After 14 years of making his name as Carnage and helping define the EDM, trap and bass music genres during the US dance music boom of the early 2010s – while bridging it with hip-hop – the artist born Diamanté Blackmon renamed GORDO.
In 2022, he announced his departure from the Carnage project – a project that led him to various Advertising sign charts, including Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and the Billboard 200 — and showcased his new full-time house and techno project.
“What I want people to understand is that this is not me having a new hobby and that I want to do it because it's fun,” Blackmon has said in the past. Advertising sign. “Honestly, I can't do Carnage anymore. I wasn't happy.”
Now, the Nicaraguan-American artist and producer has released his debut album as GORDO under his real name, DIAMOND. The album took four years to create and is home to 16 bilingual tracks — including notable collaborators such as Drake, T-Pain, Feid, Maluma and Fuerza Regida.
“I wouldn't change anything. I guess that's why it's taken me four years to make sure I can review it and know it's perfect,” he said in a press statement. “This album is dedicated to my grandmother, my family, friends and loved ones. I hope everyone enjoys what I believe is the best music I've ever made.”
Below, read Advertising signChat with GORDO about his new album, collaborators and more.
Congratulations on your debut album as GORDO! You can take us back to his creative process DIAMOND?
It's been four years since I made these songs and I've been trying to get to where I am with them. I'm really happy, and it's been one hell of a ride to get to where I am musically, but also mentally. Was amazing. I'm very happy with the album, very happy with the turnout and ready for the next one.
It was a ride mentally. Can you describe what state of mind you were in when you entered the studio?
You know what; I wasn't in a particular situation — because for me, really, I just made songs whenever I had time or felt creative. Eventually when I was making the songs, it would take me about a month or two to get to the other song. I wasn't in a certain situation, I think. I was just trying to make the best music possible.
The starpower in the tracklist is insane. Two songs with Drake, but also Maluma, Feid, Nicki Nicole, Fuerza Regida, Sech… you enlisted some big Latin names.
The album is the album. I'm so happy that I was able to make a dance album that has people like Drake, T-Pain — and at the same time you have Feid and Maluma. You're not going to see this type of tracklist [anywhere else]. Even if you do something with a Latin producer, it's going to be a lot more Latin, but my Latin collaborations add a little spice to it [the album].
As for Drake, he's a great guy. He really cares about me and I care about him. He looked after me for this album and he knew how important it was to me. He's a big fan of that album — and yeah, I mean, that's my boy.
Is there another Latino artist you had your eye on for this project but didn't get the chance?
I have a crazy song with Jhayco which is really good but he ghosted me. Well Jhay, you missed the bud! There are so many artists that didn't make it, and that's right, but everything does for a reason.
In addition to the Fuerza track, you also had the opportunity to create some of the songs from their new album Pero No Te Enamores. How did you build that relationship with the team?
JOP is like my brother. We are crazy cool. Any person I work with, I know personally and we have this connection that is like friends making music with friends. It went so smoothly. These guys are crazy, they are so much fun. They're the sweetest guys, but they're also very focused on music, work, marketing, and how we're going to grow the project. Everything works by itself.
What came first: Fuerza's collaboration on your album or Gordo's collaboration on Fuerza's album?
The song I have with them on the album was finished the day before my album came out. When I finished the album, JOP asked me “how come I'm not on your album?” and I said, “Well, why are we working on yours.” But he sent me his vocals and I created the song literally on the plane the night before.
Now that we're on the subject, what's your take on the electro-corrido movement?
I mean, they're drugs. I don't really care what you can or can't do, and the politics of it. Just do it. A lot of people care about that stuff, and how they perceive things about certain collaborations and certain genre mixes, but I think as an artist, just do whatever the hell you want!
What do you think Latin music—be it local, urban, tropical, pop—brings to the EDM scene?
Spanish vocals. I think this is the most important. There is an influx of Latin vocals on dance records right now. Apparently, we're getting to the point where for the longest time all you heard were English words on dance records. Now that there are superstars in different regions and countries, people want to listen to this type of artist. In Argentina, you want to listen to Emilia, Nicki or TINI, they don't have to wait and listen to someone like Katy Perry or Taylor Swift. They can listen to their hometown girls and the music will be just as impressive or even bigger. It's wonderful.
To conclude, is there anything – perhaps a specific business strategy or career advice – that you carried over from the Carnage era to the Gordo era?
Don't listen to what others say. He worked hard. Save money. Never let off the gas, that is, never stop. He continued! I think the number one trait that Hispanics have is that we are the hardest working people on this planet. Many people are comfortable with music. Imagine coming out with an album like mine, someone else would drop the album and then go on vacation… but, this is where the real work begins. This is what I mean by “don't let off the gas”. It depends how bad you want it. I'm addicted to it.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/latin/gordo-diamante-album-drake-collaborators-1235745465/