TECH IT DEEP

Diamanté Blackmon entered the world in Nicaragua before growing up in Frederick, Maryland, where as a teenager he started spinning records in neighborhood venues and soon performed under the moniker Carnage. Between 2012 and 2021 that alias earned him four appearances on DJ Magazine’s annual Top 100 DJs poll in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2021. In 2015 Ultra Records welcomed him aboard, and the trap-oriented Papi Gordo arrived, claiming the top spots on Billboard’s dance albums, Independent, and Heatseekers rankings while showcasing guest spots from Migos, Rick Ross, Lil Uzi Vert, and ILoveMakonnen; their track “I Like Tuh” later received gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

A joint EP with Young Thug titled Young Martha surfaced in 2017, and twelve months afterward the full-length Battered Bruised & Bloody followed. By 2022 Blackmon had adopted the working name Gordo and begun steering his sound toward house and techno. That pivot coincided with production contributions to Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, specifically the lead singles “Sticky” and “Massive,” plus additional beats for “Gently” and “Rich Baby Daddy” on the 2023 release For All the Dogs. Gordo’s own third studio album, Diamante, reached stores in 2024 and contained the Drake-featured cut “Sideways.”