Madonna: Diplo Is a Slave Driver

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Upcoming Releases, Pop,

Madonna claims producer Diplo is a "slave driver" in the studio.

The "Hung Up" hitmaker is making music with Katy Perry's rumored boyfriend and admits he pushed her to her limits when the pair teamed up together. Madonna posted a photograph of her on a laptop on her Instagram account, with the caption, "Working with @Diplo got me like................WHAAaaat? [sic]."

She later added a photograph of herself looking tired after a long session working on new ideas and wrote, "Diplo is a slave driver! Got me working all hours of the night in the studio. Had to sneak into the bathroom! #clicclacclicclacbitchgetoffmyback [sic]."

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Adam Levine and Katy Perry Collaboration in the Works?

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: Collaborations, Gossip, Rumors, Upcoming Releases, Pop,

Could there be an Adam Levine and Katy Perry duet in the making?

Judging by some paparazzi photos, The Voice judge was seen exiting a recording studio soon after the "Part of Me" singer had entered the same building. Pop star Sia and producer Diplo were also spotted during Perry's recoding session, appearing in a photo she posted on Instagram where the pair playfully try to hide the "California Gurls" singer from photographers with umbrellas (seen after the jump).

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Diplo Produces New Track for Beyonce?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Gossip, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, Pop, R&B / Soul,

Beyonce has worked with Diplo on a new track.

The producer and his former Major Lazer partner Switch produced "Run the World (Girls)" - the first single from Beyonce's last album, 4- and he has been back in the studio with her again, although it is not yet known if their collaboration will be on her forthcoming fifth record.

"I'm in the middle of something for her at the moment," Diplo cryptically explained.

Beyonce is not the only pop titan the producer - who rose to fame after producing "Paper Planes" for M.I.A - has worked with, as he produced some songs on Justin Bieber's 2012 album Believe and was impressed with the 19-year-old star's skills: "The craziest thing about Justin Bieber is that the kid is crazily good at everything. He's really good at ping pong, the kid can rap, he has awesome hair, he's super cool and super nice."

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Snoop Dogg Names Diplo His Reggae Guru

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, Reggae,

Snoop Dogg chose Diplo to produce his reggae album as he is his only friend who knows the genre. The rapper - rebranding himself as Snoop Lion for the project - wanted to make a more "adult" record, and called on Diplo after being impressed with his work.

Speaking at the launch of Red Bull Culture Clash, Diplo told BANG Showbiz, "He hit me up, I was like the only person he knew that knew anything about reggae, and so we just met a couple of times and it became a really good idea to do this. We worked before on his last album, and he said, he wanted to do something that's a bit more adult." Diplo said Snoop got excited after he played him a song by his dancehall project Major Lazer, which convinced him to adopt a reggae sound.

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Beyonce’s ‘Adult’ Album

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Collaborations, Gossip, Pop, R&B / Soul,

Beyonce's 4 album "made more sense" to Diplo once he found out she was pregnant.

The producer and his DJ partner Switch worked on two tracks on the album, first single "Run the World (Girls)" and "End of Time," and although he was initially confused by why it was such an "adult" album, he grew to love it. "When it first came out, I wished I had worked on more of the record, but after a year passed I became a huge fan. We knew the two records that we did, but when it came out it had all those ballads, and then I realized, it made a lot more sense when I found out she was pregnant. In the studio I didn't know really where she was with her attitude but it's a very adult record. She's made a lot of dance and club records, but this whole album is a very adult record, and in retrospect I really appreciate it a lot, more than I did when I first heard it," he said.

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Snoop Dogg Unveils Reggae Album

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Upcoming Releases, Reggae,

Snoop Dogg has previewed his new reggae album, Reincarnated. The "Drop it Like it's Hot" rapper gave fans a taste of his new musical direction with the track "La La La," produced by Diplo and Ariel Rechtshaid and executive produced by Major Lazer.

The 40-year-old star - real name Calvin Broadus - will be going under the alias Snoop Lion for the project, and has been working on 18 new tracks with producer Diplo. Speaking of the project, Diplo has said, "Snoop Dogg is an icon, man; he's bigger than the music. What we're doing is a reggae record. It's all reggae and he's singing and he's doing a f***ing awesome job and I never knew it, but he had his heart in every song."

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Snoop Dogg is Making a Reggae Album

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Collaborations, Upcoming Releases, Hip-Hop & Rap, R&B / Soul, Reggae,

Snoop Dogg is making a reggae album. The "Drop it Like it's Hot" rapper has been working with producer Diplo - who has previously produced tracks for Beyonce, M.I.A and Usher - and exploring a new musical direction.

"Snoop Dogg is an icon, man; he's bigger than the music. What we're doing is a reggae record. It's all reggae and he's singing and he's doing a f***ing awesome job and I never knew it, but he had his heart in every song," Diplo told MTV.

Diplo added he and Snoop have started on 18 tracks together, and he's excited to get back to recording in April: "We're going to get back into the production of it next month, and I'm really proud of that record. It's the first record I've ever executive-produced and his crew is amazing."

The producer also admitted he was initially nervous when he teamed up with R&B star Usher, for his track "Climax." "We just had great chemistry. I was super-nervous working with him the first two days. I love Usher. I'm an Usher fan. We did some up tempo stuff too. I don't know what'll make the album, but I think there are definitely three songs that'll make it."

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M.I.A. Taking a Total Departure

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Upcoming Releases, Dance, Electronic,

M.I.A.‘s new album will be “a total departure” from her established sound.

Producer Diplo, who collaborated with M.I.A. (real name Maya Arulpragasam) on her breakthrough single “Paper Planes,” promises he has drawn from a well of diverse musical influences to create tracks for the Sri Lankan born singer’s third album. “On the new record I’ve just done for her - which might be the single - I sampled a bunch of gospel-y, old-school, Alabama, weird, Sacred Harp singers,” he said.

“It’s turning into an Animal Collective kind of record, which represents a total departure from what you would expect from her, but that’s where her head was at. She just had a baby so she was on this elated mood. With her it’s always sort of random, whatever you think was not going to be productive - that recording ended up being a really s****y demo and then it turned into a big song.”

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