Known to his mum as Thomas Wesley Pentz this bass junkie has journeyed around the globe with a delightful mix of b-more beats, organic wave forms and raw bass lines. Diplo (short for Diplodocus) christened himself after his childhood love affair with prehistoric beasts. This herbivore grew up in Florida consuming a diet of Miami bass, hip hop and trip hop beats before upping sticks and moving to study in Philly. It was in Philly where he met DJ partner Low Budget and launched club night, Hollertronix.

Obsessed with new sounds, bleeps and donks, Diplo became involved in breaking new and exotic sounds like Brazilian Baille Funk and throwing down tracks for a young performer called M.I.A. After collaborating with the British-Sri Lanken on the Piracy Runs Terrorism mixtape and albums Arular and Kala, Wes was kick started into creating his own future-sounds label, Mad Decent.

Motivated by new and forward-thinking sounds, Diplo evolved once more, embracing the energetic 4x4 of Jamaican dancehall with Major Lazer accomplice, Switch. During a residency in Kingston, which included time in the legendary Tuff Gong studios, Major Lazer meshed with dancehall legends Vybz Cartell T.O.K, Gyptian and Turbulance, resulting in Jamaican party anthem, Pon de Floor. Diplo has also worked with Santigold, Alex Clare, Robyn and produced for Brittney Spears, Snoop, Xtina and Jay-Z.

Check out the RBMA Fireside Chat with Diplo

MadDecent