If you haven’t been to one of his personal shows, Major Lazer shows, a block party, or Holy Ship, you have definitely at least heard a track produced by this random white dude: Diplo.
He’s undeniably one of many hard working and creative individuals in the music scene right now, and he’s only getting better with age. Sitting on the ripe median of his 30’s, he’s already known for a label, a movement, an infinite amount of successful songs, and he’s even mastered the art of brushing off the haters. He’s been getting a lot of, excuse the french, shit lately from the P.L.U.R. kiddies and has been facing scrutiny in regards to the banning issues. Despite all of the drama, he’s made it very clear that he’s here for one thing and one thing only: the music. Billboard had a sit down with Mr. Pentz and talked about everything from his salary to his up and coming work. What was the most intriguing about it all, was how effortlessly Diplo brought up a topic that should be touched on a lot more in the electronic dance music community.
“[People in the rave culture] don’t even care about the music anymore, it’s about the experience and hearing things that are really familiar and comfortable over and over again…All the DJs were at my Vegas night one night–I’m not going to name names, but all the big EDM guys–and I played a Juicy J record; they were like, ‘Where do you get these records?’ I’m like, ‘They’re on the radio! You can buy them off iTunes!’…”
Of course it seems laughable to expect every EDM producer and DJ to know exactly who Young Thug, Travis Scott, GoldLink, or Makonnen is, but Diplo explains it more as expanding the horizons or at least wanting to: “They really have no idea. They live in these bubbles. I’m like, ‘Damn, dudes, use your imagination a little bit.’…A lot of DJs don’t realize they’re here today and gone tomorrow.” While we can admit, it may not seem as easy to delve into the “urban world” as it is with say the big room or house world, we do know all it takes is an eager mind and the Internet.
Whether Diplo is right or wrong for calling anybody out, he does bring up a topic that should be taken into consideration a lot more, especially when we’re dealing with heavily influential artists who have a tight grip on what their followers can listen and be exposed to. Don’t worry though, this interview wasn’t all shade; he gets into a lot more that you can check out on the Billboard website.
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Well said Diplo !!!
Well said Diplo !!!
Could this article suck his dick any harder?
All of their articles on Diplo from the past two months have been like this. It's getting ridiculous.
All of those comments seem to fall well in line with the pattern of condescension and self-righteousness Diplo has displayed throughout this entire MDBP ordeal. At least Run The Trap is positioning itself well as a sort of litmus test on how I should feel about Diplo, in that I can I just take the exact opposite of whatever they say and assume that to be my opinion.
He's referring to the club / venue culture, not the rave culture. Rave culture is deep in forests and relative to festivals, don't get your shit mixed up. As a DJ / Producer that works for meager amounts of dough; independent, and hands his tracks out for free just so people will listen… yeah this article is a joke. Don't even know who Diplo is but I've already shrugged this off, just seems like an attempt to garner attention by doing a publicity stunt. Deadmau5 likes to do this alot, honestly I'm not impressed.
Is that why every one of his songs sound the same
How can you claim to be a DJ/Producer in 2014 and not know who Diplo is I mean…
You called out club/venue to not be "rave" culture? Which is exactly where you go to see dope artists.Relative to festivals (which make millions). You don't know who Diplo is?! You do work for meager amounts because your playing in a forest with 4 likes.
You're a joke kid the rave culture is in the club and it's fucks like you ruining it.
How do we know you're not pulling a publicity stunt to get more views and like XDDD
Maybe if you only listen to one song by him.
This article sucks as much as Diplo's comments. I was on the fence about him, and this article sold me. This guy is so far up his own ass. Just chill out and enjoy music.
Turk Ali Jr. lol no its not dude. you obviously just started "raving" all of these massive "raves" aren't raves. their carnivals that happen to have electronic music playing at them. and clubs are clubs. just cause there is strobe lights in there doesnt make it a rave. believe it or not, the original raves were held in the middle of forests and shit, abandoned warehouses. where people like deadmau5 would come play before they started making millions. the rave culture is dead, all the people in the clubs are there to get fucked up. you think that if the clubs stopped playing dance music that those same crowds of people wouldn't go doing the same shit they do at these edm clubs. you're delusional
Maybe his shit fans dont care about the music and I dont blame them cause diplo is garbage, he puts out the same shitty drops but everyone thinks hes a god, im half into the music and half into the culture like raves and fests, I personally think 70% of edm is shit which is why I like a select group of genres and artists
"Don't even know who Diplo is" ha ha all of your credibility went out the window when you said this.
"Don't even know who Diplo is" ha ha all of your credibility went out the window when you said this.
Jose Rockwell I think you meant ridickulous
This is so true Diplo knows music these dj's arent even dj's they are just wack ass producers people need to spend some time and venture out to some real music not saying edm is bad but it is a very stail thing people who are now in it are in it for some lame ass excuse to get fucked up when it started people loved it for the trueness of its sound. Not saying they also didn't get fucked up but that was just a bonus now everyone wants to get fucked up it's dumb
Lol did I say shit about carnivals? Rave culture is alive and well at clubs in Chicago come through and I'll show you what's good bro just let me know whenever you want 🙂
my question is do other edm dj's/fans know diplo's real roots… they aren't embedded in edm rather hiphop. there's a reason for his way of thinking… hiphop culture wasnt just about the beats… but rather everything as a whole. the culture, the songs, the lyrics, the sounds… there's a reason he says the things he says…
Well said!
Sounds like some people need some hugs.
His edc set sucked
I just want a hug
How the fuck do you not know Diplo?
If you're not a producer yourself, you probably shouldn't be talking shit. Likes on facebook don't equate to experience and ability, also I don't care who "Diplo" is, I don't need to know EVERY producer that makes music that a generic fanbase enjoys. I make music because I like it, not for people who pretend to know everything about something they're not even remotely educated about.
Good job creating a circlejerk over it and making Diplo's fanbase look like a bunch of dicksuckers though, that's real cute. I'm sure he appreciates it.
Thought I was the only one!
To clarify I deleted all of the unnecessarily hateful comments for taking an opinion on the internet more seriously than it needed to be, ad-hominem proves no point and just means you bottomed out on the conversation right there. It's one thing to question one's opinion, it's another to start a flame war. Grow up, people.
Every diplo set I've seen is just him looping the same 3 twerk beats for an hour while trying to call girls up to twerk
He'll bash EDM at the same time he's feeding at the the very large bosom of Mother EDM. He's one of the biggest sellouts in the biz for pity's sake.
Chemich yessir. im a producer myself. and i couldn't agree more. I'm talking claptone, umek, and the eric prydz of the world. fuck diplo. dudes a hiphop producer now.
Shitty drops? Is that why m.i.a-paper planes broke records in the us and Europe lets not forget diplo produce that song
Sorab Izzas Zia Hell yes my man, I remember when I first heard the Eric Prydz "Call On Me" cover, gave me chills and goosebumps.
Chemich tell me about it. reach up for the sunrise cover, that song has me picturing those dark underground drug infested filthy raves in the european states. heads and eyes rolling around. barely any room to move and that song drop and the darkness of the drop ravages a chilling atmosphere errrrgggg.
where can i listen to some of your stuff brotha?
soundcloud.com/chemich or youtube.com/chemichofficial – but yeah, makes me miss the 90s :/
wish more DJ's were like Eric Prydz, sick of hearing these rich fags piss and moan.
Chemich yessir check me out ima follow you right now soundcloud.com/ddetoxx i haven't got much of my more quality based tracks up yet
If hes about lyrics then why does he drop rap songs with migos, young thug and other shit rappers
Diplo telling people to get out of their bubbles is pretty hilarious.
Nate Goss cuz it's the younger gen's stuff, half of the kids going to MDBP arent old hiphop heads. in the end diplo isnt as trash as some people like to think he is.
Sorry for being the best mainstream DJ in the game, brah
Louie Tsang very true, he's had a bunch of great rappers showing up to MDBP; like project pat in nashville
in the end, everyone has their own opinion on the scene… i mean i do too, i dont necessarily like all the things i see in edm, and im sure diplo feels the same way bout it all. but him being in the spotlight, makes ppl get butthurt b/c he;s got an opinion.
So does skrillex and about 90% of their kind out there.
Youre an idiot and definitely domt know the difference between a producer and a dj
I think youre all forgetting that this website is called runthetrap…and trap is garbage, just like diplo. How can you honestly sit there and act like he knows whats up because hes big. Niki minaj makes a fuck ton of money every day, are you gunna tell me we should listen to what she says?
Maybe this website is trying to promote Diplo and get him into safer water… lol doubt it but there is always
$$$$
Coletrain Carson sounding a little bit like a hater. You should try to enjoy all types of EDM, including trap. Maybe you should actually go to a rave or a event in the near future to see how that shit sounds live.. From the looks of it you seem to be new to this scene. You should check out What so not. lol btw I love a llllll types of music, but If you need to compare Diplo to Nicky Minaj, you may need to rethink the way you hear things.
Fuck anyone who hates on trap, why the fuck are you on this website in the first place then.. Stay out if you have nothing positive to say, why so much hate!!!? Just enjoy what sounds sick to you
I love how everyone is bashing on Diplo. Diplo is one of the best producers in the game. Unique sounds made by himself, Jack U, or Major Lazer. I bet everyone bashing on him is gonna say faggot ass dj's like Tiesto, Hardwell, or Zedd are the best HAHAH
Sellout? What exactly is he selling out to? His own music label maybe.
Kris Frye watch out for this ! (most ppl only know this song) lmao
Stunt? Hip hop producer? Lol you guys sure know nothing about diplo and where his music comes from. And as music producers you guys shouldn't talk him down over one article.
Louie Tsang Yeah, as much as I'm sure Diplo would love to just drop Wu-Tang etc all day. He DOES have to play to the crowd to some extent. I think he finds an okay middle ground tbh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzRjw6v1gPY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swg0rAka9sM
[ ] Same
[X] Absolutely nothing in fucking common.
[X] OP is a fucking moron.
Chemich "I don't need to know EVERY producer that makes music that a generic fanbase enjoys." Preach bro. plur.
Seriously… what the fuck did he even say here? How does an "EDM" producer not knowing who Juicy J is legitimize Thomas Wesley Pentz any further as a DJ? He said it himself. "It's on the radio." That makes him more musically cultured? This article is terrible. It says absolutely nothing. We're talking about a guy who came up on "EDM" with Moombahton, and then callously dropped the genre for Trap music and started sipping from the Jersey Club cup. Shallow as fuck.
fuck diplo hes from pihlly and doesn't even rep where hes from hes a fraud
whos in it for the money
I hate this scene. I just want to run a 50 person party with all experimental vibes, and the password to get in is "Fuck Diplo".
Follow the trends. What a joke those guys are. lol
seriously your whole comment is worthless when you said you don't know who diplo is… you have no credibility and don't know music… diplo has produced so much shit most people don't know he made the songs. For example ushers song Climax is produced by diplo. to say you don't know usher or climax is gay considering it played for a year straight on the radio across the country.
Turk unless your taking me to the footwork/juke clubs gtfo, thats some raw street rave music there, The club "rave" culture is nothing more of a fad. Next someone does not lose credibility if they have not heard of diplo. In the scene you are gonna meet alot of grumpy old heads who will forever criticize the younger scene my advice there is not to worry about it.
I what way does Express Yourself, Get Free and Paper Planes (arguably his three biggest tracks) sound ANYTHING like each other?
Josh Trappyfeet Duke Technically Diplo is from Florida, hence the big tattoo on his shoulder and his first record being named Florida. That being said he also reps Philly constantly in interviews. In it for the money? He puts on the Mad Decent Block Parties for little profit charging $25 (when similar shows cost upwards of $100), those parties even used to be free and he'd personally swallow the cost to have kids enjoy the music for no cost.
Uh, because someone linked me this article to make fun oh you dumb ass bro. Just because you like goin and chasin rachet edm pussy at his shows doesnt make it good music. Why would i pay $30 to go listen to distorted bass and high hats? Trap is bad and we all know it. Thats why were invading your favorite site. You guys are ruining music for the rest of us
Rofl. Selling out isnt the same as it used to be. When you change your music so that everyone will come to your shows. Thats selling out
And now that i think about it your an idiot for even mentioning labels in this scene. But you probably still buy cds so as if you had a clue
wow this is actually spot on haha
Diplo the man! Don't go to his show if u don't wanna, but I'll be there
Turn the repeat button off br0
No one's heard of u with ur 3 fans
Who's chemical and why is he comments ting on an article about something he hasn't even heard of
I'm sick of his "holier than thou" attitude.
lol diplo sucks at trap
Listen to him on verve remixed and listen to him now. He used to remix soul, R&B, now he just does heavy drops and trap shit. Total sellout.
Well he's been in the music scene for like 15 years an owns/runs a huge record label so just cause you personally don't like him doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's talking about. The guys been doin it longer than a loooooot of DJs out there.
Thats not an excuse to radically change your music for the sake of having the exact people hes trashing come see you