Diplo

A superstar DJ, sought-after producer, taste-making label owner, and wizard behind Major Lazer, Diplo (aka Diplodocus, Wes Diplo, and Wes Gully) launched his career on the fringes of dance music. With his mash-up mixtapes, he found and created a sound where his musical tastes -- '80s pop, electronica, Dirty South hip-hop, and his major influence, Miami bass music -- intersect. His attention-grabbing projects Hollertronix, with partner DJ Low Budget, and the Piracy Funds Terrorism, Vol. 1 mixtape, with British-Sri Lankan MC M.I.A, made a heavy impact on the alternative electro-pop scene, amassing rave reviews from music critics and indie kids alike. Later, his Mad Decent imprint presented the edge of pop, hip-hop, and dance music while his conceptual Major Lazer project mixed dancehall with rave culture and toured the globe as a live-party sound system. By the late 2010s, super duos with Skrillex (Jack U) and Mark Ronson (Silk City) both yielded Grammy wins for collaborations with Justin Bieber and Dua Lipa, respectively.