Khaled’s last four records have all gone Platinum
(Picture: Getty Images for LivexLive)American producer DJ Khaled has released his 14th album, God Did, and true to form it’s a star-studded affair.
The 18-track, hour-long album features an astounding number of the world’s biggest hip-hop artists: Drake, Rick Ross, SZA, Kanye West, Future, Eminem, Lil Wayne, John Legend, Jay Z and Travis Scott.
As do other massive artists from the scene, including Lil Baby, Quavo, Kodak Black, Don Toliver, Gunna, Lil Durk, 21 Savage, Roddy Ricch, Takeoff, Nardo Wick, Latto, City Girls, Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Juice Wrld, Jadakiss and Vory.
In fact, it seems as if Khaled found a list of America’s most happening hip-hop artists and said he wanted to work with every single one of them.
“If you swapped numbers with Khaled at an after-party and aren’t on this album, you should feel offended,” NME joked back in May 2021 about Khaled’s equally star-packed line-up on his 13th album Khaled Khaled.
But the producer has had the last laugh: his last four records – which were all released within the last five years – have all gone Platinum and three of them sat at the number one spot on the US Billboard album charts. His 2019 album, Father of Asahd, peaked at number two.
On Instagram this week, Khaled shared an animation of the God Did feature list being written on a scroll with a feather quill. Next to it, he wrote: “I want to thank EVERYONE who believed. On this album and beyond. THANK YOU! This album is special.”
The concept of God Did is built around one of DJ Khaled’s many mantras: “They didn’t believe in us. God Did.” The album cover art also runs along this theme, with Khaled looking up at the sky with teary eyes. His other catchphrases include “Either win with us, or watch us win,” and his most famous slogan, “Another One” – meaning another smash hit.
In the run-up to the album release, the New Orleans-raised producer also shared half a dozen clips all with some kind of God or heaven theme. In one, he is listening to a track pointing to the sky; in another, there are pink clouds with a cut-out of Khaled placed in the corner; in another, there’s a picture of Khaled sat by a bubbling pool looking up, as rays of light shine down upon him.
God Did also includes some ecclesiastical track names, too, with songs God Did, Use This Gospel (a version of Kanye’s 2019 song of the same name featuring Eminem and Ye) and Let’s Pray. However, the record is not limited to these religious references – other track names include Party All the Time, Bills Paid, These Streets Know My Name and It Ain’t Safe.
The EP also includes the August 5 released lead single Staying Alive, starring Drake and Lil Baby and using an interpolation from the Bee Gee’s 1977 hit Stayin’ Alive. A hospital-themed music video for the single, in which Drake is dressed up in scrubs, was also shared earlier this month.
