyl record that shipped already graded and sealed. Select tracks from his 10th studio album, HiROQUEST 3: Paragon, became AMG's first-ever pre-graded and encapsulated vinyl release — available exclusively at steveaoki.com.

Straight From the Artist, Already Slabbed


AMG — the collectibles grading company Aoki founded in 2022 — authenticated and slabbed every copy in tamper-proof, archival-quality cases before they ever reached a fan, each with its own grade and serial number. It flips the usual order of things: instead of collectors submitting a record for grading after the fact, this one arrived already certified.


"I believe vinyl is more than just music — it's a piece of art, a memory, and living history," Aoki said of the drop.


The base Blue variant of HiROQUEST 3: Paragon, graded AMG 10, Mint (M), sealed first pressing (HoloID 50009059).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, blue variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009059

Blind Bags and Rarity Tiers

The release shipped in blind bag packaging, with colorway variants ranging from common to genuinely one-of-one:

Base Blue
77x Yellow
50x Green
25x Orange
15x Fuchsia
10x Gold
5x Red
And three true 1-of-1 editions: Black, Chrome, and Inverted

Every copy also included a HiROQUEST promo card (one of nine characters) and a puzzle card (one of nine pieces), and select packages carried redemption cards for limited-edition PiggyBanx trading cards.

The Rest of the Lineup

Here's how the other colorways look in the slab. Each one below is a sealed first pressing graded AMG 10, Mint (M).

Yellow (HoloID 50008167).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, yellow variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50008167

Green (HoloID 50008215).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, green variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50008215

Orange (HoloID 50009062).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, orange variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009062

Fuchsia (HoloID 50009085).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, fuchsia variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009085

Gold (HoloID 50009101).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, gold variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009101

Red (HoloID 50009111).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, red variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009111

The 1-of-1s

Black, the first of the three true 1-of-1 editions (HoloID 50009116).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, black 1-of-1 variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009116

Chrome (HoloID 50009117).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, chrome 1-of-1 variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009117

And Inverted (HoloID 50009113).

AMG-graded Steve Aoki HiROQUEST 3 Paragon vinyl, inverted 1-of-1 variant, sealed first pressing, graded AMG 10 Mint, HoloID 50009113

What This Signals

Grading has mostly been something that happens to a record after it's already out in the world — a secondary step collectors take on their own. This release treated a certified grade as part of the product itself, built into the drop from day one. For a genre-defying, 38-track record like HiROQUEST 3: Paragon, that turned a vinyl release into a collectible event in its own right.

Submit Your Records

Want your own collection graded and sealed the same way? Start your submission at audiomediagrading.com →

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