Quotes from Diplo

Taylor Swift is very strategic with her friends and enemies. And I know lots of secrets. I can't divulge, but I know a lot of stuff about her. And I'm scared. I'm scared for my life.

K-pop is a weird term because K-pop has everything - rap records - it's very pop-sounding; there are really boy-band-sounding records.

Classic rock, psychedelic rock - I like to dig up old music and see what I can get influenced by.

I do a lot of collaborations and productions, whether it's Switch or Steve Aoki or No ID or Will Smith or No Doubt - I always like to collaborate and be a quality control person for the people 'cause I have my own taste in music and bring that to other peoples' brands and help them learn a little bit.

I think Usher is a bonafide superstar because he's very honest in his songs, and people can relate to that, especially in the feelings and textures of his voice. He is one of the best.

To me, rap music is bigger than who's the coolest rapper, the biggest rapper. It's everything about your personality.

When I first started producing, all I had was this little crappy sampler called a S20, which had, like, a minute sample time. I was making crappy beats since I was, like, 17 or 18, using Florida rappers, where I'm from. Then I started DJ'ing because I just wanted to have a new job. I was a schoolteacher for a while, and it was the worst job.

I was playing hip-hop when everybody else was playing the giant rave music.

Man, I don't got any real fans. Just fair-weather ones and groupies.

I never got tied down to any social scene. I was just into creating stuff. And I think, even today, that's how I'm able to work and move between so many different genres - I want to be part of what's happening, I want to make new things.

I was never good at scratching, but I was good at collecting old records. Florida was a great place for that, because it's where people go to die.

It's funny - some producers ask me, 'Man, how do you work on a Bieber record? That would kill my career.' I can work on any record there is as long as they are good records and you're pushing things forward.

When I worked with M.I.A., who was, like, the coolest person back then, she was just a girl I met on the Internet. Or even when I met Azealia Banks on Myspace, I never thought, 'Oh, she's cool.' I just loved what she was doing. So I've always been like that. And I think, as a producer, that's what you've gotta do.

In Philly, there are a lot of social programs. If you have a degree, you can go and apply. I was basically a social worker, but I became sort of a sub teacher in a special program, helping kids with reading or math. But we would also do plays, learn about music... We were doing lots of fun stuff, but that was such hard work.

I was a schoolteacher for a while, and it was the worst job.

Man, the only thing that's important is what is due tomorrow. I don't care what it is as long as it's good.

A lot of DJs don't realize they're here today and gone tomorrow. They're literally taking jets to every show. It's crazy how much money they're spending.

The monsters in my head are scared of love.

Because I can go to Vegas and make the money I do, I'm able to spend a lot more time producing music that I love.

We first started to rent old VFW halls in Philly or whatever; we rented kegs and did parties and played our own music. We had to find a way to do it because nobody else was helping us, and I think now it's important to keep those dialogues happening, those parties happening.

That's what I care about is the people I work with and representing them and helping to make their music apparent for the rest of the world.

I appreciate people who are authentic. Someone who just wants to be cool, I can tell when their intentions aren't right.

Dance music is so interchangeable. There's not a lot of face to it. It's a bunch of Dutch DJs with the same haircut.

Money, for me, is just to create bigger and better things. A lot of guys in the deejaying world flaunt it, but I don't see any use in that. I don't need anything. I live in hotels. Most of my clothes I get for free. I like to invest in ideas. In people.