10 Things We've Learned From Mad Decent

You've got to live and learn, and if you're only living to shake your ass at Mad Decent releases, we're not mad at that. With the moves that Diplo's imprint has made over the last nine years, however, you might be playing yourself if you don't look at their accomplishments and learned from them Mad Decent has created avenues for plenty of individuals, not just including the producers, DJs, and live acts associated with their releases and live shows. While we don't see them as the ultimate success story, they are a great case study for doing things on your, and succeeding. Take a look at 10 things that Mad Decent's run (so far) has taught us.

A wise person once said that "variety is the spice of life," and the way the iPod nation works these days, we keep our entire music library on shuffle. Mad Decent does a great job of mirroring this sentiment by releasing a number of different styles of music, from moombahton and rap to New Orleans-influenced bounce and dancehall. It all ends up fitting under one umbrella, and makes us appreciate Mad Decent even more for allowing us to be surprised from time to time.

How often have you received word that Mad Decent or The Jeffree's was releasing music from an artist that you weren't familiar with, but ended up loving? We imagine many people felt that way about Baauer, either when "Harlem Shake" came out or a year later, when that meme shot it to the top of Billboard. With dance music being such a youth-driven culture, it makes sense that Diplo would readily embrace artists from across the globe, and it should make you realize that some of the best discoveries are made when you're traveling in unknown territory.

The stigma with giving away music on the Internet has always circled around these tracks being of lesser quality, or that a "free party" will end up being a shitty time. Until this year, Mad Decent Block Parties were free entry, and featured some of the most promising and talented DJs and live acts, becoming one of the best music festivals in America. The Jeffree's was established as a free imprint that providing release-quality material on a consistent basis, using nothing more than a Tumblr and a SoundCloud account. Many of the Jeffree's producers are established or end up being established, and nearly all of the releases end up being sold on iTunes anyway. Something to think about.

When Diplo was a teacher, he actually worked in an after-school care program. That experience taught Diplo how hard it was to reach out to those kids, and how hard it can be to do this without much support. When he got big enough to do so, he launched Heaps Decent, a charity devoted to social relief in Australia and many other locations. One should always give back when you can, even if you're not some millionaire. Everyone needs something.

What good is that fresh new genre you've discovered if no one even hears it? You can't stay in a bubble then complain about the topside never giving the underground shine. Let's try to get these sounds to coexist on some level. Diplo's the kind of guy who won't just go to New Orleans to find out more about New Orleans bounce music; he's going to bring it back home and craft huge singles like "Express Yourself," exposing that sound to millions.

This is a big part of the aesthetic of many within dance music, as before "EDM" became a buzz word, many labels operated on a low level and featured the lead artist also being the main DJ and label head of the imprint. Mad Decent may not be just Diplo, but he's the head on the mantle, and it's his vision that's helped turn Mad Decent into this ship that's set many careers on course. You dictate what you want to release, on your own schedule, and learn how to turn the progress you make inward and make yourself better. On your own terms.

Don't like the options out there? Create your own. You wondering why a particular sound or genre isn't making noise? Establish your own platform and show the world what they're missing. We're not sure, but these feel like mantras that Mad Decent followed along the last decade, putting them a notch above those who play it safe, making moves that have nothing to do with enacting the change that everyone wants to see go down.

We said earlier that Mad Decent is far from a solo Diplo operation. Dirty South Joe puts on for Mad Decent in Philly, while DJA has been a crucial part of Diplo's studio for years. Paul Devro has not only been the creative director at Mad Decent, but word is that Jeffree's was his brainchild. Surrounding yourself with talented people that see your vision can only enhance your progress in the end.