Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic
dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially, dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots reggae, roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s.Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2 ...
music project
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
; a member of the supergroup
LSD, with
Labrinth and
Sia; a member of electronic duo
Jack Ü, with producer and DJ
Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
; and a member of
Silk City, with
Mark Ronson. He founded the record company
Mad Decent in 2006, as well as the non-profit organization Heaps Decent the following year. His 2013 extended play (EP), ''Revolution'', debuted at number 68 on the US
''Billboard'' 200. The EP's title track 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.; Diplo produced her 2008 breakout single "
Paper Planes," which gave him initial mainstream exposure. In 2011, he and fellow producer
Switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...
formed the electronic musical group Major Lazer and its
namesake cartoon series for
FXX,
which ran for one season. The group released five studio albums which explored EDM and dancehall music, pioneering a new musical genre called ReggaeEDM. Since then, Diplo has produced for and collaborated with a number of mainstream musical acts, including
Jennie,
Lil Peep
Gustav Elijah Åhr (; November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He was a member of the hip-hop collective GothBoiClique, and is credited as being a leading figure of ...
,
Gwen Stefani
Gwen Renée Stefani Shelton ( ; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and fashion designer.
Stefani rose to fame as a member and lead vocalist of the band No Doubt, whose hit singles include " Just a Girl", " Spiderwebs", an ...
,
Die Antwoord,
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
,
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
,
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
,
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
,
Ellie Goulding,
The Weeknd
Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
,
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
Usher,
Anitta,
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
,
Trippie Redd,
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
,
CL,
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), best known as G-Dragon (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of K-pop". Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Drag ...
,
Bad Bunny,
Kali Uchis,
Joji,
MØ and
Poppy
A poppy is a flowering plant in the subfamily Papaveroideae of the family Papaveraceae. Poppies are herbaceous plants, often grown for their colourful flowers. One species of poppy, '' Papaver somniferum'', is the source of the narcotic drug ...
.
[Diplo: The Stylus Interview](_blank)
. Stylus Magazine. Retrieved October 23, 2010. His alias, short for ''
Diplodocus'', derives from his childhood fascination with dinosaurs.
Early life and career
Early life
Diplo was born on November 10, 1978, in
Tupelo, Mississippi
Tupelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1860, the population was 37,923 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Mississippi, 7th-most populous ...
, the son of Barbara Jean (née Cox) and Thomas Pentz. He is of
German and
English descent. Diplo graduated from
Hendersonville High School in
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is the most populous city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 61,753.
Hendersonville is the fourth-most populous city in the Nashville metropolitan area after Nas ...
.
The influence of home-grown rap played a key role in helping shape Diplo's production style. Although he was born in Mississippi, he spent the majority of his youth in Miami, where he got a taste for the characteristic
Miami bass. He began attending the
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public university, public research university with its main campus in unincorporated area, unincorporated Orange County, Florida, United States. It is part of the State University System of Florida. ...
in 1997. During his time at UCF, he became a DJ at local radio station
WPRK, the radio station at
Rollins College
Rollins College is a Liberal arts college, private liberal arts college in Winter Park, Florida. It was founded in November 1885 and has about 30 undergraduate majors and several master's programs. Florida's fourth oldest post-secondary institut ...
. He moved to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
to continue his studies at
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
, where he first drew attention as a DJ.
[Mad Genius :: Music :: Features :: Paste](_blank)
. Pastemagazine.com (November 15, 2008). Retrieved October 23, 2010. At the age of 20, Diplo moved to India, with a small bag and barely any money. He purchased a used
Enfield Motorcycle and traveled between the Indian territories of
Ladakh
Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
, Uttarakhand,
West Bengal
West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...
, and
Gujarat
Gujarat () is a States of India, state along the Western India, western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the List of states and union territories ...
. While in India he collected records, and visited rundown establishments to listen to people playing the
sitar
The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...
and
tabla
A ''tabla'' is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent. Since the 18th century, it has been the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music, where it may be played solo, as an accompaniment with other instruments a ...
.
After returning to the U.S. he became acquainted with 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.
The success of these parties allowed the two to release mixtapes, both separately and together, gathering acclaim across the country.
One such mixtape, ''Never Scared'', was named one of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' top ten albums of 2003, and the Hollertronix name became synonymous with parties featuring guests like
Maluca Mala,
Bun B,
Spank Rock,
M.I.A., among others. Hollertronix's sound has been described as "disparate genres to be smashed together for maximum attention-grabbing impact" an aesthetic inspired by the "organic, cohesive, whole" aesthetic of acts such as Bun B,
Lil Jon
Jonathan H. Smith (born January 17, 1971), better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, DJ, and record producer. Regarded as a progenitor of the club-oriented hip-hop subgenre crunk, his production and voice presence were inst ...
, Drama, M.I.A.,
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
,
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after National Football League, NFL and Canadian Football Lea ...
, and others.
Diplo eschewed the club aesthetic of his Hollertronix music for a more reflective sound on his solo debut, ''
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
'', which was released on the
Ninja Tune imprint,
Big Dada Records. The album ''Florida'' was pressed twice, first with a CD and the second with a CD/DVD Set. The DVD was put together by artist and filmmaker
System D-128, who has also collaborated with Diplo on audio and film projects. Before ''Floridas 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.
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.
Since its inception, artists such as
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera ( , ; born December 18, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter, actress and television personality. Recognized as Cultural impact of Christina Aguilera, an influential figure in music and having received Public imag ...
,
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
, M.I.A.,
Santigold, Spank Rock,
Plastic Little, Blaqstarr, and Paper Route Gangstaz have recorded at The Mausoleum. It has also hosted concerts by Glass Candy, Skream,
Boys Noize
Alexander Ridha (born 22 August 1982), better known by his stage name Boys Noize, is a German-Iraqi electronic music record producer, songwriter and DJ known for collaborations with artists including A$AP Rocky, Tommy Cash, and Frank Ocean (for ...
, Nicos Gun, and more.
M.I.A.

After hearing one of his songs in 2004,
M.I.A. approached Diplo when he was DJing one night at the
Fabric Club in London.
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.
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:
e were bothfilm graduates,
istened toall the same music when we were kids, we're 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."
The two eventually collaborated on a
mixtape
In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
, ''
Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1'', where ''Arular'' track acapellas were mashed with other artists' songs. It was listed among 'Albums of the Year' by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' and ''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
''.
The two continued to work together after the release. He was the tour DJ on her 2005
Arular Tour.
Diplo continued to work with M.I.A. and, through her, met London DJ Switch. Together, they created the Grammy-nominated track "
Paper Planes", peaking at number 4 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
[Diplo Talks Sample of the Millennium, the Return of Fun and Other Musical Secrets](_blank)
. Wired.com. Retrieved October 23, 2010. In 2015, during an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', M.I.A said that Diplo resented her rise to fame in 2005, that he tried to hold her back, and fought with her about becoming successful.
Mad Decent

From this, Diplo went from being an unknown DJ to taking off as a producer, landing him collaborations with artists like
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977) is a Colombian singer-songwriter. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Latin Music", she has had a Cultural impact of Shakira, significant impact on the ...
,
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson (; born 12 June 1979), known professionally as Robyn (), is a Swedish singer, songwriter, record producer, and DJ. Her 1995 debut album ''Robyn Is Here'' produced two Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 single ...
,
Kid Cudi
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ; formerly stylized as KiD CuDi), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and fashion designer. Born and raised in Clevelan ...
,
Bruno Mars,
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band formed in Anaheim, California in 1986. For most of its career, the band has consisted of vocalist and founding member Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal and drummer Adrian Young. Keyboar ...
and
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. ( ; born October 20, 1971), better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg (previously Snoop Doggy Dogg), is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Rooted in West Coast hip-hop, he is widely regarded as one of t ...
, 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
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of impoverished neighborhoods in Brazil. The term, which means slum or ghetto, was first used in the Slum of Providência in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was b ...
music scene,
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'. 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.
Although favela funk remained an interest (the Favela on Blast documentary 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.
September 2009 even saw Diplo travel to China to play with
Steve Aoki at a show organized by promoters
Split Works. Diplo quickly developed a reputation for his extensive touring. In the April 2010 issue of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', Diplo was touted as one of '40 Reasons to be Excited About Music'. This kind of jet setting pushed his label far beyond the favela funk genre with which it initially began. Since its foundation in 2005 Diplo's Mad Decent label has released music by Santigold, Baauer, Lil' Jon,
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
,
Peter Bjorn and John,
Rusko, Bosco Delrey, Buraka Som Sistema, Savage Skulls, Dana Sibuea, Oliver Twizt, Jamie Fanatic, Douster, Boy 8-Bit, and Popo.
As Mad Decent continues to grow and release tracks by big-name artists, Diplo's solo career continues to grow as well. He has produced for artists such as
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
,
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
,
Wale,
Chris Brown
Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
,
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
,
2 Chainz
Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
,
Travis Porter,
Usher,
Azealia Banks,
Iggy Azalea, and
AlunaGeorge. On October 16, 2015, Diplo released "
Be Right There" along with fellow producer
Sleepy Tom. The single charted in multiple countries and has over 100 million streams on Spotify.
On April 23, 2016, Beyoncé released her critically acclaimed album, ''
Lemonade
Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored drink.
There are many varieties of lemonade found throughout the world.
In some parts of the world, lemonade refers to an un-carbonated, traditionally, homemade drink, using lemon juice, water, and a sw ...
''. Diplo produced two tracks on the album, "All Night", and one of the three singles, "Hold Up". The album debuted at number one on the US ''Billboard'' 200 and was certified platinum on June 8, 2016. Along with producing tracks on Beyoncé's ''Lemonade'', Diplo collaborated with Canadian DJ duo Zeds Dead on the release "Blame", which featured Swedish singer Elliphant. The track was officially released on July 14, 2016, via Zeds Dead's SoundCloud.
Major Lazer

Diplo's first collaborative full-length record was with
Switch
In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...
, this time under the guise of
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
. Diplo incorporates such disparate influences as Miami Bass and Baile Funk into the high-tech eclecticism of his productions.
After landing a deal with Downtown Records before even recording a note of music, Diplo and 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.
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. 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." The track "Pon De Floor" from ''Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do'' was sampled for
Beyoncé
Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most Cultural impact of Beyoncé, ...
's single "
Run the World (Girls)".
Major Lazer's first album was followed up with an EP, ''
Lazers Never Die'', which was released in 2010. Switch left Major Lazer in 2011, and was replaced by DJs
Jillionaire and
Walshy Fire. 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.
On February 8, 2015, during the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
ceremony, Diplo revealed details of the third Major Lazer album. He confirmed that the album would incorporate artists such as
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
,
Ellie Goulding and
Pusha T. It is called ''
Peace Is the Mission''. The first single, "
Lean On", is a collaboration with French producer
DJ Snake and features vocals from Danish recording artist
MØ. The second single, "
Powerful", featuring
Ellie Goulding and
Tarrus Riley, was released simultaneously with the album on June 1, 2015.
On November 11, 2015, "Lean On" became Spotify's Most Streamed Song of All Time with over 800 million streams to date. Along with the streaming title, the official video for "Lean On" became one of the most viewed videos on YouTube. , it has more than 3.6 billion views.
Along with the streaming and viewing milestones, "Lean On" would also go on to achieve double platinum status.
On July 22, 2016, the group released the single "
Cold Water", a collaboration with Canadian artist
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
and Danish singer
MØ. The track has already reached over 200 million streams on Spotify, and achieved international commercial success, reaching number one in multiple countries.
On November 29, 2016, Major Lazer and
Bad Royale released "My Number", a track that samples "
54-46 That's My Number" which Pitchfork describes as, "a genre-defining classic from legendary ska/reggae group
Toots and the Maytals." This release contained newly recorded vocals from frontman
Toots Hibbert specifically designed for Major Lazer, which changed the original lyrics to incorporate the group into the song while keeping the original melody. Their fifth studio album, ''
Music Is the Weapon'', features collaborations with
Alessia Cara,
French Montana
Karim Kharbouch (Moroccan Arabic, Arabic: IPA pronunciation, æɾiːm χɑɾbuːʃ born November 9, 1984), better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York ...
,
Anitta,
Khalid,
Skip Marley,
Marcus Mumford,
J Balvin
José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with 35 million records sold worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín. At age 17, he moved to th ...
,
El Alfa,
Mr Eazi and
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
.
Jack Ü
Jack Ü is an American duo made up of
Skrillex
Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
and Diplo. 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 to showcase different artists signed to the label.
[Lancaster, Elizabeth]
"Diplo And Skrillex Reveal Their Surprising New Group: Jack U".
News. (accessed October 6, 2014). 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".
After their New York debut at Electric Zoo was canceled in late August, the duo would soon return to the city for something bigger. On December 31, 2014, Jack Ü sold out Madison Square Garden for one of their biggest performances to date. The duo had support from Rudimental, Yellow Claw and A$AP Ferg.
On February 27, 2015, they released ''
Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü'', a co-release between their respective labels
Owsla
Owsla (stylized in all caps) is an American record label and creative collective. It was founded by Skrillex, Tim Smith, Kathryn Frazier, and Clayton Blaha in 2011. Skrillex announced the label on August 17, 2011. The label's first release was ...
and
Mad Decent. It featured tracks with
2 Chainz
Tauheed K. Epps (born September 12, 1977), known professionally as 2 Chainz (formerly Tity Boi), is an American rapper and actor. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, he gained recognition as one-half of the Southern hip-hop duo Playaz Ci ...
,
Kiesza,
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
,
AlunaGeorge and
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...
. The first single "
Take Ü There" featuring Kiesza was the lead single on the duo's debut album. The single was released as the lead on October 4, 2014. It reached number sixteen on the
UK Dance Chart
The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the electronic dance music, dance music genre (e.g. house music, house, trance music, trance, ...
. The official second single, "Where Are Ü Now", was released simultaneously with the album. The song which took both artists in a different direction, featured a collaboration with Canadian pop star
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
.
Peaking at number 8 on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, and number 3 on the
UK Singles Chart, "Where Are Ü Now" became the duo's largest hit on both charts thus far. The song would also go on to peak at number three in Australia, which was the highest charting for the single worldwide. The song had huge success in Europe as well, reaching the top-ten in Sweden and Finland, and the top-twenty in Norway, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Slovakia. The final place it had charting success was Bieber's home country, Canada, where it would end up peaking at number 6. On March 29, 2015, Jack Ü closed the main stage at
Ultra Music Festival in Miami.
In 2016, the duo won two
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
for
Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album for "Skrillex and Diplo present Jack Ü" and
Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording
The Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Recording (formerly known as Best Dance Recording) is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists f ...
for "Where Are Ü Now?" with
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
. The latter was also Bieber's first Grammy. They played two sold-out shows including
Coachella Valley Music Festival in
Indio, California
Indio (Spanish language, Spanish for "Indian") is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley of Southern California's Colorado Desert region. Indio is approximately east of Los Angeles, east of Palm Springs, ...
and Lollapalooza in
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, Brazil.
LSD
LSD is a pop supergroup composed of Diplo, Australian singer
Sia, and British musician
Labrinth. The trio have released five singles thus far, with their song "
Thunderclouds" being featured in a commercial for the
Samsung
Samsung Group (; stylised as SΛMSUNG) is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational manufacturing Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in the Samsung Town office complex in Seoul. The group consists of numerous a ...
Galaxy Note9. Their singles "
Genius
Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...
" and "
Audio
Audio most commonly refers to sound, as it is transmitted in signal form. It may also refer to:
Sound
*Audio signal, an electrical representation of sound
*Audio frequency, a frequency in the audio spectrum
*Digital audio, representation of sound ...
" have seen official remixes from producers
Banx & Ranx and Cid, respectively. LSD's debut album
''Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD'' was released on April 12, 2019.
Silk City

On January 2, 2018, Diplo announced a new project with British DJ and singer
Mark Ronson, entitled
Silk City. The duo released their debut single "Only Can Get Better" featuring
Daniel Merriweather on May 23, 2018. Their second single, "Feel About You" featuring Mapei, was released on July 20, 2018. The duo's third single, "Loud", saw Diplo reunite with previous collaborators
GoldLink
D'Anthony William Carlos (born May 17, 1993), better known by his stage name GoldLink, is an American rapper and singer from Washington, D.C. He gained recognition following the release of his debut mixtape ''The God Complex'' (2014), which was ...
&
Desiigner. Their 4th and most recent single features British singer-songwriter
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards.
Lipa worked as a model before v ...
, called "
Electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...
", which was released on September 5, 2018. The music video was released on the same day. In 2018, "Electricity" won a Grammy at the
61st Annual Grammy Awards for
Best Dance Recording.
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
New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...
, Louisiana for a television piece commissioned by
Current.tv. Diplo was nominated for Non-Classical Producer of the Year at the
55th Grammy Awards and
58th Grammy Awards. Diplo had a late night show on BBC Radio 1 / 1Xtra on Saturdays 11:00 p.m.–1:00 a.m. (GMT) called 'Diplo and Friends' where he curated mixes from some of biggest names in dance music. He has now resigned from BBC Radio 1, per 2021. Diplo also has several syndicated Diplo and 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 9 pm.
Beginning on October 2, 2015, Diplo, Jillionaire, Walshy Fire and Eric Hamilton debuted "Lazer Sound" on Apple Music's Beats 1. The newest radio show, curated by Diplo, and the Major Lazer crew, consists of interviews, moments on tour and brand new music. The show is on the air every other Saturday of the month.
Throughout 2015 and 2016, Diplo performed with Major Lazer and Jack Ü on numerous live TV and award shows. He performed on ''
The Tonight Show
''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'', ''
Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'', often abbreviated as ''GMA'', is an American breakfast television, morning television program that is broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends wit ...
'', the
iHeart Radio Music Festival, The NRJ Music Awards, the 2015
Latin Grammy Awards
The Latin Grammy Awards (stylized as Latin GRAMMYs) are awards presented by the Latin Recording Academy to recognize outstanding achievement in the Latin music, Latin music industry. The Latin Grammy honors works recorded in Spanish language, S ...
and the 2016
Grammy Awards
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
.
In February 2016, Diplo was one of the first and very few mainstream Western artists to perform in
Islamabad, Pakistan alongside
Adil Omar,
Talal Qureshi,
SNKM and
Elliphant.
In 2018 Diplo returned with Major Lazer for Islamabad's first Mad Decent Block Party alongside Adil Omar, SNKM, Talal Qureshi,
Valentino Khan, Chrome Sparks, Lyari Underground and a host of other acts.
In January 2017, Diplo and Autoerotique (a house group from Toronto) released a music video titled "Waist Time" which was filmed in a warehouse in London. He was nominated for two Grammy's in 2016 (The 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards) for Album of the Year (for producer of Beyoncé's album ''Lemonade'' and producer for Justin Bieber's album ''Purpose'').
He also sang a song "Phurrr" in
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
in
Imtiaz Ali's film
Jab Harry Met Sejal
''Jab Harry Met Sejal'' (), abbreviated as ''JHMS'', is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Imtiaz Ali. It stars Anushka Sharma and Shah Rukh Khan in their third collaboration after '' Rab Ne Bana Di Jo ...
starring
Shah Rukh Khan
Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
and
Anushka Sharma.
In 2019, Diplo released the song "
So Long" under the moniker Thomas Wesley, featuring American country singer
Cam
Cam or CAM may refer to:
Science and technology
* Cam (mechanism), a mechanical linkage which translates motion
* Camshaft, a shaft with a cam
* Camera or webcam, a device that records images or video
In computing
* Computer-aided manufacturin ...
. In a press release, he stated that there are "several forthcoming collaborations with country artists" planned following "So Long", which came in the form of ''
Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil'' released in 2020. The album included the song "
Heartless" featuring
Morgan Wallen
Morgan Cole Wallen (born May 13, 1993) is an American country pop singer from Sneedville, Tennessee. He competed in the The Voice (American season 6), sixth season of ''The Voice (American TV series), The Voice''. After being eliminated in the ...
.
On March 6, 2025, Diplo announced a concert to support the aid for firefighters during the
2025 California wildfires.
Personal life
Diplo has three sons: two with Kathryn Lockhart and one with model
Jevon King.
He dated the rapper
M.I.A. from 2003
to 2008.
Diplo is a soccer and
cricket
Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
fan and supporter of the
U.S. men's national team. He created a mix for the
2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
and produced the
2018 World Cup official song "
Live It Up". Diplo purchased a minority share of
Phoenix Rising FC of the
USL Championship
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...
on January 27, 2016.
On February 24, 2016, Diplo endorsed
Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
as the
Democratic presidential nominee. Sanders' ad "It's A Revolution" is sound tracked by Diplo's 2013 track "Revolution". On June 9, 2016, Diplo was featured on the cover of the American entertainment media magazine ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''.
On May 1, 2019, Diplo live-streamed
Joe Jonas
Joseph Adam Jonas (born August 15, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He rose to fame as a member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin Jonas, Kevin and Nick Jonas, Nick. The group released their ...
' Las Vegas wedding to
Sophie Turner on
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, "not knowing it was a serious wedding". Soon after the couple told the tabloids that Diplo ruined their wedding, the DJ responded on social media. Five months later, Diplo and the
Jonas Brothers
The Jonas Brothers () are an American pop rock band formed in 2005 comprising brothers Kevin Jonas, Joe Jonas, and Nick Jonas. Raised in Wyckoff, New Jersey, the Jonas Brothers moved to Little Falls, New Jersey, in 2005, where they wrote thei ...
released a song titled "Lonely". The song's official music video chronicles Diplo's attempts to make amends with Joe Jonas and his brothers.
On July 9, 2020, Diplo joined Senator
Kamala Harris
Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
and other artists for the "Get Up, Stand Up!" virtual fundraiser in support of
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
's
2020 presidential campaign.
On March 14, 2023, Diplo shared "I don't want to define that I'm
gay but I think the best answer that I have is I'm not, not gay" in an interview with
Emily Ratajkowski.
In August 2023, Diplo attended and played from a hot air balloon at the 35th
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long large-scale desert event focused on "community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance" held annually in the Western United States. The event's name comes from its ceremony on the penultimate night of the event: the ...
festival in Black Rock City, Nevada. After a rainstorm turned the festival grounds into a mud pit, Diplo escaped on foot and hitchhiked out with comedian
Chris Rock.
Allegations of sexual abuse
In November 2020, Shelly Auguste filed for a restraining order against Diplo, alleging he posted explicit images of her online as retaliation. She claimed they met in 2014 when she was 17 and he was in his mid-30s. Diplo filed a counter restraining order in December 2020, describing Auguste as an "obsessed fan" who harassed him after their brief relationship ended. He maintained they first met in March 2018, not 2014, and had consensual encounters in April and July 2019.
By January 2025, after over four years of contentious legal battles, both parties announced a "resolution in principle" that averted a trial scheduled to begin the following week. As reported by ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' on January 6, 2025, Diplo's lawyer Brian Elliot Turnauer informed the court: "We have a resolution in principle. We're probably days, not weeks, away from getting it signed. There are one or two paragraphs to kind of tweak." Judge Rolf M. Treu subsequently vacated the trial date after Auguste's lawyer, Kimberly Casper, confirmed agreement with the settlement.
The last-minute settlement prevented what would have been a consolidated trial merging Diplo's claims of stalking, trespassing, and revenge porn against Auguste with her allegations of sexual battery and assault. While the specific terms of the resolution remain confidential, as is typical in such settlements, the legal record established over the preceding four years consistently showed Auguste's claims were systematically contradicted by evidence, with courts repeatedly ruling in Pentz's favor when presented with the facts of the case.
Had the trial proceeded, it would have followed a clear pattern of legal victories for Pentz, including the significant $1.2 million arbitration award in September 2022 and the consistent rejection of Auguste's allegations by courts and arbitrators who evaluated the evidence. As Billboard reported in September 2022, the arbitrator's findings about Auguste's credibility issues played a crucial role in the proceedings, with Diplo's legal team successfully demonstrating that her testimony contradicted the documentary evidence presented.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''
Florida
Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
'' (2004)
* ''
Chapter 1: Snake Oil'' (2020) (as Thomas Wesley)
* ''MMXX'' (2020)
* ''
Diplo
Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...
'' (2022)
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards and nominations
Listicles
References
External links
*
*
Diploat
IMDb
IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
{{Authority control
1978 births
21st-century American LGBTQ people
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American singer-songwriters
American electronic dance music DJs
American expatriates in England
American hip-hop DJs
American hip-hop record producers
American LGBTQ musicians
American male singer-songwriters
American people of English descent
American people of German descent
Atlantic Records artists
BBC Radio 1 presenters
BBC Radio 1Xtra presenters
Because Music artists
Columbia Records artists
Grammy Award winners for dance and electronic music
Living people
LSD (group) members
Mad Decent artists
Major Lazer members
MTV Video Music Award winners
People from Tupelo, Mississippi
Phoenix Rising FC chairmen and investors
Rappers from Miami
Rappers from Mississippi
Rappers from Philadelphia
Record producers from Florida
Record producers from Mississippi
Record producers from Pennsylvania
Silk City (duo) members
Singer-songwriters from Florida
Singer-songwriters from Mississippi
Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania
Singers from Philadelphia
Southern hip-hop musicians
Temple University alumni
American trap musicians