Diplo

Diplo broke through with “Blow Your Head” in 2008, then moved between club music, pop production and collaborative projects on a scale few DJs match. Born Thomas Wesley “Wes” Pentz Jr. in Tupelo, Mississippi, on November 10, 1978, he took his stage name from Diplodocus, reflecting a childhood fascination with dinosaurs.

His early work included production for M.I.A.’s 2008 breakout single “Paper Planes.” In 2006, he founded the record company Mad Decent, followed by the nonprofit organization Heaps Decent in 2007. His 2013 EP Revolution reached number 68 on the US Billboard 200; its title track later appeared in a Hyundai commercial and on the soundtrack to WWE 2K16.

Collaboration has been central to Diplo’s career. He is the co-creator and lead member of Major Lazer, the electronic dancehall project he formed with fellow producer Switch in 2011. Major Lazer also had a namesake animated series on FXX, which ran for one season, and released five studio albums drawing on EDM and dancehall. Diplo has also worked as one half of Jack Ü with Skrillex and Silk City with Mark Ronson, while joining Labrinth and Sia in the supergroup LSD.

As a producer, Diplo has worked with artists across rap, pop, dance, Latin music and country, including Drake, BTS, Blackpink, Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Madonna, Shakira, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Bad Bunny, Kali Uchis, Morgan Wallen and Bailey Zimmerman. In 2016, he produced tracks for Beyoncé’s sixth studio album, Lemonade. His output has moved readily between dancehall-informed electronic music, house and festival-focused club records, as well as high-profile pop and hip-hop productions.