Grammy-winning producer and DJ Diplo has taken a sharp creative turn with the release of his new mixtape ‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′, a bold dive into the underground world of phonk, a genre that fuses Memphis rap, lo-fi hip hop and electronic dance influences into something dark, hypnotic and deeply rhythmic.
The project sees Diplo exploring the sound that first inspired his early interest in production – the gritty, chopped-up world of 2000s Memphis hip hop. The genre’s original architects, such as Three 6 Mafia, DJ Paul and Juicy J, created a sonic blueprint defined by deep bass, eerie samples and Southern drawl – elements that have since been reimagined by a global generation of producers from Russia to Brazil, who’ve turned phonk into an online phenomenon.
Diplo’s connection to that era runs deep. “Memphis rap was one of the first sounds that really pulled me into music,” he’s said previously. “It’s raw, it’s dark, and it’s full of soul.”
‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′ brings that passion full circle. Across nine tracks, Diplo collaborates with some of the genre’s original icons – Juicy J of Three 6 Mafia and Project Pat of Hypnotize Minds – alongside a roster of international guests bridging hip hop, EDM and reggaeton. The result is a mixtape that honours the Memphis underground while driving it straight onto global dancefloors.
Once a regional style traded through cassette tapes and early mixtape culture, phonk has evolved through the digital age into a truly global sound. Teen producers from Russia and Brazil have infused it with trap, baile funk and EDM, taking it from car bass systems to TikTok virality.
Diplo, never one to stay still creatively, has tuned into this evolution. “Phonk has become a conversation between generations,” he explained when teasing the project online earlier this year. “It’s the perfect blend of nostalgia and new energy.”
Before dropping ‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′, Diplo previewed the mixtape with several singles, each introducing a different shade of the phonk palette.
Tracks with Artemas, Benny Benassi, WesGhost and Nfasis hinted at the mix of classic and modern textures – from dirty South flows to pulsating club beats.
Benassi’s inclusion nods to Diplo’s long history in the global dance scene, from Major Lazer and Jack Ü to collaborations with Skrillex, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber. Yet here, he trades festival drops for a darker, bass-heavy minimalism, bringing the underground back to the forefront.
Tracklisting – ‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′
Flashlight ft. Project Pat & Juicy J
BRAIN ft. Artemas
My Money ft. Yo Gotti
Trippy Mane ft. Project Pat
Hot P Suit ft. MC LAN
Gang Activity ft. Kordhell & Project Pat
TOMA TOMA with Benny Benassi ft. Nfasis
Still Get Like That ft. Project Pat & Starrah
PSYCHWARD with WesGhost ft. Project Pat
The standout “My Money” featuring Yo Gotti arrives with a visualiser steeped in glitchy, VHS-era textures – a nod to both the lo-fi origins of phonk and Diplo’s love for nostalgic aesthetics.
Across two decades, Diplo (real name Thomas Wesley Pentz) has built one of the most unpredictable careers in modern music. From Major Lazer’s Caribbean-inspired anthems to Silk City’s house revivalism, his work constantly reshapes genre boundaries.
‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′ may be his most left-field turn yet – a celebration of the raw, DIY spirit that shaped Southern hip hop, repackaged for a 2025 audience raised on algorithmic discovery.
Phonk, much like Diplo himself, thrives on reinvention. With ‘D00mscrvll Vol. 1′, he’s proving once again that staying ahead of the curve sometimes means looking back at where it all began.
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