DJ Khaled facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
DJ Khaled
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Khaled in 2022
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Khaled Mohammed Khaled
November 26, 1975 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Years active | 1998–present |
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| Spouse(s) | Nicole Tuck |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
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Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and music producer. He started as a radio host in Miami. DJ Khaled is famous for bringing together many popular artists on his songs and albums. He often produces the music and acts as a "hype man," which means he gets the crowd excited.
People call him the "Anthem King." He is known for his loud voice, inspiring messages, big music style, and many famous sayings.
Khaled was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents were immigrants from Palestine. He first became known as a radio host in the 1990s for a station called 99 Jamz. He used his popularity to work with Fat Joe's hip hop group, Terror Squad. He was their DJ for live shows and also produced music for them.
After producing for Terror Squad, Khaled invited many hip hop artists to be on his first album. This album, Listennn... the Album, came out in 2006. His second album, We the Best (2007), had the hit song "I'm So Hood". His next two albums, We Global (2008) and Victory (2010), both reached the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart. The song "All I Do Is Win" from Victory became very popular.
His fifth album, We the Best Forever (2011), was a big success. It gave Khaled his first top ten song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, called "I'm on One". His albums Kiss the Ring (2012), Suffering from Success (2013), and I Changed a Lot (2015) also did well. Around 2015 and 2016, Khaled became even more famous because of his activity on social media. This helped make his ninth album, Major Key (2016), a big hit. It reached number one on the Billboard 200.
His tenth album, Grateful (2017), was his second album to reach number one. It included the hit songs "I'm the One" and "Wild Thoughts". His eleventh album, Father of Asahd (2019), had the song "Higher". This song won him his first Grammy Award. His twelfth album, Khaled Khaled (2021), and thirteenth album, God Did (2022), both reached number one. The song "God Did" from his thirteenth album was nominated for three Grammy Awards. His fourteenth album, Aalam of God, was released in 2025.
Besides music, Khaled has also found success as a writer. His book, The Keys, became a New York Times bestseller. He has also acted in movies like Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024). He also lent his voice to the animated movie Spies in Disguise (2019). His record label, We the Best Music Group, has released his music since 2008. He has also signed other artists to his label.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Khaled Mohammed Khaled was born on November 26, 1975, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents were from Palestine and moved to the United States. His brother, Alec Ledd, is an actor.
Khaled's parents were musicians who played Arabic music. From a young age, Khaled became interested in rap and soul music. His parents supported his passion. He even worked in a local record store called Merry-Go-Round.
Early Career and Radio Days
In his early career, Khaled met many young artists and helped them before they became famous. These artists included Birdman, Lil Wayne, and Mavado. One of his first jobs was at a record store in New Orleans where he met Birdman and Lil Wayne in 1993. After that, he started DJing in reggae "sound clashes," mixing dancehall and hip-hop music.
His first radio job was on a pirate station. In 1998, he moved to Miami and co-hosted a show on WEDR "99 Jamz." In 2003, he started hosting his own weeknight radio show called The Takeover.
Different Names and Meanings
During his career, Khaled has used many different names. Some of these include "Big Dog Pitbull," "Terror Squadian" (when he was with the group Terror Squad), and "Beat Novacane" (a name he used when producing beats). He also used "The Don Dada" and "Mr. Miami." Khaled once explained that "Arab Attack" meant "attack with music." He stopped using this name after the September 11 attacks to avoid being misunderstood.
Music Career Highlights
First Albums and Early Hits (2006–2008)
On June 6, 2006, Khaled released his first album, Listennn... the Album. It reached number 12 on the US Billboard 200 chart. His second album, We the Best (2007), featured popular songs like "I'm So Hood" and "We Takin' Over." "We Takin' Over" reached number 28 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 2008, Khaled's third album, We Global, came out. It included the songs "Out Here Grindin" and "Go Hard". That year, Khaled won "DJ of the Year" awards from the BET Hip Hop Awards and Ozone Awards. In February 2009, he became the president of Def Jam South, a record label.
Continued Success and Big Collaborations (2010–2012)
His fourth album, Victory, was released on March 2, 2010. This album featured many famous artists like Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg, and Ludacris. The song "All I Do Is Win" became a huge hit.
Khaled announced his next album, We the Best Forever, on Twitter. In August 2011, he signed with Cash Money Records. The album featured many big names, including Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nas, and Nicki Minaj. The first song from the album, "Welcome to My Hood", was released in January 2011. The next song, "I'm on One", featuring Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne, came out in May 2011.
In December 2011, DJ Khaled announced his next album, Kiss the Ring, which was released in 2012. This album also featured many popular artists. The first song from Kiss the Ring was "Take It to the Head". The album came out on August 21, 2012, and reached number four on the Billboard 200 chart.
New Albums and Public Attention (2013–2015)
In January 2013, Khaled started working on his seventh album, Suffering from Success. He named it after a doctor told him he was "suffering from success" because of a bald spot on his beard. The first song from this album, "No New Friends", featured Drake, Lil Wayne, and Rick Ross.
In April 2014, DJ Khaled announced that Jay-Z would be on his new song. He then released "They Don't Love You No More", which also featured Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and French Montana. This song was part of his eighth album, I Changed a Lot, released in 2015.
In July 2014, Khaled announced a partnership with the audio company Bang & Olufsen to create his own line of headphones called "We the Best Sound." In May 2015, DJ Khaled shared that he had left Cash Money Records in a friendly way. He then released the song "How Many Times" from I Changed a Lot. The album I Changed a Lot was released on October 23, 2015.
Social Media Fame and Chart-Topping Albums (2016–2019)
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In February 2016, DJ Khaled started his new "We The Best Radio" show on Beats 1. He also signed a management deal with Roc Nation, Jay-Z's company. He announced his ninth album, Major Key, would be released on July 29, 2016. The album cover featured a lion.
In late 2015 and early 2016, DJ Khaled's Snapchat videos became very popular. He shared his "keys to success," and his big personality made him an "internet phenomenon." Many people started calling him a "living meme."
In December 2016, Khaled announced he was working on his tenth album, Grateful. In January 2017, he was seen in the studio with artists like Chance the Rapper, Justin Bieber, and Mariah Carey. On February 9, DJ Khaled announced his tenth album would be called Grateful and would be released in June. He released "Shining", the first song from Grateful, which featured Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
In March 2018, Khaled announced his eleventh album, Father of Asahd, named after his older son, Asahd. The first song from the album, "Top Off", featured Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Future. Another song, "No Brainer", featured Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, and Quavo. The album was released on May 17, 2019. He also released music videos for songs like "Higher", which featured the late rapper Nipsey Hussle and John Legend. This song won Khaled his first Grammy Award.
Recent Albums (2020–Present)
On July 17, 2020, Khaled released two songs at the same time: "Popstar" and "Greece". Both songs featured Canadian rapper Drake. Two days before, Khaled announced his twelfth album would be called Khaled Khaled, which is his real name. His sons, Asahd and Aalam, were executive producers for the album.
On April 30, 2021, Khaled released Khaled Khaled. The album had 14 songs and featured artists like Nas, Beyoncé, and Jeremih. Two days later, Khaled added another song, "Big Paper," featuring American rapper Cardi B.
On July 6, 2022, he announced his thirteenth album, God Did, which was released on August 26, 2022. The song "God Did" from this album was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
On August 10, 2023, DJ Khaled announced his fourteenth album, Aalam of God. The first song from this album was "Supposed to Be Loved", featuring Future, Lil Baby, and Lil Uzi Vert. The album was released in 2025.
Artist Relationships
Working with Rick Ross
Rick Ross is one of DJ Khaled's longest-running music partners. Ross has said that Khaled knows how to get him excited about music. Khaled calls Ross his "brother" and "family." They have worked together since the beginning of their careers.
They have collaborated on many songs, including "I'm a G" (2006), "I'm So Hood" (2007), "All I Do Is Win" (2010), and "I'm on One" (2011). Ross also appeared on songs from Khaled's albums Major Key (2016), Grateful (2017), Father of Asahd (2019), Khaled Khaled (2021), and God Did (2022). In 2022, Ross rapped the first part of the song "God Did", which was nominated for three Grammy Awards.
Collaborating with Drake
The relationship between Drake and Khaled has been very successful. They have created many popular songs together.
Friendship with Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne has said that "DJ Khaled is one of a kind." He believes Khaled has produced many memorable songs and that there is no one else like him.
Public Figure and Personal Life
DJ Khaled is known for his strong presence and unique style. He has a perfectly shaped haircut and beard. When he is thinking or trying to explain something, his eyes look very serious, like an athlete focused on a game. He often speaks from the heart.
Khaled is very active on social media. He has said, "I don't do too many interviews... because I've got my own interview: I say what I want to say anytime I want."
Family Life
Khaled and his wife, Nicole Tuck, have two sons. Their first son, Asahd Tuck Khaled, was born on October 23, 2016. Khaled gained a lot of attention for streaming Asahd's birth live on his Snapchat account. On January 20, 2020, Nicole Tuck gave birth to their second son, Aalam Tuck Khaled.
Homes and Cars
In January 2017, Khaled bought Robbie Williams' former house in Mulholland Estates in Los Angeles, California. In 2018, Khaled bought a large waterfront home in Miami for $25.9 million. He calls this mansion "the Resort." Khaled also owns several cars, including a special-edition Maybach designed by Virgil Abloh, which he calls the "Cappuccino."
Faith and Pilgrimage
In 2014, Khaled shared that he is a devout Muslim. In December 2022, he visited Makkah with Mike Tyson to take part in the Umrah pilgrimage.
Other Ventures
Acting in Films
Khaled provided a voice for the animated movie Spies in Disguise, which was released on December 25, 2019. He also appeared in the movies Bad Boys for Life (2020) and Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024).
Writing a Book
In 2016, he wrote a book called The Keys: A memoir. In this book, he shares his thoughts on success, tells stories from his life, and includes contributions from other musicians. The book became a New York Times bestseller.
Furniture Design
Inspired by his own home and lifestyle, Khaled designed a new luxury furniture line called "We the Best Home." He launched it in August 2018.
Love for Golf
Khaled is known for his love of golf and his catchphrase: "Let's go golfing!" He has even been on the cover of Golf Digest magazine. He often plays at the Miami Beach Golf Club. Khaled's We the Best Foundation held its first golf tournament in 2023. It raised thousands of dollars to help youth organizations in Miami. Sean Combs reportedly donated $150,000 to the cause.
Discography
- Studio albums
- Listennn... the Album (2006)
- We the Best (2007)
- We Global (2008)
- Victory (2010)
- We the Best Forever (2011)
- Kiss the Ring (2012)
- Suffering from Success (2013)
- I Changed a Lot (2015)
- Major Key (2016)
- Grateful (2017)
- Father of Asahd (2019)
- Khaled Khaled (2021)
- God Did (2022)
- Aalam of God (2025)
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2002 | Shottas | Richie's homeboy | Cameo |
| 2017 | Pitch Perfect 3 | Himself | |
| 2018 | The After Party | Netflix film | |
| Blaze and the Monster Machines | Master Blackbelt (Voice) | Episode: "Ninja Blaze" | |
| 2019 | Spies in Disguise | Ears (voice) | |
| 2020 | Justin Bieber: Seasons | Himself | Episode: "The Finale" |
| Bad Boys for Life | Manny the Butcher | Credited as Khaled (DJ Khaled) Khaled | |
| Tyler Perry's Young Dylan | Himself | Episode: "Street Smarts" | |
| 2021 | Demi Lovato: Dancing with the Devil | Cameo, Episode: "Losing Control" | |
| 2024 | Bad Boys: Ride or Die | Manny the Butcher | Credited as Khaled (DJ Khaled) Khaled |
| 2025 | All-Star Weekend  |
TBA | Completed |
Awards and Nominations
Interesting Facts About DJ Khaled
- Khaled loves to play golf. He often uses his famous phrase: “Let's go golfing!”
- In 2016, he wrote a book called The Keys: A Memoir. In this book, he shares his ideas about success. He also tells stories from his life. Other musicians shared their thoughts in the book too. It became a New York Times bestseller.
- He designed his own line of luxury furniture. It is called "We the Best Home". He launched it in August 2018. His own home and lifestyle inspired the designs.
- Khaled lent his voice to the animated movie Spies in Disguise. It came out on December 25, 2019. He also appeared in the movies Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
- In 2014, Khaled said that he is a devoted Muslim.
- Khaled owns several cars. One of them is a special Maybach. Only 150 of these cars were custom-designed by Virgil Abloh. Khaled calls his car the “Cappuccino”.
See also
In Spanish: DJ Khaled para niños
