Diplo
A genre-defying DJ and producer who became a global hitmaker by fusing underground electronic sounds with pop and world music sensibilities.
Born 1978 (age 48)·American DJ and music producer·Birthday: November 10·Generation X
Biography
Born Thomas Wesley Pentz, Diplo began as a restless crate-digger and party DJ, spinning everything from Miami bass to Brazilian baile funk. His breakthrough came not from a traditional album, but from a mixtape that caught M.I.A.'s ear, leading to his production on her global smash "Paper Planes." This set the template for his career: a cultural omnivore constantly on the hunt for the next sound. He built the Mad Decent label into an empire, championing global genres like moombahton and turning Major Lazer, his animated dancehall project, into a festival-headlining phenomenon. His collaborations are a who's who of modern pop, from Beyoncé and Justin Bieber to Sia and Bad Bunny, making him less a traditional artist and more a central node in the network of 21st-century music.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Diplo was born in 1978, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Diplo Was Born
The biggest hits of 1978
#1 Movie
Grease
Best Picture
The Deer Hunter
#1 TV Show
Laverne & Shirley
Diplo's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1978Born
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1983Started school
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1991Became a teenager
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Could drive
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1996Could vote
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1999Turned 21
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2008Turned 30
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 40
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 48 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and produced M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes," which was nominated for a Record of the Year Grammy in 2009.
- Formed the electronic dancehall project Major Lazer, whose single "Lean On" (with DJ Snake and MØ) became one of the most streamed songs of all time.
- Co-founded the electronic duo Jack Ü with Skrillex, winning a Grammy for their 2015 album 'Skrillex and Diplo Present Jack Ü.'
- Founded the independent record label and collective Mad Decent in 2006.
Did You Know?
He worked as a schoolteacher in Philadelphia before his music career took off.
The name Diplo is short for diplodocus, the dinosaur, which was his nickname as a kid.
He hosts a weekly radio show on Apple Music 1 called 'Diplo & Friends.'
He is a licensed helicopter pilot.
“I'm not a musician. I'm a curator.”
