Diplo

Artist Image: Diplo
Attribution
Image Credit: mtheory LLC (Sent to me personally by the photographer), CC BY-SA 3.0

Biography

Wes Pentz aka Diplo was born in Tupelo, Mississippi. Most of his childhood was spent in Florida, where his father still owns and runs a bait shop. His youth was spent discussing 'gators with his uncle, working in pop's store and dreaming of dinosaurs living hidden out in the swamp. As he grew up he began to channel these obsessions into music (Miami Bass being a touchstone, of course) and film. After a brief stint at film school and a season out on the shrimp boats, the need to escape from America for a while led to some time in Japan, from where he sent the beat doodles he had been working on to Big Dada in the UK and was promptly signed. He returned to the US and moved to Philly where he and another DJ, Low Budget, began their now-legendary Hollertronix sessions. The Hollertronix mix cd, 'Never Scared' followed and later in the year the lost classic 'Epistemology Suite' EP became his first release for Big Dada. 'Florida' followed soon after, the debut album which he described as "based loosely on Wiliam Faulkner's 'Go Down Moses' with a definite red clay shrimp and manatee dirty south feel." Featuring vocals from Martina Topley-Bird, Vybz Cartel, PEACE, Pantera Os Danadinhos and Sandra Melody, it showed the breadth of Diplo's imagination and the depth of his influences. It was welcomed ecstatically by those who found it but is still to reach the audience it deserved. Since the record was released, Diplo has become a major star. Starting with the critically-acclaimed and hard-to-find mix cds 'Favela On Blast', 'AEIOU' Vols 1 & 2, M.I.A.'s 'Piracy Funds Terrorism' and 'Hollertronix 2', Pentz built up a reputation as a go-to producer which culminated in his Grammy nomination for MIA's "Paper Planes." Alongside Switch he also started the Major Lazer project and produced for artists including Beyonce, No Doubt, Usher and Justin Bieber. In 2009, Big Dada released "Decent Work For Decent Pay," a compilation of Diplo's productions and remixes.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 2002
Number of Albums 100
Record Label Big Dada
Website
Wikipedia Diplo on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

What nonprofit organization did he cofound?

Heaps Decent

...company Mad Decent, as well as cofounding the nonprofit organization Heaps Decent . His 2013 EP, Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 2...
The title track of Revolution is featured on what soundtrack?

WWE 2K16

... was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack. Diplo worked with and dated British musician M.I.A., an ar...
Who is credited with giving Diplo exposure in his early career?

M.I.A.,

...n the WWE 2K16 soundtrack. Diplo worked with and dated British musician M.I.A., an artist who is credited with giving him exposure in his early career...
What is the name of the Jamaican dancehall project?

Major Lazer

...Switch created a Jamaican dancehall project and cartoon series titled Major Lazer . His alias, short for Diplodocus, derives from his childhood fascina...
What is Diplo's alias short for?

Diplodocus

...l project and cartoon series titled Major Lazer. His alias, short for Diplodocus , derives from his childhood fascination with dinosaurs. Diplo graduat...
Where did Diplo graduate from?

Hendersonville High School

...is childhood fascination with dinosaurs. Diplo graduated from Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, TN. The influence of homegrown rap played ...
What are the pseudonyms of Thomas Wesley Pentz?

Diplo, Diplodocus, Wes Gully, and Wes Diplo

... Diplo, Diplodocus, Wes Gully, and Wes Diplo are all pseudonyms of Thomas Wesley Pentz, a Philadelphiabased producer and DJ since 2003. Together with D...
What is the name of the party and music collective that Pentz runs with Low Budget?

Hollertronix

...ased producer and DJ since 2003. Together with DJ Low Budget he runs Hollertronix , a party and music collective. Pentzs alias, short for Diplodocus, d...
Pentzs alias, short for Diplodocus, derives from his childhood fascination with what?

dinosaurs

...ias, short for Diplodocus, derives from his childhood fascination with dinosaurs . As a DJ, Diplo is characterized by his eclectic, often 80soriented m...
Where was Diplo born?

Mississippi

...matic instrumental hip hop, not unlike the work of DJ Shadow. Born in Mississippi and raised across the southern United States, Diplo picked up much o...
What is a strong musical influence on Diplo?

world music

...enced by Southern Gothic and other southern literature. Additionally, world music is a strong musical influence on Diplo, especially baile funk which ...
Where did Diplo encounter baile funk while traveling?

Brazil

...n Diplo, especially baile funk which he encountered whilst traveling in Brazil . Diplo was recently signed to Ninja Tune, on the Big Dada imprint. In 2...
What label was Diplo recently signed to?

Ninja Tune

... encountered whilst traveling in Brazil. Diplo was recently signed to Ninja Tune , on the Big Dada imprint. In 2006, he started his own label, Mad Dece...
What is the name of Diplo's unique musical genre?

baile funk

...o is an American DJ who also developed a unique musical genre, called baile funk . His achievements made Diplo not only famous but also wealthy. In 201...
Who ranked Diplo at number six on the list of the world's highest paid DJs?

Forbes

... His achievements made Diplo not only famous but also wealthy. In 2018, Forbes magazine ranked Diplo at number six on the list of the world's highestp...
How much does Diplo earn?

28.5 million

...the list of the world's highestpaid DJs because his annual income is 28.5 million . He was born on November 10, 1978, in Tupelo, Mississippi, in the fa...
Where was he born?

Tupelo, Mississippi

...nual income is 28.5 million. He was born on November 10, 1978, in Tupelo, Mississippi , in the family of an Englishwoman, Barbara Jean (née Cox), and G...
What three genres played a key role in the development of the future DJs production style?

rap, hiphop, house and Miami bass

...ée Cox), and German Thomas Pentz. The parents' passion for rap, hiphop, house and Miami bass played a key role in the development of the future DJs pr...
What did Pentz Sr. instil in his son the love for?

paleontology

...store in Miami, Florida. Pentz Sr. instilled in his son the love for paleontology , which later affected the choice of the musicians nickname because D...
When did Thomas enter the University of Central Florida?

1997

...iplodocus. There is little information about the biography of Thomas. In 1997 , the young man entered the University of Central Florida (Orlando, Flori...
Where did Thomas first study?

Temple University

...iversity of Central Florida (Orlando, Florida). Then he studied at Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), where he first garnered attention a...
What is Diplo's full name?

Thomas Wesley Pentz

...In the last few years, Diplo (full name: Thomas Wesley Pentz ) has steadily risen to fame as one of the most talented and dynamic musicians in the Amer...
What supergroup did Diplo form with the artists Labrinth and Sia?

LSD

...er, formed a supergroup with the artists Labrinth and Sia that was called LSD , formed an electronic duo called Jack Ü with the producer and DJ Skrille...
Where did Pentz temporarily move before moving to Philadelphia?

Japan

.... To escape the daily grind of American life, Pentz temporarily moved to Japan before moving to Philadelphia. His demo tape of his beats was sent to U...
Who was the founder of Big Dada Records?

Will Ashon

...eats was sent to UK independent hiphop label Big Dada Records founder Will Ashon . Once the label signed him on, he moved to Philadelphia. The frustrat...
What genre of music did Diplo start his career in?

dance music

...ocus, Wes Diplo, and Wes Gully) launched his career on the fringes of dance music . With his mashup mixtapes, he found and created a sound where his mu...
Diplo created a sound where his musical tastes were '80s pop, electronica, Dirty South hiphop, and what other genre?

Miami bass music intersect

...op, electronica, Dirty South hiphop, and his major influence, Miami bass music intersect . 1 mixtape, with BritishSri Lankan MC M.I.A., made a heavy im...
Where did he mainly grow up?

South Florida

...e lived in a few different cities in the South, he mainly grew up in South Florida . He spent his youth in his father's bait shop and fixated on manate...
Revolution debuted at what number on the US Billboard 200?

68

...chool teacher in Philadelphia. His 2013 EP, Revolution, debuted at number 68 on the US Billboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a com...
The title track of Revolution was featured in a commercial for what company?

Hyundai

...lboard 200. The EP's title track was later featured in a commercial for Hyundai and is featured on the WWE 2K16 soundtrack. During his rise to fame, D...
Where did Diplo spend most of his youth?

Miami

...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....
What influenced Diplo's production style?

homegrown rap

...the son of Barbara Jean (née Cox) and Thomas Pentz. The influence of homegrown rap played a key role in helping shape his production style. He spent t...