Much can be said about Diplo, who has not only become a ubiquitous name in the electronic dance community, but throughout all of the music industry. He began his career while attending Temple University in Florida when he created the project Hooked on Hollertronix with DJ Low Budget. The two released a number of mixtapes both separately and in collaboration which found acclaim nationwide. Known for their use of widely ranging sounds and influences, one of the tapes called “Never Scared” was named one of the top ten albums of 2003 by the New York Times. Eventually Diplo launched the Mausoleum, which was a recording and video studio that worked regularly with hit artists such as MIA, Shakira, Blaqstarr, Christina Aguilera, and many more.
He then teamed up with (and eventually married) MIA to create a number of releases, most notably “Paper Planes”, which hit No. 4 on the Billboard Top 100 and was featured in the Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire. After that, Diplo continued to collaborate with industry stars such as Snoop Dogg, No Doubt, and Kid Cudi, and release a slew of hits through his label Mad Decent. In 2010, Diplo was named as one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s 40 Reasons to be Excited About Music. At some point he began collaborating with fellow producer Switch in a project called Major Lazer, which has become one of the biggest names in the scene.
