Khaled Mohammed “DJ” Khaled is an American DJ, record executive, author, and record producer.
In the 1990s, Khaled originally rose to prominence as a radio host on the station 99 Jamz. He then became well-known for his work as a DJ for Terror Squad’s live performances. Once the group has received production credit for its work,
Listening… the Album, Khaled’s first studio album, was released in 2006 and was certified gold. He released We the Best (2007) as a follow-up, which featured the top 20 single “I’m So Hood.”
We Global (2008) and Victory (2010), his next two albums, were released after he established the record company We the Best Music Group. Both albums peaked in the top ten of the US Billboard 200, with the latter featuring the triple platinum-certified hit “All I Do Is Win.”
His fifth studio album, We the Best Forever (2011), also saw similar commercial success and helped bring Khaled to international prominence, as it featured the song “I’m on One,” which was his first top ten hits.
His sixth and seventh albums, Kiss the Ring (2012) and Suffering from Success (2013), charted in the top ten on the Billboard 200, and his eighth studio album, I Changed a Lot (2015), peaked at number 12.
In 2015 and 2016, Khaled gained worldwide attention as a media personality, due to his activity on social media. This foresaw the release of his ninth studio album Major Key (2016), which gained critical and commercial success; it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, was certified gold, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
He released his tenth studio album, Grateful, in 2017, which contained the singles “I’m the One” and “Wild Thoughts,” which charted at number one and number two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was also certified platinum. His eleventh album, Father of Asahd, was released in 2019; it peaked at number two, and the song “Higher” won Best Rap/Sung Performance at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Khaled’s first Grammy Award win. His eponymous twelfth album was released in 2021.
Outside of music, Khaled has gained success as a writer, with his book The Keys featuring on the New York Times Best Seller list. He has also featured as an actor, appearing in Spies in Disguise (2019) and Bad Boys for Life (2020).
