Diplo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Diplo
Diplo in 2014
Born	Thomas Wesley Pentz (1978-11-10) November 10, 1978 (age 46) Tupelo, Mississippi, U.S.
Other names	Diplodocus Thomas Wesley
Alma mater	Temple University (BS)
Occupation	Disc jockey record producer songwriter
Years active	1997–present
Works	Discography production
Children	3
Musical career
Origin	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres	EDM trap hip-hop pop moombahton
Labels	Mad Decent Atlantic Columbia
Signature

Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is famous for creating electronic dance music. Diplo is a main member of the group Major Lazer. He is also part of the supergroup LSD with Labrinth and Sia. He was also in the electronic duo Jack Ü with Skrillex. Diplo is also a member of Silk City with Mark Ronson.

Diplo started his own record company called Mad Decent in 2006. He also founded a non-profit group called Heaps Decent in 2007. His 2013 music collection, Revolution, was very popular. The song "Revolution" was even used in a car commercial. Diplo's stage name, Diplo, comes from his childhood love for Diplodocus dinosaurs.

Diplo has worked with many famous artists. These include Blackpink, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Madonna, Shakira, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Snoop Dogg.

Early Life and Music Journey

Growing Up

Diplo was born on November 10, 1978, in Tupelo, Mississippi. He spent most of his childhood in Miami. There, he learned about the unique "Miami bass" music style. He started DJing at a local radio station while in college. Later, he moved to Philadelphia to continue his studies. This is where he first became known as a DJ.

Diplo also traveled to India when he was 20. He explored different regions and collected music records. He listened to traditional Indian instruments like the sitar and tabla.

Starting Out as a DJ

After returning to the U.S., Diplo met another DJ named Low Budget. They started throwing parties called "Hooked on Hollertronix" in 2003. These parties became very popular. They also released mixtapes that gained attention across the country. Their music mixed many different styles together.

Diplo released his first solo album, Florida, in 2004. It had a more thoughtful sound. He also became interested in "baile funk" music from Brazil. He released mixtapes that brought this Brazilian dance music to the United States.

His success allowed him to build a studio in Philadelphia called "The Mausoleum." This place was a video studio, recording studio, and event space. Many artists recorded music there.

Working with M.I.A.

Diplo performing at Haverford College in 2005

In 2004, Diplo met the musician M.I.A. in London. They started working together. They created a mixtape called Piracy Funds Terrorism Vol. 1. This mixtape was praised by The New York Times.

Diplo continued to work with M.I.A. He was her tour DJ in 2005. Together, they made the hit song "Paper Planes". This song became very popular, reaching number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This helped Diplo become known to a wider audience.

Mad Decent Record Label

Diplo performing at Soundlab in Buffalo, New York, May 2009

After the success of "Paper Planes," Diplo became a sought-after producer. He worked with artists like Shakira, Robyn, and Snoop Dogg. He also brought a Brazilian dance-funk group, Bonde do Rolê, to his Mad Decent record label.

Mad Decent, started in 2005, became a place for Diplo to share many different sounds. He found these sounds while traveling the world. The label has released music by artists like Santigold and Baauer. Diplo himself has produced for Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. In 2015, he released "Be Right There" with Sleepy Tom. This song was streamed over 100 million times on Spotify.

In 2016, Diplo produced two songs on Beyoncé's album Lemonade. These songs were "All Night" and "Hold Up." The album was a huge success.

Major Lazer Group

Diplo performing at Pukkelpop in 2012

Diplo formed the group Major Lazer with DJ Switch. They wanted to highlight lesser-known dancehall music from Jamaica. They recorded their first album, Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do, in Jamaica. It featured many Jamaican artists. A song from this album, "Pon De Floor," was even used in Beyoncé's song "Run the World (Girls)."

Switch left Major Lazer in 2011. DJs Jillionaire and Walshy Fire joined the group. Their second album, Free the Universe, came out in 2013. It featured artists like Bruno Mars and Shaggy.

Diplo and Walshy Fire of Major Lazer performing at Flow Festival in Helsinki, August 2015

In 2015, Major Lazer released their third album, Peace Is the Mission. The first song, "Lean On", was a collaboration with DJ Snake and MØ. "Lean On" became Spotify's most streamed song ever at the time. Its music video has over 3.6 billion views as of October 2024.

In 2016, the group released "Cold Water" with Justin Bieber and MØ. This song was a number one hit in many countries. Their fifth album, Music Is the Weapon, features artists like Alessia Cara and Nicki Minaj.

Jack Ü Duo

Diplo performing at Utopía Festival in Madrid, June 2016

Jack Ü is a music duo made up of Skrillex and Diplo. They first performed together in 2013. In 2014, they played a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.

In 2015, they released their album Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü. It included songs with Justin Bieber and Missy Elliott. Their song "Where Are Ü Now" with Justin Bieber became a huge hit. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2016, Jack Ü won two Grammy Awards. They won for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording for "Where Are Ü Now?" This was Justin Bieber's first Grammy win.

LSD Supergroup

LSD is a pop supergroup with Diplo, Australian singer Sia, and British musician Labrinth. They have released several songs. Their song "Thunderclouds" was featured in a commercial for the Samsung Galaxy Note9 phone. Their first album, Labrinth, Sia & Diplo Present... LSD, was released on April 12, 2019.

Silk City Duo

Diplo and Mark Ronson formed Silk City in 2018

In 2018, Diplo announced a new project with British DJ Mark Ronson, called Silk City. They released their first song, "Only Can Get Better," in May 2018. Their song "Electricity" with Dua Lipa was released in September 2018. "Electricity" won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording in 2019.

Other Projects

Diplo has always supported different music scenes around the world. He explored the "Bounce" music scene in New Orleans. He also had a radio show called 'Diplo and Friends' on BBC Radio 1. He played mixes from many famous dance music artists.

In 2015, Diplo and the Major Lazer team started a new radio show called "Lazer Sound" on Apple Music's Beats 1. Diplo has performed on many TV shows and award ceremonies.

In 2016 and 2018, Diplo performed in Islamabad, Pakistan. He was one of the first Western artists to play there. In 2019, Diplo released the song "So Long" under the name Thomas Wesley. This song featured country singer Cam. He later released an album called Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil in 2020. This album included the song "Heartless" with Morgan Wallen.

Personal Life

Diplo has three sons. He is a big fan of soccer and cricket. He supports the U.S. men's national team. He even created a music mix for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He also produced the official song for the 2018 World Cup, "Live It Up." Diplo bought a small share of the Phoenix Rising FC soccer team in 2016.

In 2016, Diplo was featured on the cover of Billboard magazine. In 2019, Diplo live-streamed Joe Jonas's wedding to Sophie Turner on Instagram. He later released a song called "Lonely" with the Jonas Brothers to make amends. In 2023, Diplo attended the Burning Man festival. He played music from a hot air balloon.

Discography

Studio albums

• Florida (2004)
• Chapter 1: Snake Oil (2020) (as Thomas Wesley)
• MMXX (2020)
• Diplo (2022)

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and Recognition

Diplo has won several awards for his music. He has won multiple Grammy Awards. These include:

• Best Dance Recording for "Where Are Ü Now" (with Skrillex and Justin Bieber) in 2016.
• Best Dance/Electronic Album for Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü (with Skrillex) in 2016.
• Best Dance Recording for "Electricity" (with Mark Ronson and Dua Lipa) in 2019.

He has also won awards like the GAFFA-Prisen Award for Best International Artist. In 2021, he won the iHeartRadio Music Award for Dance Album of the Year for Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil.

See also

In Spanish: Diplo para niños