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Merely half a decade ago, Thomas Wesley Pentz (better known as Diplo) and partner DJ Low Budget were just two college kids in Philadelphia promoting parties. But Diplo's knack for mixing wildly different genres into dance favorites made him one of the biggest names on the global DJ scene. Not only was his debut freshman mix tape Never Scared honored in The New York Times as one of the best albums of 2003, but his career and good name spread like an international wildfire from the stereos of clubs to critics alike. He went on to help make M.I.A.’s Grammy-nominated hit “Paper Planes” and word on tracks for Beyonce, Kid Cudi, Chris Brown, Shakira, Snoop Dogg, Das Racist, and many more. Today, he manages his own record label Mad Decent and nonprofit organization Heaps Decent. Diplo works hard, and he’s dedicated to his craft as a trend-setting cultural curator.Diplo’s latest project is a book, 128 Beats Per Minute: Diplo’s Visual Guide To Music, Culture, and Everything in Between (Universe). It’s a collaboration with photographer Shane McCauley and features a glowing forward by designer Alexander Wang. The book details his world travels and his sonic discoveries as he delves into everything from dub reggae in Jamaica to the electro/techno scene in Tel Aviv. “Right now, all we have are party pictures and fliers, and that bit of soul isn’t there as the scene lingers in the mainstream,” Diplo told us. “I wanted to document what is really going on, right now, in the world of dance parties and raves. It just shows how there is a connection between all these things we take for granted.”From some luxurious place in Los Angeles, Diplo talked to us about about girls, relationships and making the most out of Valentine's Day.What songs top your romantic playlist?That's pretty hard. Something like Massive Attack "Protection" is up there, or Van Morrison "Astral Weeks."What was the worst date you've ever been on?[Laughs] I don't go on dates, man.Any spectacular girls you just can't shake?There was this one time I hung out with a singer/songwriter girl. We had some whisky, and I was nervous and so far from charming. Luckily she stayed in touch even though I was so lame. She was my crush for so long.First kiss story?I can’t remember that, but I do remember I kissed this girl in middle school that was my enemy, my arch rival, but one day we happened to run into each other when we were in the street sneaking out of some school function at the convention center. We saw some police and we hid in a ditch and we started to make out. I think we both thought it was pretty weird, and we didn’t speak about it again.What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in the sack? How did you recover?Well, lots of embarrassing things happen with girls.How has your perspective on love and sex changed in the last 10 years? What did you learn in your 20s?I've learned a lot. You don’t really have a chance with a real relationship unless you would give up everything for it. Now, I'm with an awesome girl with a baby, and I didn't plan it, but I couldn't ever ask for a better person to share this life with.What are the most important things to remember about sustaining a happy, exciting relationship?I have heard never go to bed angry, and that makes sense. Unless you're always checking yourself, a grudge or something small can break apart a relationship, and you start to forget what is so amazing about your partner. Continue Reading
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