Simply one of the most influential producers of dance music in recent years, Diplo has made his love for diverse and ecclectic bass music his trademark and biggest asset. Born in Tupelo, MS, Diplo (born Thomas Wesley Pentz) mainly grew up in Florida, and in 2003, after a brief stint in Japan, moved to Philadelphia to finish his degree in film studies. Things started to get rolling when a demo tape he sent from Japan earned him a deal with the UK's well known Big Dada label. Back in the US Diplo launched Hollertronix together with partner DJ Low Budget, first a series of increasingly well known parties, and soon a record label for Baltimore bass tracks and bootlegs. 2004 became a big year for Diplo with the release of his 'Piracy Funds Terrorism, Vol. 1' mix, a collaboration with UK rapper M.I.A., and his debut album 'Florida' on Big Dada. Diplo's virtuous mash up of hip-hop breaks, baile funk and B-more bass, ranging from frenetic to reflective, earned him enthusiastic press, and he went on to produce parts of M.I.A.'s break-through debut album 'Arular', including the successful single 'Bucky Done Gone'. Diplo has gone from strength to strength since , compiling a volume of the acclaimed 'FabricLive' series, recording remixes for a huge list of artists and most recently working with singer Santogold, one of the big shooting stars of 2008.