Stephanie Ornelas aka DJ Stef is a Bay Area icon! "She was a gifted DJ with an enormous vinyl collection; a graphic designer and self-taught web developer with an impressive client base; a hip-hop journalist who enthusiastically embraced the internet before it became mainstream; and a gregarious networker who introduced future spouses, business partners, and creative collaborators to one another.... In the early ’90s, Stef founded an influential hip-hop zine called the Vinyl Exchange, where she covered underground artists like DJ Shadow and J-Rocc. The zine evolved into a message board and, eventually, an online magazine with a YouTube show. Up until her death, Stef remained active in the scene: She maintained a popular DJ residency at Drake’s Dealership in Oakland through this past summer, and she was prolific with her graphic and web design business, boasting clients like the show Entourage and the San Francisco nightclub Monarch.... The Bay Area is better for her having been here, and she won't be forgotten. - via Nastia Voynovskaya // Rest In Peace, DJ Stef... this is her Hip-Hop '94 mix tape, featuring artists like Smif-N-Wessun, Ultramagnetic MCs, Tribe, Gang Starr, Da King & I, Jeru, Mobb Deep, and lots more. Thanks, Mike, for the audio. Listen below...