Diplo is the DJ name for Thomas Wesley Pentz. He was born on November 10, 1978. He is currently operating out of Philadelphia, where he was once a school teacher. His name is a reference to a dinosaur. Although he fast became a veteran in the world of music, Diplo ain't no fossil.
If one were to chart Diplo's progression along the musical map, he would begin as a mashup artist who began doing atmospheric/instrumental hip hop than progress to reggae dancehall onto moombahton on into NOLA-style booty bounce music.
Diplo has made three solo releases so far: Sound and Fury (2002), Florida (2004), and Decent Work for Decent Pay (2009). He has made more of a name for himself as a producer, remixer and promoter. He is well-regarded as one of the founders of the music collective Hollertronix.
He also worked closely with M.I.A. when both artists were still relatively unknown. The two collaborated on the 2004 mix Piracy Funds Terrorism.
Diplo also founded the record label Mad Decent which has promoted/discovered many other artists, many from underpriveleged countries. An early example of this would be his signing the Brazilian dance-funk trio Bonde do Role.
In 2007 Diplo turned to more formal philanthropy by helping found the Australia-based nonprofit Heaps Decent.
In 2009 Diplo and the artist Switch (who had previously worked together with M.I.A.) teamed up to form Major Lazer, a dancehall fusion project. That project disbanded about two years later.
More recently Diplo has made his debut as a guest MC on the Three Loco track We Are Farmers. The grop courted some controversy due its to use of a sample of an obnoxious Farmer's Insurance Group commercial as a refrain for a different sort of farming.
Diplo is a talented artist who will surely continue to do good.
Mad Decent
SoundCloud