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-Americandisc 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]
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 .[1][10]
Career
As Carnage
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 labelUltra 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]
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.[2][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.[21] 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]
