Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known by his stage moniker Diplo, has been nominated for three Grammy Awards this year: producer of the year, best dance/electronic album and best dance recording.
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The acclaimed producer spoke on the phone with The New York Times while in Thailand on Dec. 7 to discuss an array of topics surrounding the Grammys, including his group Major Lazer’s "Lean On" with DJ Snake and featured vocalist MØ.
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Despite peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and being crowned the most-streamed song of all time on Spotify with 600 million plays, the record flew under the Academy’s radar. "Our song doesn’t exist in any genre...We couldn’t even be nominated for reggae, because we’re just too weird," Diplo says. "It doesn’t fit anywhere else, so we kind of cursed ourselves with a massive song."
Nonetheless, his Jack Ü collaboration "Where Are Ü Now," with fellow member Skrillex and pop star Justin Bieber, landed a nomination for best dance recording. Although dance fans did not expect the pop pairing at first, Diplo says, "We were trying to expand ourselves out of dance into something for the future."
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The multi-talented artist adds that he and Skrillex have "leveled the playing field" by simply putting out great music under their respective projects.
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In regards to his nomination for producer of the year, Diplo says, "My dream is to win that award. As a producer, I’ve just been growing every year and I’ve been doing it on my own terms. I’ve never been an industry producer; I’m on the outside looking in."
Read Diplo’s full interview with The New York Times here.