DJ Diplo set to perform in Kenya
American Deejay and music producer Thomas Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo, is scheduled to be in Nairobi for an electronic music night hosted by Kenya Nights on January 20 at the Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi.
The globe-trotting DJ is better known under Major Lazer, A group formed alongside fellow DJs Jillionaire and Walshy Fire together, with whom they are known for hits like Pon De Floor, Run the World, Slight Work, Lean On, Run Up and Cold Water.
The co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project, Major Lazer, shared the news on social media ahead of the event.
“What’s up Nairobi, Diplo here … January 20th I’m coming there, I’ll see you there,” he posted on his Instagram Stories.
Adding that he will also share the stage with Kooldrink and Nitefreak at the event.
This will be his third tour of the country. His first in Nairobi was in 2014 and had a huge reception. The first time, the organisers, out of sheer ignorance or naivety, booked the event at the now-closed and forgotten Tree House Club in Westlands, which couldn’t take the numbers.
The venue was so overcrowded with revellers that the night ended early because the floor reportedly started falling apart.
In 2017, his second the organisers were wiser and changed the venue to Carnivore Grounds, a time-tested venue that can handle whatever you throw at it.
For his 2017 tour Diplo performed with the group Major Lazer in an event which was also hosted by Kenya Nights. While Major Lazer is currently not on tour, Diplo has been performing around the world over the past year, landing on all seven continents in 2023.
The DJ and record producer is no stranger to controversy regarding his rumoured relationships with younger women.
In August 2023, he was awarded more than $1.2 million from a woman he said had harassed him incessantly after the two had a one-night stand.
Diplo had sued the woman, whose name is Shelly Auguste, in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming she had threatened to release revenge porn and repeatedly made unwanted contact with his child’s mother and other family members.
The famed DJ responded to the fact that he could face charges after Auguste claimed he gave her a sexually transmitted disease and recorded her while they had sex without her permission before allegedly sharing the clips with his friends.
Auguste had made the criminal complaint to the Los Angeles Police Department in October 2020.
The musician took to Instagram to address the allegations, claiming the woman in question was ‘an obsessed fan’ of his.
“I will keep this story easy to read because I know the internet has a short attention span, and it was my goal to never address a stalker. I will refer to her as ‘SA’ (and you can find anything easily online) she was an obsessed fan of mine, and after I relinquished all contact with her, it appears that her only purpose in life has been to disrupt my work, my business, harass me and my close friends and attack me and threaten my family,” his post read in part.
“To be clear, SA was not a minor when I had conversations or sexual intercourse with her. Her own text messages admit this.”
Auguste has many tweets and Instagram posts regarding her accusations against Diplo, including text messages she claims were sent by the DJ and other accusations against the DJ from other women.
The police investigation and its submission to prosecutors who are considering criminal charges reveals a new level of scrutiny for the allegations made against the celebrity DJ.
For his part, Diplo’s Instagram response suggested that the allegations up to being a celebrity and that such ‘unsubstantiated claims’ come with the territory.