| Gordo | |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Diamanté Anthony Blackmon |
| Birth Date: | 3 January 1991 |
| Birth Place: | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Origin: | Frederick, Maryland, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 2008–present |
Diamanté Anthony Blackmon (born January 3, 1991),[1] known professionally as Gordo (stylized GORDO)[2] and formerly known as Carnage (or DJ Carnage),[3] is a Nicaraguan-American disc jockey, record producer, and former rapper.[4] [5] Born in Washington, DC and raised by Nicaraguan parents. He first gained recognition for his DJ mixes and live performances at music festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival. He began releasing EDM singles in 2012 and occasionally performed as a recording artist; however, he has since retired from doing so, along with his Carnage stage name in favor of Gordo in 2022, after which he began working solely in production for other artists.[6]
As a musical act, he began exploring EDM production in 2012 under the moniker Carnage, and signed with Ultra Records to release his 2014 single "Bricks" (with Migos, which was followed by "Incredible" (with Borgore) and "Toca" (with Timmy Trumpet and KSHMR) both in the following year. His debut studio album, Papi Gordo (2015) peaked atop the Dance/Electronic Albums chart and narrowly entered the Billboard 200. Its preceding single, "I Like Tuh" (with ILoveMakonnen) received gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His second album, Battered Bruised & Bloody (2018) further delved into hip hop and was critically panned.[7]
Diamanté Anthony Blackmon was born on January 3, 1991, in Washington, D.C. to Nicaraguan parents. He was raised by his mother and aunt in Guatemala, before returning to the United States at the age of 10.[8] He attended Walkersville High School in Walkersville, Maryland.[9] When he was 16 years old, he started playing in small clubs in his hometown of Frederick .[10]
Blackmon made his debut as Carnage in 2012.[11] Blackmon established himself as an artist in the EDM genre. Collaborations with DJs such as Borgore, KSHMR, Timmy Trumpet, and Headhunterz are put to his credit.[12] His 2014 single, "The Underground" (with Alvaro) reached the 4th spot on Beatport's Top 100 list.[13] His 2015 single, "Toca" (with KSHMR, whom he met two years prior) was released through the EDM-based record label Ultra Music.[14]
"Toca" was issued as a single for his debut studio album Papi Gordo, which peaked at number 184 on the Billboard 200.[15] The album also included the singles "Bricks," "I Like Tuh," "WDYW," and "November Skies." Guest appearances included various hip hop artists such as Lil Uzi Vert, Rick Ross, Migos, Rich the Kid, ASAP Ferg, ILoveMakonnen, OG Maco, and Ty Dolla Sign. Blackmon performed minimally as a recording artist on the album, and critical reception was mixed.[16]
In September 2017, he released Young Martha, a collaborative extended play with Young Thug. In April 2018, he released his second album Battered Bruised & Bloody, which mainly explored a trap sound and included the single "I Shyne" (featuring Lil Pump).
Blackmon rebranded under the alias Gordo at Club Space in Miami, then went on to release "KTM," his first single under the Gordo name, in February 2021.[17] As Gordo, he performed at the Art of the Wild music festival at Wynn Las Vegas in March 2021.[18] He released his second single under the Gordo alias, "Taraka," in September 2021.[19] Taraka was also namesake of his hosted-event series which has appeared up in various locations across Europe and North America.[20] Taraka features underground artists, extended sets and surprise guests handpicked by Blackmon.[21] [22] [23]
In May 2022, he retired the name Carnage after 14 years in favor of his new alias as Gordo.[24] He made the change to reflect his transition from trap and bass to the house and techno subgenres.[25] Following the name change, Blackmon significantly expanded his production. He produced multiple songs for Drake's Billboard 200 number one album Honestly, Nevermind (2022), including its single "Sticky."[26] [27] He has also served as an artist-in-residence at the XS nightclub in Las Vegas.[28] Gordo also performed the final show at Pershing Square before its closure for renovation in August 2022. He also performed at the Electric Zoo music festival in September 2022.[29] The following year, Blackmon produced heavily for Drake's subsequent album For All the Dogs (2023), including its single "Rich Baby Daddy."[30]
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | DJ Mag | Carnage | Top 100 DJs[31] | |
| 2015 | Top 100 DJs[32] | |||
| 2016 | Top 100 DJs | |||
| 2021 | Carnage/GORDO | Top 100 DJs | ||
| 2023 | GORDO | Top 100 DJs[33] | ||
| 2023 | Top 100 DJs[34] |
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [35] | US Dance [36] | US Ind. [37] | US Heat. [38] | CAN [39] | |||||||||
| Papi Gordo |
| 184 | 1 | 15 | 1 | — | |||||||
| Battered Bruised & Bloody |
| — | — | — | — | — | |||||||
| Diamante |
| — | — | — | — | 79 | |||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
| EP details | ||
| Young Martha |
|---|
| Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Bub. [41] | US Tracks [42] | US Air. [43] | ARG [44] | CAN [45] | NZ Hot [46] | ||||||
| "I Like Tuh" (featuring ILoveMakonnen) | 2015 | — | 29 | — | — | — | — |
Gold | Papi Gordo | ||
| "November Skies" (featuring Tomas Barfod and Nina Kinert) | 2016 | — | — | 36 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Hombres y Mujeres" | 2022 | — | — | — | 76 | — | — | ||||
| "Sideways" | 2024 | 9 | — | — | — | 44 | 7 | Diamante | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||