horsys67: Usher And Diplo Found 'Chemistry' On 'Climax'

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Usher And Diplo Found 'Chemistry' On 'Climax'

In-demand producer/DJ also talks to MTV News about upcoming projects with No Doubt, Snoop Dogg, more.
By Zachary Swickey

MADISON, Wisconsin — It was just four years ago that <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/diplo/artist.jhtml">Diplo</a> put his production prowess on full display with M.I.A.'s mega-hit <a href="http://www.mtv.com/videos/mia/195024/paper-planes.jhtml">"Paper Planes."</a> Since then, the DJ/producer has become a go-to producer for major acts like Usher, whose latest single, R&B jam "Climax," features work from the Philadelphia native. On Tuesday, MTV News hit up the first stop on the campus-themed <a href="http://newsroom.mtv.com/2012/03/28/diplo-chiddy-bang-axe-one-night-only-tour">AXE One Night Only Tour</a> in Wisconsin, and we caught up with the headlining DJ to talk about his upcoming projects. "We got really luck on that one," he said of the track from Usher's upcoming album. "We just had great chemistry. I was super-nervous working with him the first two days. ... The way we did it, it was just a super-open format. He was down to do whatever we were excited about. "I love Usher," Diplo gushed. "I'm an Usher fan. I love him for records like 'Confessions Pt. II' and 'Burn,' those are some of the first R&B records from my generation that are still lasting forever. And we did some uptempo stuff too. I don't know what'll make the album, but I think there are definitely three songs that'll make it." Diplo is currently involved with a number of projects and luckily he was willing to dish. After working last summer with <a href="/news/articles/1670849/no-doubt-album-release.jhtml">No Doubt on their upcoming record</a>, the producer revealed he had good news to share. "We just finished. I was actually in Jamaica last month and I went in and did some extra stuff on that record," he told us. "I'm super-excited. It's probably going to be a single for their album. They've been [tweeting] about the song, so they're excited about it. I think it's going to be a 'No Doubt featuring Major Lazer' record, because we were producers, and there's another artist on it, too, that we recorded in Jamaica. "But you'll have to wait," Diplo warned, "I don't know how far off that record is, but every song I've heard is a bona-fide hit. ' The superstar DJ also recently took to his Facebook page and casually mentioned that he's already started production on 18 tracks for a record with <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/snoop_dogg/artist.jhtml">Snoop Dogg</a>. "Snoop Dogg is an icon, man; he's bigger than the music," Diplo said. "What we're doing is a reggae record. It's like Snoop Dogg and Major Lazer together. 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. ... 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.

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