Major Key

About

In 2015, DJ Khaled found himself ascending from acclaimed rap producer and cultural presence to a global superstar and social media phenom. It was a persona that he began honing in preparation for his 2016 album, <i>Major Key</i>, and it helped him drop projects that would spend weeks atop the charts. Everything DJ Khaled has become was introduced and solidified on <i>Major Key</i>. Even the title itself was ushered in by Khaled on the social media sessions that helped propel him from producer to everywhere-at-once icon. Back when Khaled began his worldwide domination in 2015, he became a sensation on social, sharing his self-described “keys to success,” which offered insight into how he turned himself into rap’s most in-demand personality and producer. It informs the thematic thrust of the album, which finds Khaled and his massive list of collaborators explaining how they built themselves up into self-sustaining rap magnates. The album, which features JAŸ-Z, Drake, Future, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Big Sean, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, and more, is part who’s who of rap superstars and a helpful manual for anyone wondering what it takes to become a star. On the LP’s first song, “I Got the Keys,” JAŸ-Z and Future join Khaled for a turn-up anthem, which features the latter two outlining the album’s philosophy during the interlude: “I got the keys/I got them keys, the keys, the keys,” they chant, before adding, “I got the keys to all success/I got them keys, the keys, the keys/We the best.” It became a calling card for Khaled, a way to define his mission as rap’s great connoisseur of positivity. Unlike so many entrepreneurs, DJ Khaled refused to conceal his guidebook. Instead, he turned it into an album, offering insight into his massive rise.

via Apple Music

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