History of Major Lazer: the beginning of their journey and success, interesting facts that few people know about

Major Lazer is a band, or rather trio, playing electronic dance-music! The team was born in Jamaica, long went to success and eventually became one of the most popular in the world of dance music! The creativity of these guys covers a lot of genres, from reggae and dancehall to reggaeton and soca... They have a lot of first-class hits and prestigious nominations, including Electronic Music Awards! Let's talk about the history of their formation...

Who's Diplo?

Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known by his alias Diplo, grew up in sunny Fort Lauderdale. The guy has had a passion for music from the moment he started to remember himself! According to the pseudonym, it is also clear that Thomas was not indifferent to dinosaurs... But, actually, it's not about that.

As a child Thomas had already had the opportunity to get acquainted with different cultures: in his neighbourhood lived a variety of families - Jamaican, Jewish, ordinary Southerners ... And, in fact, this played its role: growing up, the guy began to create music, which mixed a variety of genres and trends ... And if gradually some styles have fallen into oblivion for Thomas, dancehall accompanied the DJ at all parties!

"I was attracted to all genres, from reggae to rock! But if I needed a band to develop the latter, I could do dancehall on my own! When I was a kid I was crazy about Lloyd James... To think I wasn't even alive when he released his hits! But in the 90's all the old tracks came back again and again. And that minimalist sound delighted me with its simplicity and power..."

Not everyone, even a well-known producer, can boast such a rich notebook as Diplo... The young DJ managed to work with such stars as M.I.A., Snoop Dogg, Madonna, Beyonce, Usher... It's not for nothing that Thomas was dubbed a hitmaker, shaping the landscape of the pop scene.

"The track 'Paper Planes' made me a guy capable of creating a cool hit for radio! But even though that song has become my calling card, my biggest hits are my own tracks..."

Basically - a love of different genres and an interest in fusing them led to the creation of the Major Lazer project...

Major Lazer: where it all began....

The project was founded by Diplo and producer Switch (aka Dave Taylor). However, in 2011 the latter left the band. As Thomas said, Dave didn't like the difficulties caused by the rise of Major Lazer's popularity... Despite Taylor's departure, the guys managed to keep warm friendly relations. By the way: instead of him, Gillionaire and Walshy Fire were called up "full time". Of course, Major Lazer's music acquired new shades: there was a tendency towards hip-hop, Caribbean rhythms and calypso motifs... This is the beginning of their long way to the Olympus of fame....

"For a long time I wasn't good at making music... I couldn't just concentrate and record something! However, Major Lazer was gaining momentum... I had no choice but to make this project my top priority. I realised that we were growing: our releases were getting more and more known! They were getting on the radio, in the ratings and so on... And then I finally realised what I wanted to do. To be honest - at the beginning I didn't think that this project would go so far...".

Scandals...

When Diplo became well known, he had to give up social media, as his work was very time-consuming... In general - Thomas himself was not too upset about it! In the past, he had already had to "spill a lot of gruel", in particular - because of his scandalous comments about Taylor Swift and Caitlyn Jenner.

After that experience, I try to keep my mouth shut," Diplo admits. - As soon as I say something stupid, the next day it's in the tabloids. And then for a month, if not more, people harass me... It's bloody infuriating!"

Few people know, but before becoming an idol to millions, Diplo worked on making films, writing scripts and songs... He even painted graffiti (for money, of course)!

"I managed to work a lot of places before I connected my life with music... And you know what? I hated all the jobs! Every day I thought: "Oh, shit! I'm going to work for some rich uncle again..." That prospect made me sad... And music - music is different! When you think about it and want to do something for people, your motivation changes...".

Creativity

The debut album Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do saw the light of day in 2009. It was followed by the single "Hold the Line", popularised by the game FIFA 10!

After leaving Switch, Diplo began collaborating with various stars, most notably Snoop Dogg. The collaboration resulted in the album Snoop Lion. Soon Major Lazer's second LP, called Free the Universe, was released... Ahead of the release, the single "Get Free" was released, which soon became the soundtrack to the film Baywatch.

The experimentation continued. The tracks "Be Together", "Lean On", "Powerful" and "Light It Up" were released with the participation of singers Ellie Goulding, MØ and others.

The big breakthrough for Major Lazer was Peace Is the Mission, which went triple platinum!

The re-released Peace is the Mission: Extended has delighted fans and club music lovers alike with new bonus tracks such as "Boom", "Wave", "Thunder & Lightning" and "Lost".

New releases and new successes!

In 2017, Major Lazer appeared in an open project organised by platforms TBRG Open and The Flow, resulting in the project's beat being used by rapper Skriptonite in the track "Where's Your Love".

During the same period, the track "Cold Water" was released, which instantly elevated Major Lazer to the Olympus of fame: the single surpassed the success of the previous works of the project, and confidently led the Billboard Hot 100! It was followed by the tracks "Believer", "My Number", "Run Up"....

Major Lazer soon released tracks recorded with Skip Marley and Anitta ("Can't Take It from Me" and "Make It Hot")

In 2018, in honour of the project's 10th anniversary, the Major Lazer Essentials compilation was released! It features the band's greatest hits, as well as the new track "Blow That Smoke" (recorded together with Tove Lu).

The year 2019 brought fans two new releases at once: an extended performance of "Africa Is the Future" and the track "Can't Take It from Me"! Unfortunately, the year turned out to be not only that, but also the departure from the project of DJ Jillionaire, who decided to take up a solo career. Ape Drums took his place.

In 2020, Major Lazer released two new singles, "Que Calor" and "Lay Your Head on Me".

One last thing...

Today, the chanting of "Major! La-zer!" is getting louder and louder. Diplo and Walshy Fire are warming up backstage, pumping their abs and everything! There is a fuss in the hall, which, in general, is quite normal before the performance of some world-class star. But the atmosphere is filled with fairy tale when the moment comes: Diplo throws his T-shirt into the crowd and the dive into dancehall begins... This is the best thing that a true connoisseur of electronic music can feel....

"I was always convinced I knew something I didn't really know. In fact, we're just learning. It may seem strange, but sometimes I feel like we're just at the beginning of the journey..." - says Diplo.