Artist Major Lazer

Diplo and Switch might always be best known for having worked with the now-huge M.I.A., but they're giving a sincere go at being known for another larger-than-life character. Their side-project, Major Lazer, arrived with 2009’s Guns Dont Kill People...Lazers Do, based around a fictional Jamaican commando who had lost his arm in a secret zombie war in 1984 and had it replaced, Evil Dead-style, with a lethal laser. The dancehall-themed electro record has energy to spare, boasting a roster of Jamaican stars like Vybz Kartel, T.O.K., Ms. Thing, and Turbulence, with Diplo/Switch marquee collaborator Santigold on board, too. A new, untitled record is due in 2012, with a guest spot from Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman.

Updated 05/16/2012