Diplo 4,588

Diplo – born Thomas Wesley Pentz on November 10, 1978, in Tupelo, MS – is a Los Angeles-based American DJ, music producer, rapper and songwriter.

In 2004, his debut album, Florida received praise within the underground community. In 2005, Diplo founded label Mad Decent which helped introduce a multitude of sounds to clubs around the world, he worked with M.I.A., creating the Grammy-nominated track “Paper Planes” in 2007.

Since 2008 he has used the label to create the annual Mad Decent Block Parties, touring throughout the United States.
In 2009, Diplo and Switch founded the electronic dancehall band Major Lazer, Switch left in 2011 and was replaced with DJ/Producer Jillionaire and Walshy Fire.

In 2013, he formed with Skrillex a collaborative project, Jack Ü, and after multiple Grammy nominations, including Producer of the Year, he was crowned the #1 most streamed artist on Soundcloud for 2013 and he took place in the pop world after Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor” was sampled in Beyoncé’s “Run the World.”

Since 2014, Diplo has a late-night show on BBC Radio 1/1Xtra on Sundays called “Diplo and Friends” where he curates mixes from some of the most prominent names in dance music.

In 2015, the global smash hit Major Lazer’s “Lean On”, was named Spotify’s Global Song of the Summer, making it the most successful independent song of all time. In the same year, Jack Ü’s bigger hit “Where are Ü Now” won the Grammy Award for “Best Dance Track.”