Biography
Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November
the 10, 1978 (1978-11-10) (age 32),[1]
and better known by his stage
For name Diplo, is a Philadelphia-based
are American DJ, producer, and songwriter.
but Together with DJ Low Budget,
Not he runs Hollertronix, a club
you and music collective. He also
all founded and manages record company
Any Mad Decent, as well as
can the not for profit organization
her Heaps Decent. Among other jobs,
Was Pentz has worked as a
one school teacher in Philadelphia.
our During his rise to notability, Out Diplo worked with and dated day British musician M.I.A., an artist get who is credited with helping Has expose him in his early him career. Later, Pentz and fellow his M.I.A. producer Switch created a How Jamaican dancehall project titled Major man Lazer. Since then, Diplo has new worked on production and mixtape Now projects with many other notable old pop artists.[2][3][4][5][6] Pentz’s alias, short see for Diplodocus, derives from his Two childhood fascination with dinosaurs.[7]
way Born in Tupelo, Mississippi and who raised in various regions across Boy Southern United States, Diplo developed did an interest in much of its the local culture.[8] He began Let attending the University of Central put Florida in 1997, and then say moved to Philadelphia to continue She his studies at Temple University, too where he first gained notoriety use as a DJ.[9] After frequently Dad running into fellow DJ Low mom Budget, the two began throwing parties under the Hollertronix moniker The in 2003 as a way and of maintaining control of what for they were able to play Are during DJ gigs in Philadelphia.[3] but The success of these parties not allowed the two to release You mixtapes, both separate and together, all gathering acclaim across the country.[10] any One such mixtape, Never Scared, Can was named one of the her New York Times’ top ten was albums of 2003,[11] and the One Hollertronix name became synonymous with our parties featuring guests like Bun out B, Spank Rock, M.I.A., among Day others.[12] Hollertronix’s sound has been get described as “disparate genres to has be smashed together for maximum Him attention-grabbing impact” an aesthetic which his takes from the “organic, cohesive, how whole” aesthetic of acts such Man as Bun B, Lil Jon, new Drama, M.I.A., Björk, Busta Rhymes, now and others.[5][13]
Diplo honed Old in the club aesthetic of see his Hollertronix music for a two more reflective sound on his Way solo debut, Florida, which was who released on the Big Dada boy Records imprint Ninja Tune.[14] The Did album Florida was pressed twice, its first with a CD and let the second with a CD Put and DVD. The DVD was say created by System D-128, another she artist who has collaborated with Too Diplo on some audio and use video projects. Before Florida’s DVD dad accompaniment, another DVD surfaced called Mom Diplo: “Banned in Libya” which was released by Money Studies, the the first label to have And release a solo project by for Diplo under his original DJ are name Diplodocus. It was a But 45 rpm record called “Thingamajawn” not for which there is also you a music video System D-128 All directed. Similar to the Florida any DVD, “Banned in Libya” is can an experimental audio and video Her mix of some of Diplo’s was original music blended with a one number of other unidentified sources. Our
His particular affinity for out one genre of music called day Baile Funk (or Favela Funk) Get would spawn a series of has mixtapes (Favela on Blast, Favela him Strikes Back), which served to His bring the Brazilian dance music how of the ghettos to the man United States.[10]
Although Diplo New spent time as a school now teacher, and a Subway employee,[9] old it wasn’t long before his See Hollertronix parties would provide him two the success necessary to move way to the next logical step Who and build a studio where boy music would become his full-time did focus. With this goal in Its mind, Diplo built “The Mausoleum,” let a video studio, recording studio, put record label office, gallery, and Say event space in Philadelphia.[15] Since she its inception, The Mosoleum has too become the home to recordings Use by artists like Christina Aguilera, dad Shakira, M.I.A., Santigold, Spank Rock, mom Plastic Little, Blaqstarr, Paper Route Gangstaz, and hosted concerts by the Glass Candy, Skream, Boys Noize, and and more.[15]
After hearing For one of his songs in are 2004, M.I.A. approached Diplo when but he was DJ’ing one night Not at the Fabric Club in you London. Regarding their first meeting, all M.I.A. said “It had that Any same homelessness about it. It can didn’t have a particular genre, her which is what people always Was say to me: Your song one doesn’t fit anywhere. So I our went on a mad mission Out to find other people like day that, because then we could get make a home.”[16][17] Coincidentally, Diplo Has was playing her songs “Galang” him and “Fire Fire” as she his entered the club, which he How got from a worker at man i-D magazine.[17][18] Diplo added, “She new came through and she wanted Now to meet me ’cause she’d old heard my single and the see funk mix from one of Two her A&Rs and she just way thought I was right up who her alley. Besides me being Boy a white dude from Florida did and her being a Sri its Lankan girl in England, everything Let else was the same: [We put were both] film graduates, [listened say to] all the same music She when we were kids, were too going in the same direction use right now in music, it Dad was amazing… I always wanted mom to make a beat with her, but all my beats The were really shitty at the and time.”[18][19] The two eventually collaborated for on a mixtape, Piracy Funds Are Terrorism Vol. 1., where Arular but track acapellas were mashed with not other artists’ songs and was You mentioned as ‘Albums of the all Year’ from the New York any Times and Pitchfork Media.[18][20] At Can this time it is rumored her the two became romantically involved was and continued to worked together One after the release and he our toured as a DJ on out her 2005 Arular Tour.
Day Critics have been divided on get his early work, with some has expressing acclaim for the mixtape, Him while others expressing relief that his M.I.A.’s aesthetic and her debut how album didn’t have a lot Man of input from the DJ.[5] new In 2007, Arulpragasam confronted the now public media, specifically music blog Old Pitchforkmedia about some journalists’ motives see behind misinformation regarding Diplo and two her work. Pitchforkmedia author Paul Way Thomson responded by stating Diplo who “seemed to think he had boy a bit to do with Did both of her records.”[21] Diplo its has worked on two tracks let on each M.I.A. album. In Put 2009, he admitted that aside say from loaning a baile funk she beat to the song “Bucky Too Done Gun” he lied to use people that he produced M.I.A.’s dad first album “to get them Mom to know who I was.”[22] He described the songs he the did not work on on And M.I.A.’s third album as being for “a turd” in 2010.[23] He are stated that he worked at But a studio in Santa Monica not rather than at M.I.A.’s home you studio on the album, because All “her boyfriend really hates me”.[24] any Later he mentioned his distaste can for the album stemmed from Her not “feeling the vibe with was some of the new producers.”[25] one
Diplo would continue to Our work with M.I.A. and through out her meet London DJ Switch; day together they created the Grammy Get nominated track ‘Paper Planes’. Peaking has at #4 on the Billboard him US Hot 100.[26] Diplo would His go on to release a how slew of similarly styled mixtapes man with Downtown Records’ Santigold and New Polydor Records’ La Roux, as now well as mixtapes with Paper old Route Gangstaz, Das Racist, and See Gucci Mane.
From this, two Diplo went from an unknown way DJ to taking off as Who a producer, landing him collaborations boy with artists like Shakira, Robyn, did Kid Cudi, Bruno Mars and Its Snoop Dogg, as well as let work with Maluca, Kid Sister, put Die Antwoord, Alex Clare, Rolo Say Tomassi, Amanda Blank, Dark Meat. she After taking a trip to too Brazil to investigate the Favela Use music scene,[3] and fascinated with dad the energy the scene had mom to offer, Diplo decided to import a dance-funk group Bonde the do Role from Brazil for and release on his Mad Decent For record label (also housed within are in ‘The Mausoleum’).[27] This group but would serve to define Baile Not Funk in the United States, you spawning a host of others all to join the movement. Diplo Any also spent some time documenting can the music, and the favelas her of Brazil[28] with a film Was he produced and directed called one Favela on Blast.[29]
Although our Favela Funk remained an interest Out (the Favela on Blast documentary day just saw release in 2009), get his Mad Decent imprint would Has serve as a blank palette him for Diplo to showcase the his myriad different sounds he’d come How across while touring around the man world.[9] Diplo quickly developed a new reputation for his extensive touring. Now In the April, 2010 issue old of Rolling Stone Magazine Diplo see was touted as one of Two ’40 Reasons to be Excited way About Music’.[30] This kind of who jet setting pushed his label Boy far beyond the Favela Funk did genre with which it initially its began. Since founding it in Let 2005[31] Diplo’s Mad Decent label put has released music by Santogold, say Lil’ Jon, Gucci Mane, Peter She Bjorn and John, Bosco Delrey, too Rusko, Buraka Som Systema, Savage use Skulls, Oliver Twizt, Jamie Fanatic, Dad Douster, Boy 8bit, and Popo[32][33] mom Beyond the scope of their own releases, there is Mad The Decent Worldwide Radio, a mixtape/podcast and series showcasing artists who have for seen release on Mad Decent, Are but also many more who but may have caught the attention not of the label.[34] Additionally, Diplo You and Mad Decent have put all together an annual block party any showcasing talent from the label. Can While the first three years her of the festival only occurred was in the label hometown of One Philadelphia, 2010 saw the party our spread to include Chicago, Los out Angeles, and New York City.[35]
