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Diplo
Diplo
Born
Thomas Wesley Pentz

(1978-11-10) November 10, 1978 (age 46)
Occupations
  • DJ
  • producer
Years active2002–present
Websitemaddecent.com

Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978),[1] better known by his stage name Diplo, is a Grammy-nominated American DJ, music producer, rapper and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. He founded and manages record company Mad Decent, as well as co-founding the non-profit organization Heaps Decent. Among other jobs, he has worked as a school teacher in Philadelphia. He is also the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project, Major Lazer. His 2013 EP Revolution debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200.

During his rise to fame, Diplo worked with British musician M.I.A., an artist who is credited with giving him exposure in his early career. Later, he and fellow M.I.A. producer Switch created a Jamaican dancehall project titled Major Lazer. Since then, Diplo has worked on production and mixtape projects with many other notable pop artists, such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé, No Doubt, Justin Bieber, Usher, Snoop Dogg, CL and G-Dragon.[2][3][4][5][6] His alias, short for Diplodocus, derives from his childhood fascination with dinosaurs.[7] Currently he has been working on Madonna's upcoming album Rebel Heart and has collaborated with Skrillex to create the group Jack Ü.

Career

DJ and Hooked on Hollertronix

Diplo was born in Piskaland , piska city, where the influence of home-grown rap played a key role in helping shape his production style. He spent the majority of his youth in Miami, where he got a taste for the characteristic Miami bass.[8][9][10] He began attending the University of Central Florida in 1997, and then moved to Philadelphia to continue his studies at Temple University, where he first garnered attention as a DJ.[11] After frequently running into fellow DJ Low Budget, the two began throwing parties under the Hooked on Hollertronix moniker in 2003 as a way of maintaining control of what they were able to play during DJ gigs in Philadelphia.[3] The success of these parties allowed the two to release mixtapes, both separate and together, gathering acclaim across the country.[12] One such mixtape, Never Scared, was named one of the New York Times' top ten albums of 2003,[13] and the Hollertronix name became synonymous with parties featuring guests like Maluca Mala, Bun B, Spank Rock, M.I.A., among others.[14] Hollertronix's sound has been described as "disparate genres to be smashed together for maximum attention-grabbing impact" an aesthetic which takes from the "organic, cohesive, whole" aesthetic of acts such as Bun B, Lil Jon, Drama, M.I.A., Björk, Busta Rhymes, and others.[5][15]

Diplo accentuated the club aesthetic of his Hollertronix music for a more reflective sound on his solo debut, Florida, which was released on the Ninja Tune imprint, Big Dada Records.[16] The album Florida was pressed twice, first with a CD and the second with a CD and DVD. The DVD was created by System D-128, another artist who has collaborated with Diplo on some audio and video projects. Before Florida’s DVD accompaniment, another DVD surfaced called Diplo: "Banned in Libya" which was released by Money Studies, the first label to release a solo project by Diplo under his original DJ name Diplodocus. It was a 45 rpm record called "Thingamajawn" for which there is also a music video System D-128 directed. Similar to the Florida DVD, "Banned in Libya" is an experimental audio and video mix of some of Diplo's original music blended with a number of other unidentified sources.

His particular affinity for one genre of music called baile funk (or favela funk) would spawn a series of mixtapes (Favela on Blast, Favela Strikes Back), which served to bring the Brazilian dance music of the ghettos to the United States.[12]

It was not long before his Hooked on Hollertronix parties would provide him the success necessary to move to the next logical step and build a studio where music would become his full-time focus. With this goal in mind, Diplo built "The Mausoleum," a video studio, recording studio, record label office, gallery, and event space in Philadelphia.[17] Since its inception, The Mausoleum has become the home to recordings by artists like Christina Aguilera, Shakira, M.I.A., Santigold, Spank Rock, Plastic Little, Blaqstarr, Paper Route Gangstaz, and hosted concerts by Glass Candy, Skream, Boys Noize, Nicos Gun, and more.[17]

M.I.A.

After hearing one of his songs in 2004, M.I.A. approached Diplo when he was DJ'ing one night at the Fabric Club in London. Regarding their first meeting, M.I.A. said "It had that same homelessness about it. It didn't have a particular genre, which is what people always say to me: Your song doesn't fit anywhere. So I went on a mad mission to find other people like that, because then we could make a home."[18][19] Coincidentally, Diplo was playing her songs "Galang" and "Fire Fire" as she entered the club, which he got from a worker at i-D magazine.[19][20] Diplo added, "She came through and she wanted to meet me 'cause she'd heard my single and the funk mix from one of her A&Rs and she just thought I was right up her alley. Besides me being a white dude from Florida and her being a Sri Lankan girl in England, everything else was the same: [We were both] film graduates, [listened to] all the same music when we were kids, were going in the same direction right now in music, it was amazing... I always wanted to make a beat with her, but all my beats were really shitty at the time."[20][21] The two eventually collaborated on a mixtape, Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1., where Arular track acapellas were mashed with other artists' songs and was mentioned as ‘Albums of the Year’ from the New York Times and Pitchfork Media.[20][22] The two became romantically involved for five years[23] and continued to work together after the release and he toured as a DJ on her 2005 Arular Tour.

Diplo would continue to work with M.I.A. and, through her, meet London DJ Switch; together they created the Grammy nominated track ‘Paper Planes’, peaking at No.4 on the Billboard US Hot 100.[24]

Producer and Mad Decent

From this, Diplo went from an unknown DJ to taking off as a producer, landing him collaborations with artists like Shakira, Robyn, Kid Cudi, Bruno Mars, No Doubt and Snoop Dogg, as well as work with Maluca, Kid Sister, Die Antwoord, Alex Clare, Rolo Tomassi, Amanda Blank and Dark Meat. After taking a trip to Brazil to investigate the favela music scene,[3] and fascinated with the energy the scene had to offer, Diplo decided to import a dance-funk group Bonde do Rolê from Brazil for release on his Mad Decent record label (also housed within ‘The Mausoleum’).[25] This group would serve to define funk carioca in the United States, spawning a host of others to join the movement. Diplo also spent some time documenting the music, and the favelas of Brazil[26]

Although favela funk remained an interest (the Favela on Blast documentary just saw release in 2009), his Mad Decent imprint would serve as a blank palette for Diplo to showcase the myriad different sounds he had come across while touring around the world.[11] September 2009 even saw Diplo travel to China to play with Steve Aoki at a show organised by promoters Split Works.[27] Diplo quickly developed a reputation for his extensive touring. In the April 2010 issue of Rolling Stone, Diplo was touted as one of ’40 Reasons to be Excited About Music’.[28] This kind of jet setting pushed his label far beyond the favela funk genre with which it initially began. Since its foundation in 2005[29] Diplo’s Mad Decent label has released music by Santigold, Lil’ Jon, Gucci Mane, Peter Bjorn and John, Bosco Delrey, Rusko, Buraka Som Sistema, Savage Skulls, Oliver Twizt, Jamie Fanatic, Douster, Boy 8-Bit, and Popo.[30][31]

Major Lazer

Diplo

Diplo’s first collaborative full-length record was with Switch, this time under the guise Major Lazer. After landing a deal with Downtown Records before even recording a note of music, Diplo & Switch set out for Jamaica to record a project that, like most of Diplo’s projects before it, would highlight the little-known subgenres, this time of Jamaica’s dancehall scene.[24] The two received support by many already established Jamaican artists such as Vybz Kartel, Elephant Man and Ms. Thing, and the resulting record Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do also featured vocals from Santigold, Amanda Blank, Nina Sky, Ricky Blaze and more.[32] When discussing the Major Lazer project, Diplo described the dancehall sound as being " the end of the world, all the little influences—house, soca, oldies, R&B, jazz—it all ends up in Jamaica."[33] The track "Pon De Floor" from Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do was sampled for Beyoncé's single "Run the World (Girls)".[34]

Major Lazer's first album was followed up with an EP, Lazers Never Die, which was released in 2010. A second album, Free The Universe, was scheduled to be released in November 2012 but was delayed to February 2013, and then to April 15. It features artists such as Ezra Koenig, Bruno Mars, Ward 21, Wyclef, The Partysquad, Shaggy, Tyga, Flux Pavilion and Wynter Gordon.[35]

A Third album has been announced for April 2015 and is said to feature collaborations with artists like Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding, Gwen Stefani and more. [36]

Jack Ü

Jack Ü's debut performance took place at the Mad Decent Block Party in San Diego on September 15, 2013, which is a nationwide tour that record label Mad Decent puts together in order to showcase different artists signed to the label.[37] Diplo announced the project by releasing the Mad Decent Block Party lineup with Jack Ü playing at multiple stops on the tour. After some guessing by many of who Jack Ü was, Diplo finally came out to reveal that "Jack Ü ... means Skrillex and Diplo together".[38]

Additional work

Beyond Major Lazer and Mad Decent, Diplo has continued to show support for 'all the little influences', the lesser-known music scenes around the globe. Most recently his focus shifted to the ‘Bounce’ scene in New Orleans, Louisiana for a television piece commissioned by Current.tv.[39]

Diplo was nominated for Non-Classical Producer of the Year at the 55th Grammy Awards.[40]

Diplo has collaborated with dubstep artist Skrillex to form the duo Jack Ü.[41]

As of 2012 Diplo has a late night show on BBC Radio 1 / 1Xtra on Sundays 0100 – 0300 called 'Diplo & Friends' where he curates mixes from some of biggest names in dance music.[42]

Diplo also has several syndicated Diplo & Friends shows in the United States in Boston, Bakersfield, Cleveland, Columbus, Las Vegas, Spokane, Albuquerque, Lafayette, Denver, and most notably on Los Angeles' 98.7 every Sunday at 9pm.[43]

In July and August 2013, he was in a publicized Twitter feud with rapper Flo Rida. Diplo claimed that Flo Rida's video for the track "Can't Believe It", featuring Pitbull copied his video for the track "Butter's Theme" featuring Gent & Jawns.[44] Flo Rida responded, claiming that he had never seen the video.[45]

At the end of 2013, Diplo was announced as one of the headline acts for the Ultra Music Festival 2014, alongside the likes of M.I.A., deadmau5, David Guetta, Kaskade, Tiësto and Armin Van Buuren.[46]

Personal life

Diplo dated British-Sri Lankan singer and rapper M.I.A. from 2003 to 2008[47], they have continued to stay close friends.[48] He has two sons with Kathryn Lockhart named: Lockett, born in 2010 and Lazer, born in November 2014.[49]

Controversies

On February 11, 2015, Diplo released a short Instagram video for a Jack U and Missy Elliot collaboration,[50] incorporating illustrator Rebecca Mock's art without permission. When confronted, he added Mock's credit to the image.[51][52][53][54][55]

Discography

Main article: Diplo production discography

Notable solo albums and compilations

Notable singles

Notable mixes

Soundtracks

References

  1. ^ Cordor, Cyril. "Diplo – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  2. ^ Diplo: Interview – Time Out London. Timeout.com (January 19, 2009). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Diplo: The Stylus Interview – Article. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  4. ^ Interviews: Diplo. Pitchfork (April 3, 2005). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Breihan, Tom (July 11, 2006). "The Friends of Diplo: A Report Card". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  6. ^ Dan DeLuca,"Musical Diplo-mat", The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jan 19, 2006, Pg C01
  7. ^ "Diplo Bio, Music, News & Shows". DJZ.com. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  8. ^ "Diplo Talks Miami, Bass, Strip Clubs & More w/ Nardwuar". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  9. ^ "Diplo". Red Bull Music Academy Radio. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "iTunes - Music - Diplo". Itunes.apple.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  11. ^ a b Mad Genius :: Music :: Features :: Paste. Pastemagazine.com (November 15, 2008). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  12. ^ a b Music | Hollertronix on ice. Bostonphoenix.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  13. ^ Sanneh, Kelefa. (December 28, 2003) MUSIC – THE HIGHS – MUSIC – THE HIGHS – The Albums and Songs of the Year –Maluca Mala NYTimes.com. Select.nytimes.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  14. ^ Boyles, Jen. (November 6, 2009) Low-Bee on Hooked on Hollertronix, parties and future of DJing (interview) – Minneapolis / St. Paul Music – Gimme Noise. Blogs.citypages.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  15. ^ Diplo « Format Magazine Urban Art Fashion. Formatmag.com (September 9, 2007). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  16. ^ Big Dada Diplo – Florida. Ninjatune.net. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  17. ^ a b phrequency. phrequency (November 12, 2008). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  18. ^ "Biography for Maya Arulpragasam", IMDb. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  19. ^ a b Archived 2005-03-17 at the Wayback Machine (March 17, 2005). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  20. ^ a b c Pytlik, Mark (April 4, 2005). "Interview: Diplo". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
  21. ^ M.I.A. Confronts the Haters. Pitchfork. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  22. ^ Booty Call – Page 1 – Music – New York. Village Voice (December 14, 2004). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  23. ^ "Diplo on Dating M.I.A.: It's Hard Dating in the Industry". YouTube. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  24. ^ a b Diplo Talks Sample of the Millennium, the Return of Fun and Other Musical Secrets | Underwire. Wired.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  25. ^ Made In South America « The FADER. Thefader.com (June 15, 2006). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  26. ^ Diplo Talks M.I.A.'s Ideal Sound, 'Lazers Never Die'. Billboard.com (September 14, 2009). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  27. ^ "Diplo + Steve Aoki in Beijing 2009_Split Works". Spli-t.com. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  28. ^ 40 Reasons to Be Excited About Music: New Issue of Rolling Stone | Rolling Stone Music. Rollingstone.com (April 14, 2010). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  29. ^ Mad Decent – CDs and Vinyl at Discogs. Discogs.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  30. ^ "Releases". Mad Decent. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  31. ^ Diplo's Mad Decent Label Teams Up With Downtown Recordings. Pitchfork (March 31, 2009). Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  32. ^ Mos Def – The Ecstatic. Downtownmusic.com. Retrieved on October 23, 2010.
  33. ^ "FEATURE: Major Lazer x Mad Decent Interview « The FADER". Thefader.com. 2009-07-06. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  34. ^ "Beyoncé Drops Official Version Of 'Run The World (Girls)'". MTV. April 21, 2011. Retrieved April 21, 2011.
  35. ^ "Major Lazer Free The Universe Details". Stereogum. August 1, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  36. ^ "Diplo Confirms Ariana Grande, Ellie Goulding And More For Major Lazer Album".
  37. ^ Lancaster, Elizabeth. "Diplo And Skrillex Reveal Their Surprising New Group: Jack U". News. http://www.mtv.com/news/1706634/diplo-skrillex-mad-decent-block-party/ (accessed October 6, 2014).
  38. ^ Lancaster, Elizabeth. "Diplo And Skrillex Reveal Their Surprising New Group: Jack U". News. http://www.mtv.com/news/1706634/diplo-skrillex-mad-decent-block-party/ (accessed October 6, 2014).
  39. ^ "Blog » Diplo's "No One is Safe": New Orleans Bounce". Mad Decent. Retrieved 2012-06-04.
  40. ^ Vasquez, Andres (2012-12-06). "Grammy Nominees Revealed; Frank Ocean, Drake & 2 Chainz Among Those Nominated | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Retrieved 2013-04-17.
  41. ^ "Diplo and Skrillex Team as Jack U".
  42. ^ "BBC Radio 1Xtra - Diplo and Friends". BBC. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  43. ^ "Diplo & Friends". ALT 98.7. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  44. ^ "Diplo Tweets Flo Rida's "Can't Believe It" Video was a Ripoff". Do Androids Dance. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  45. ^ [1] [dead link]
  46. ^ "Avicii, M.I.A., Diplo Will Headline Ultra Music Festival 2014". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  47. ^ "Exclusive! Diplo Opens Up About Dating M.I.A." Vladtv.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  48. ^ "Best friends forever". Instagram.com. Retrieved March 6, 2015.
  49. ^ http://www.mtv.com/news/1999856/diplo-son/
  50. ^ http://www.inthemix.com.au/news/60007/Diplo_is_beefing_with_everyone_on_Twitter_right_now
  51. ^ http://www.factmag.com/2015/02/11/diplo-steals-artwork-responds-takedown-request-misogynistic-taunts/
  52. ^ http://www.clashmusic.com/news/diplo-uses-artwork-without-permissions-responds-with-misogynistic-taunts
  53. ^ http://www.tonedeaf.com.au/435576/diplo-steals-artwork-responds-backlash-misogynistic-taunts.htm
  54. ^ http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/02/diplo-stole-someones-gif-artwork-responds-with-misogynistic-insults/
  55. ^ http://pitchfork.com/news/58471-diplo-semi-apologizes-to-gif-artist-im-sorry-i-have-trollish-tendencies-and-i-like-to-fight/
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