DJ Khaled Biography

The producer and DJ known as DJ Khaled was born Khaled Mohamed Khaled in 1975 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Khaled was raised in a devout Muslim household, and was influenced by his Palestinian parents, who themselves were musicians. As a young child, Khaled developed an interest in New Orleans soul and rap music, eventually getting a part-time job at a local record store to provide access to an even wider variety of music.

DJ Khaled performed in various dancehalls in the mid 1990’s, until he began co-hosting WEDR’s radio show The Luke show (alongside 2 Live Crew’s Luther Campbell) in 1998. A few years later, he began hosting his own weeknight radio show on the station, until in the mid 2000’s he decided to pursue a career as a musician in his own right more seriously.

DJ Khaled released his debut album, Listennn…. The Album, in 2006, via Koch Records. The album was an immediate success, rising into the top ten on the mainstream charts in the United States and also into the top five on the R&B/hip-hop and rap charts. Since that time, DJ Khaled has released nearly an album every year, including the top ten mainstream albums: We the Best (2007), We Global (2008), We the Best Forever (2011), Kiss the Ring (2012), and Suffering from Success (2013.) Notable singles from the years 2007 to 2015 include: “Holla at Me,” “We Takin’ Over,” “I’m So Hood,” “Out Here Grindin,” “Go Hard,” “All I Do Is Win,” and “I’m On One,” which featured Rick Ross, Drake, & Lil Wayne and earned DJ Khaled a Grammy nomination for Best Rap/Song Collaboration.

In 2016, DJ Khaled scored his first number one album, Major Key; the album reached the number one spot not only on the rap and R&B/hip-hop charts, but also on the mainstream charts in the United States and earned DJ Khaled a second Grammy award nomination, this time for Best Rap Album. Notable singles from Major Key include “For Free,” “I Got the Keys,” “Do You Mind,” and the international number one hit, “I’m the One,” featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, and Chance the Rapper.

DJ Khaled recently announced his tenth studio album, set to release later in 2017. The first single from the album, “Shining,” (featuring Beyonce and Jay Z), arrived in February of 2017 and rose to the number four spot on the mainstream charts.