DJ Khaled

DJ Khaled did not rise to fame instantly, having labored for years as a disc jockey prior to emerging as a outsized, highly prosperous presence within hip-hop. Beginning in the mid-to-late 2000s, he has contributed to blockbuster crossover tracks that registered as cultural moments, winning over listeners through his playful demeanor, exuberant ad-libs, and strategic placement of supporting talent. The standout successes across more than ten years have enlisted eager guest turns from Drake, Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Rihanna. His initial eight LPs, issued between 2006 and 2015, all landed inside the Billboard 200’s upper tier, whereas the ninth and tenth—Major Key (2016) and Grateful (2017)—reached the summit. Father of Asahd (2019) delivered Khaled’s first Grammy when the Nipsey Hussle and John Legend collaboration “Higher” captured Best Rap/Sung Performance. Capitalizing on that achievement, he returned to the Billboard 200 summit with Khaled Khaled (2021) and God Did (2022), the latter propelled in part by the Top Ten hit “Staying Alive” alongside Drake and Lil Baby. He introduced his fourteenth album, Til Next Time (2023), via the lead single “Supposed to Be Loved,” again featuring Lil Baby and Future.

Born to Palestinian immigrants, Khaled Mohamed Khaled passed his earliest years in New Orleans. After the family relocated to Orlando, the 13-year-old began practicing DJ techniques inside his parents’ supportive garage. Economic pressures later prompted a return to New Orleans, where, still in his teens, he took a short-term job at the Odyssey record store, forging ties with emerging rappers such as Birdman and Lil Wayne while incurring his employer’s displeasure by running up long-distance phone charges to record labels. He headed back to Orlando before moving south to Miami, where he labored to break into the reggae soundclash scene. Approaching the on-air talent at pirate station Mixx 93, he requested airtime; Marcello Valenzano and Andre Lyon—soon to depart and form the production duo Cool & Dre—granted the request. Khaled essentially lived in the studio and became a boisterous presence on local radio. Mixtapes and club performances broadened his reach, and Luther Campbell elevated his profile by adding him as a regular on WEDR’s The Luke Show, eventually awarding him his own slot shortly after Khaled earned his first production credits.

Emboldened by mounting popularity, an expanding network, and his role as Terror Squad’s DJ, Khaled assembled his debut official mixtape, which launched a sustained run of commercially viable studio albums. The first full-length, Listennn: The Album (2006), arrived via Koch and gained modest traction on the strength of the Afrika Bambaataa-sampling Cool & Dre beat “Holla at Me,” reaching the Top 20 of Billboard’s rap chart and, like every subsequent Khaled hit, uniting multiple MCs. Remaining with Koch/E1 for three more projects, he placed four singles inside the pop Top 40—“We Takin’ Over,” “I’m So Hood,” “Out Here Grindin’,” and “All I Do Is Win”—all of which earned gold or platinum certifications; collectively these anthems involved 14 rappers and seven producers. Birdman, one of the voices on the initial major hit, signed Khaled to Cash Money for We the Best Forever (2011), Kiss the Ring (2012), and Suffering from Success (2013). Although only “I’m on One” and “No New Friends” extended the Top 40 streak, the three albums either topped or came close to the top of the rap chart.

Following a single release through Sony’s RED imprint—I Changed a Lot (2015) and its single “Hold You Down”—Khaled joined major-label Epic for Major Key (2016). Pushed by the seventh and eighth Top 40 entries “For Free” and “I Got the Keys,” the set opened at number one on the Billboard 200. Nine months afterward, the Beyoncé and Jay-Z collaboration “Shining” launched Grateful (2017), another chart-topper. Its follow-up “I’m the One,” pairing Khaled with Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, and Lil Wayne, led the Hot 100, while the third single “Wild Thoughts,” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, peaked at number two pop and ruled the Dance Club, R&B/Hip-Hop, and Rhythmic tallies. After recording “I Believe” with Demi Lovato for the A Wrinkle in Time soundtrack, Khaled scored his fourth Top Ten pop hit with “No Brainer” (2018), again alongside Bieber, Quavo, and Chance. Father of Asahd (2019) entered the Billboard 200 at number two; dozens of contributors appeared, among them Nipsey Hussle on one of his final recordings, “Higher,” which also included John Legend’s hook and won the 2019 Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance. Further Drake pairings “Greece” and “Popstar” (2020) served as Top Ten precursors to the Billboard 200-leading Khaled Khaled (2021), which later yielded the number-20 pop hit “Every Chance I Get” with Lil Baby and Lil Durk. One more Drake link-up, the Bee Gees-sampling “Staying Alive” (also featuring Lil Baby), climbed into the Top Ten ahead of God Did (2022). Khaled’s fourth number-one Billboard 200 album, God Did earned five Grammy nominations, including Best Rap Album. The August 2023 Lil Baby and Future collaboration “Supposed to Be Loved” preceded his fourteenth studio album, Til Next Time.