“This is just the beginning,” DJ Khaled confidently tells Billboard about his recent Grammy win. “We’re going to get more.”
But DJ Khaled has more than earning Grammys on his schedule. In fact, he just finished a celebrity cameo in Bad Boys for Life, Adil el Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s 4th installment in the Bad Boys franchise.
Other than career achievements, DJ Khaled recently celebrated the birth of his second son, Aalam. He explains that he named his child after the Arabic root for the word “world”, adding, “peace be upon Nuh among the [people of the] worlds.”
DJ Khaled: “I’m not just a DJ”
“I’m not just a DJ,” Khaled asserts. “I’m not just an artist…or just a producer.”
DJ Khaled has his hands in many pies, from music to movies, but wants to be remembered first and foremost “as an incredible father, with a family that is beautiful and amazing.” He comes from a family of Palestinian immigrants, and his parents were supportive of his music, allowing him to even build a studio in the family garage. Khaled frequently includes his family in the spotlight, and his brother Alaa Khaled also knows something about fame with a podcast poking fun at celebrities’ embarrassing moments.
“I was just bein’ me,” says DJ Khaled about his rise to fame with the advent of social media, “and the world embraced it. It went viral with love.”
Khaled dropped out of high school to focus on music. He soon built a loyal following working at a hip hop station in Miami, and became a national personality with Snapchat and Instagram. His catchphrase “another one” became a running joke on the internet, but also spread DJ Khaled’s name across the globe.
Collaborating with Major Artists
DJ Khaled built up his career partially with his collaborations. Who hasn’t heard a song on the radio with him saying his name or “Another One” in the beginning?
He says, “the thing to be a collaborator is: ‘the ego’s gotta leave the room for that moment and let’s come together and make the most incredible collaboration ever.’” DJ Khaled’s positive attitude is a large part of his appeal not only as an influencer but as someone to work with for other artists. Singer John Legend says, “people like being around him. And his energy is very contagious. And it makes you excited about whatever he’s doing.”
Khaled has some impressive collabs under his belt. This includes Jay-Z and Beyonce, Nipsey Hussle, Future, Drake, and many more big names.
DJ Khaled on the Big Screen
While primarily a music artist and producer, Khaled has no fear of cameras. He has appeared in several other movies and TV series. In the series Survivor’s Remorse he was featured as Mikey C. and cameoed as himself in Pitch Perfect 3. The role he plays in Bad Boys for Life is said to be a serious one, as co-star Will Smith posted a teaser scene on Instagram which looks suspiciously like an interrogation.
In addition to his role in the movie itself, DJ Khaled produced the star-studded soundtrack album for Bad Boys for Life. The album includes Latin legends such as J Balvin and Nicky Jam, and household names of hip-hop such as Rick Ross and Meek Mill. In fact, Jaden Smith, the son of the film’s actor Will Smith, features in one of the songs.
Watch Bad Boys for Life on Amazon today.
