Khaled Mohammed Khaled (/ˈkælɪd/;Arabic:خالد محمد خالد,romanized: Khālid Muḥammad Khālid),[3] known professionally asDJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally aMiami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profilemusic industry artists to perform on singles and albums, for which he often serves as producer andhype man. Known as the "Anthem King", his distinctions are his booming voice presence, "motivational" abstractions, maximalist production style and numerouscatchphrases.[4]
Khaled was born inNew Orleans,Louisiana, to Palestinian immigrant parents. He first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s for the radio station99 Jamz, and translated his popularity by working withFat Joe's hip hop collective,Terror Squad, as a DJ for their live performances and as a producer for the group. Following his production credits on the group's material,[5] Khaled enlisted several hip hop artists associated with the group and his native Miami to perform on his debut studio album,Listennn... the Album (2006). His second album,We the Best (2007), spawned the hit single "I'm So Hood" (featuringT-Pain,Trick Daddy,Rick Ross andPlies). His two subsequent releases—We Global (2008) andVictory (2010)—both peaked within the top ten of theBillboard 200; the latter was supported by the single "All I Do Is Win" (featuring T-Pain,Ludacris,Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross), which receivedtriple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
His fifth studio album andmajor label debut,We the Best Forever (2011), saw continued commercial success and brought Khaled to mainstream prominence by spawning his firstBillboard Hot 100-top ten single, "I'm on One" (featuringDrake, Rick Ross andLil Wayne). His following three albums—Kiss the Ring (2012),Suffering from Success (2013), andI Changed a Lot (2015)—were released to moderate critical and commercial reception.[6] Throughout 2015 and 2016, Khaled gained wider recognition as a public figure due to his social media activity. This, along with severalInternet memes, foresaw the release of his ninth studio album,Major Key (2016), which was met with further critical and commercial success as it debuted atop theBillboard 200 and was nominated forBest Rap Album at the59th Annual Grammy Awards.
His musician parents playedArabic music; Khaled started developing an interest in rap and soul music at a young age, and his parents supported his interest. He worked in a localMerry-Go-Round record store.[10][11][12]
Career
During his early career, Khaled became acquainted with several young artists and helped them before their breakthrough; these includeBirdman,Lil Wayne, andMavado. One of his first jobs was at the New Orleans record store Odyssey where he met both Birdman and Lil Wayne in 1993.[13] After leaving Odyssey, he began DJing in reggaesound clashes, mixing dancehall and hip-hop. His first radio gig was on apirate station. In 1998, he moved to Miami and co-hostedThe Luke Show onWEDR "99 Jamz" with2 Live Crew'sLuther Campbell. In 2003, he started hosting a weeknight radio show on 99 Jamz calledThe Takeover.[6][12][13]
During his career, Khaled has used many monikers, including "Arab Attack", "Big Dog Pitbull", "Terror Squadian" (used during his time with the hip hop groupTerror Squad), Beat Novacane (a moniker under which he produces beats), The Don Dada, Mr. Miami etc. Khaled explained that "Arab Attack" meant "attack with music"; he stopped using it after theSeptember 11 attacks to avoid appearing insensitive.[14][15][16]
2006–2008:Listennn... the Album,We the Best, andWe Global
In 2008, Khaled's third albumWe Global came out with singles "Out Here Grindin" (with Akon, Rick Ross,Lil' Boosie, Trick Daddy,Ace Hood, and Plies) followed by "Go Hard" (featuringKanye West and T-Pain). RIAA certified the single "I'm So Hood" Platinum on June 4, 2008.[18] That year, Khaled won DJ of the Year awards from theBET Hip Hop Awards andOzone Awards.[20][21] He was appointed the president ofDef Jam South in February 2009.[22] That same month,50 Cent released a video titled "A Psychic Told Me" in which he spoke of harming Khaled's mother and showed alleged footage of Khaled's mother's workplace and his mother herself. Following this, Khaled refused to comment, not wanting to give 50 Cent the publicity, simply stating: "I'm not gonna let him bait me".[23]
2010–2012:Victory,We the Best Forever, andKiss the Ring
2013–2015:Suffering from Success andI Changed a Lot
In January 2013, Khaled announced that he began work on his seventh album,Suffering from Success. After attending a doctor due to a bald spot on his beard, Khaled was told that he was "suffering from success", which inspired the album's title.[35] The first single from the album, "No New Friends", features Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, and was produced by Canadian producersBoi-1da andNoah "40" Shebib.[36] On April 14, 2013, Khaled released a promotional video forSuffering for Success, and the music video for the aforementioned single.[37] The single was premiered the following day and released to iTunes of April 19, 2013.[38][39] "No New Friends" has since debuted at #55 on theBillboard Hot 100. On June 10, 2013, it was announced thatSuffering from Success would be released on September 24, 2013.[40] On July 25, 2013, Khaled publicly "proposed" to fellowCash Money artistNicki Minaj viaMTV. He supported his offer with a 10-karat diamond ring from Rafaello & Co., valued at about $500,000.[41] Later, he reaffirmed his proposal in an interview withPower 106'sDJ Felli Fel, stating: "I ain't a young boy no more. I'm on my thinking the future. I just had to be honest. I always liked her. She's my friend, of course. And I like her. It's more than a crush."[42] On July 29, 2013, in an interview withFunkmaster Flex, Minaj denied Khaled's proposal, saying: "Khaled is my brother and Khaled was not serious with that damn proposal, ya'll. Please let it go. He was kidding."[43] The same day, Flex premiered Khaled's new single, "I Wanna Be with You", which featured Minaj, as well as frequent collaboratorsFuture and Rick Ross. This lead some to believe that his proposal was apublicity stunt to promote his new single.[44][45]
On April 28, 2014, DJ Khaled announced in an interview with MTV that Jay-Z would be featured on his new single. The interview was noted due to Khaled "cursing, gesturing, and tossing the microphone to the floor in an effort to convey the importance and impact of the music he has coming this summer."[46] A few hours after that, he released the single called "They Don't Love You No More", also featuring frequent collaborators Rick Ross, Meek Mill and French Montana. The song will be on his eight studio album,I Changed A Lot, which was released in 2015.[47][48] The following day, "They Don't Love You No More" was serviced tomainstream urban radio in the United States.[49]
On July 1, 2014, Khaled announced that he has partnered with Danish audio companyBang & Olufsen to launch his own brand of headphones, titled "We the Best Sound".[50] The brand is advertised in the video "They Don't Love You No More." On August 8, 2014, Khaled released the official artwork for the second single fromI Changed A Lot entitled "Hold You Down" which featuresChris Brown,August Alsina,Future andJeremih, and is produced byBkorn,Lee on the Beats and LDB. The single was released on August 11, 2014, along with a music video, directed byGil Green.[51] On November 3, 2014, Khaled released the remix to "Hold You Down" featuringUsher, Rick Ross,Fabolous, andAce Hood. On May 11, 2015, DJ Khaled revealed that he had amicably parted ways with Cash Money Records. "I'm not signed to Cash Money at all. I've been off for a minute," Khaled revealed. "It's not that I'm here to promote that I've been off. That's family. But, nah, it's just We The Best. Nothing negative, everything's beautiful."[52] On the same day, DJ Khaled released the third single off the albumI Changed a Lot titled "How Many Times", featuringChris Brown, Lil Wayne andBig Sean producedBkorn,Lee on the Beats and OZ.[53] DJ Khaled revealed that his long-delayed album,I Changed A Lot, released on October 23, 2015, and also revealed the album's artwork.
2016–2019:Major Key,Grateful andFather of Asahd
DJ Khaled performing in 2018
On February 5, 2016, DJ Khaled premiered the debut his newWe The Best Radio show onBeats 1 with the premiere ofFuture's fourth studio albumEVOL.[54] On February 14, 2016, DJ Khaled announced that he would debutFrench Montana's new mixtape on We The Best Radio.[55] TheWave Gods titled mixtape premiered on February 19, 2016.[56] On February 29, 2016, Khaled signed a management-only deal with Jay Z's company,Roc Nation and announced his ninth studio album,Major Key, was going to be released in 2016, specifically on July 29, and has a lion on the cover.[57][58] On June 3, 2016, Khaled released the first single off Major Key, "For Free", which was produced by the OVO team of Nineteen85 and Jordan Ullman.[59] He announced his album would feature Jay Z, Future, Kanye West, Big Sean, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross.[59] He later released a track called "I Got the Keys" with Jay Z and Future, that premiered after the 2016 BET Awards.[58][59] In late 2015 to early 2016, a number ofSnapchat videos of Khaled's detailing his "key to success" received significant attention on the internet due to his larger-than-life persona. This newfound online recognition caused him to gain popularity; becoming an "internet phenomenon", with some now describing him as a "livingmeme" or "meme in human form".[60][61][62] In October 2016, he appeared in advertising for the alcoholic beverageCîroc Mango and starred in "Let's Get It: Khaled's Odyssey", an episode ofLet's Get It.[63]
On December 24, 2016, Khaled announced on Twitter that he was working on his tenth studio album.[64] In January 2017, he was seen in the studio on his Snapchat with potential collaborators, such asChance the Rapper,Justin Bieber,Migos andMariah Carey.[65][66] On February 9, DJ Khaled announced his tenth studio album would be titledGrateful and said that it was going to be released in June.[67] On February 12, DJ Khaled released "Shining", the lead single ofGrateful which featuresBeyoncé and Jay-Z. He had acameo appearance in promotional material forSpider-Man: Homecoming,[68] and later appeared as a fictionalized version of himself inPitch Perfect 3 (2017), in which his character is featured as both a performer and a major plot point. Also that year, he announced he would joinDemi Lovato as the opening act for theirTell Me You Love Me Tour.[69]
On March 1, 2018, Khaled announced his eleventh studio album would be titledFather of Asahd, titled after his older son Asahd. The album's lead single, "Top Off", featuring Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Future, was released the following day, on March 2.[70] On July 23, Khaled announced the next single, titled "No Brainer", featuring Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper and Quavo, which was released on July 27.[71] On March 5, 2019, Khaled announced that the album would be released in May 2019. It was released on May 17, 2019. He released several music videos for the album's singles on that day through May 20, including one for "Higher", featuring late rapperNipsey Hussle andJohn Legend, a track which also garnered Khaled his firstGrammy Award.[72][73]
2020–present:Khaled Khaled,God Did andAalam of God
On July 17, 2020, Khaled released two singles simultaneously, titled "Popstar" and "Greece", both featuring Canadian rapperDrake. Two days prior, on July 15, Khaled announced his twelfth studio album would be titledKhaled Khaled, after his legal name. The announcement was accompanied with a video trailer documenting his life and career, including the birth of his sons Asahd and Aalam, who both would executive produce the album, and winning his firstGrammy Award.[74] In March 2021, Khaled collaborated withDolce & Gabbana on a collection of ready-to-wear and beachwear pieces.[75] On April 30, 2021, Khaled released his 12th studio album, "Khaled Khaled". The title of the album is taken from Khaled's real name, Khaled Khaled.Allah is, as well as Khaled's two sons, credited as an executive producer due to the Khaled family's religious beliefs and spirituality inIslam. The album included 14 tracks and song features with the likes ofNas,Beyoncé andJeremih.[76] Two days after the release of the album, Khaled revealed an updated track listing that added the track "Big Paper", which features American rapperCardi B, which was not on the previous track listing.[77]
On July 6, 2022, he announced the title of his upcoming 13th studio album,God Did, and released the album on August 26, 2022.[78]
On August 10, 2023, DJ Khaled announced viaInstagram that he will release his upcoming fourteenth studio albumTil Next Time, promoted by its lead single, "Supposed to Be Loved", which features rappersFuture,Lil Baby andLil Uzi Vert.[79] The title of the album was later changed toAalam of God.
Artist relationships
Rick Ross
Rick Ross has been described as one of Khaled's “longest-running collaborators”.[80] With reference to Khaled, Ross has stated: “He knows what's going to get me excited… He'll run in the room yelling, ‘I got some shit, Rozay!' — and nine times out of 10, when he's that excited, it's something that's going to end up feeling good. That's always been the dynamic, since “I'm So Hood,” and the list goes on.”[80] On their relationship, Khaled states: “Ross is my brother,” he said. “That's Day 1. That's family. Me and him come from the bottom, the mud, to marble floors. When he's shouting me out on that record, that's what you call a real friend, family. [He] loves me and I love him back. Me and him are forever. Music or no music. It's Khaled and Ross forever.”[81]
In early 2013, Ross featured on the single "No New Friends" as part of Khaled's seventh album,Suffering from Success. On 16 May 2013,Birdman and Ross announced that their collaborative albumThe H would be released as a mixtape hosted by Khaled on 23 May 2013.[82][83] In April 2014, Ross featured on the song "They Don't Love You No More", the firstsingle from Khaled's eighthstudio albumI Changed a Lot. In August 2014, both Khaled and Ross featured on "Don't Shoot", asingle by American rapperthe Game. In November 2014, Ross also featured on theremix to "Hold You Down". In 2016, Ross featured on two songs from Khaled's ninth studio album,Major Key: the single “Do You Mind” and the track "Fuck Up the Club". In 2017, Ross featured on three tracks from Khaled's tenth studio album,Grateful: "On Everything", "Down for Life" and "Whatever".
In 2019, Ross featured on one track from Khaled's eleventh studio album,Father of Asahd: "Big Boy Talk". In 2021, Ross featured on one song from Khaled's twelfth studio album,Khaled Khaled: "This Is My Year". In 2022, Ross rapped the first verse of thetitle track of Khaled's thirteenth album,God Did. The song earned three nominations at the65th Annual Grammy Awards:Song of the Year,Best Rap Song andBest Rap Performance. The same year, Ross and Khaled both featured on theGQ Hype Debate Show, debating the greatest snack of all time. Ross was a proponent of his own Rap Snacks whereas Khaled endorsedCinnamon Toast Crunch.[84] In 2023, Khaled produced the song “Above the Law” from Rick Ross’ thirteenth album,Too Good to Be True.
Drake
The relationship between Drake and Khaled has been described as “uniquely fruitful”.[80]
Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne has stated: “DJ Khaled is one of one… He's produced so many memorable tracks. There's no one like him.”[80]
Public figure
Jeff Ihaza of theRolling Stone has described Khaled thus: “Khaled wears a pristinely lined haircut. His beard follows sharp angles that enforce a perfect symmetry along his face. When he's trying to muster up the right word, either for clarity or comedic timing, his eyes carry a piercing seriousness, like an athlete laser-focused on a play. But he's largely instinctive in his delivery — in plucking whatever he's trying to convey from his brain and placing it into yours.”[80] He has also been described as “a natural in front of the camera”.[80] Khaled is known for his social media presence; he states: “I don't do too many interviews… cause I've got my own interview: I say what I want to say anytime I want.”[85]
Personal life
Khaled and his wife Nicole Tuck have a son, Asahd Tuck Khaled, born on October 23, 2016. Khaled garnered national attention after streaming the birth live on hisSnapchat account.[86] On January 20, 2020, Tuck gave birth to their second son, Aalam Tuck Khaled.[87]
In January 2017, Khaled purchasedRobbie Williams' former house inMulholland Estates, agated community inLos Angeles,California.[88] In 2018, Khaled purchased a waterfront home in Miami for $25.9 million.[89] The mansion is larger than 12,000 square-feet and has been dubbed as “the Resort” by Khaled.[80] Khaled owns several cars, including aMaybach which is one of 150 special-edition models custom-designed byVirgil Abloh. Khaled has named this vehicle the “Cappuccino”.[80] Khaled reportedly had afear of flying for nearly 10 years after experiencing an unpleasant flight on a small aircraft. However, he overcame his fear in 2017 and, by 2021, purchased a $56 million Bombardier Global 6500.[90][91]
In 2016, he wrote a book,The Keys: A memoir, which includes his opinions on success, recounts life stories, and describes contributions from other musicians.[96] The book became aNew York Times bestseller.[80]
Furniture
Inspired by his own home and lifestyle, he designed a new luxury furniture line "We the Best Home" and launched it in August 2018.[97][98][99]
Golfing
Khaled is known for his love of golf, paired with his catchphrase: “Let's go golfing!” He has appeared on the cover ofGolf Digest and is a frequenter of the Miami Beach Golf Club.[80] Khaled's We the Best Foundation hosted its inaugural golf tournament in 2023, raising thousands for organisations which aid youth inMiami.Sean Combs alone reportedly donated $150,000 to the cause.[80]
2018 SEC settlement
In November 2018, together withFloyd Mayweather Jr., Khaled agreed to a total settlement of $750,000 with theSecurities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose payments accepted from issuers of an initial coin offering, specifying a personal $50,000 promotional payment from beleaguered cryptocurrency firm Centra Tech Inc.,[100] whose co-founders were indicted for fraud in May 2018. According to the SEC, "they are its first cases involving charges for violating rules on touting investments in so-calledinitial coin offerings, or ICOs."[100] As part of the settlement, Khaled agreed to not enter any endorsement or promotional agreement with a securities participant for two years.[101]
^abKorten, Tristram (November 5, 1998)."Faithful As I Wanna Be".Miami New Times.Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedDecember 13, 2008.