Discuss “Holler at your boys”

Having friends in the music business has worked to the advantage of Philadelphia-based emcees Diplo, Hollertronix, and Spank Rock. Diplo (real name Wesley Pentz), whose upbringing in Mississippi factors into his melding of dirty South and Miami bass beats with current hip-hop and rap tracks, fuses music styles from Tel Aviv to Rio into danceable mixes.

In 2004 Diplo released his debut full-length album, Florida, an 11-track smorgasbord spanning such genres as Brazilian baile funk, instrumental hip-hop, and cinematic electronica. The single “Diplo Rhythm” was featured on Grey’s Anatomy and exemplified Diplo’s ability to smoothly incorporate seemingly disparate styles of music. As of 2006, Diplo added impresario to his credentials by...