Diplo: Don't Get In The Way Of Music You Want To Make
At this 2016 Philadelphia Chapter "Up Close & Personal" event, Philadelphia Inquirer pop music critic Dan DeLuca interviewed Diplo. After he moved from Florida to go to Temple University in Philadelphia, he found the affordability of the scene created a supportive local arts culture. With help, Diplo began the Hooked on Hollertronix series of parties and mixtapes leading eventually to his current top DJ rank on Forbes' Electronic Cash Kings 2017. "He has a different way to hear things," Diplo said about Skrillex, the first collaborator Diplo started working with when he moved to L.A. "We just got together and we both traded ideas," Diplo said. "We were both kind of renegade in the dance music scene. We wanted to do something separate from that, so we did with the Jack Ü album." His GRAMMY wins were at the 58th GRAMMY Awards, Best Dance Recording for "Where Are Ü Now," and Best Dance/Electronic Album for Skrillex And Diplo Present Jack Ü." He believes an artist should follow their own instincts, keep things spontaneous, and make the music they want to make.