DJ Khaled is an American DJ, record producer, and record label executive born on November 26, 1975. Starting as a hype man on Miami radio DJ Khaled is famous for bringing together top artists and producers to create hit songs and albums. His powerful voice motivational messages and signature catchphrases have made him a recognizable figure.
Born in New Orleans to Palestinian immigrants Khaled began his career in the 1990s as a radio host on 99 Jamz. He gained attention by DJing for Fat Joe’s Terror Squad and eventually started producing music for them. In 2006 Khaled released his first album “Listen… the Album” followed by “We the Best” in 2007 which included the popular track “I’m So Hood.”
His next albums “We Global” (2008) and “Victory” (2010) both achieved top ten status on the Billboard 200 chart. “Victory” featured the triple platinum hit “All I Do Is Win.” Khaled’s mainstream breakthrough came with “We the Best Forever” in 2011 which included the Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit “I’m on One” featuring Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne.
Continuing his success Khaled released albums like “Kiss the Ring” (2012), “Suffering from Success” (2013), and “I Changed a Lot” (2015). He gained even more fame through social media becoming a popular figure and meme. “Major Key” (2016) his ninth album topped the Billboard 200 and earned him his first Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album.
“Grateful” (2017) Khaled’s tenth album also reached number one and featured hits like “I’m the One” and “Wild Thoughts.” His eleventh album “Father of Asahd” (2019) won him his first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Performance with the song “Higher.”
Outside of music, Khaled is a successful author with his book “The Keys” making it to the New York Times Best Seller list. He has also appeared in movies like “Spies in Disguise” (2019) and “Bad Boys for Life” (2020). As the head of We the Best Music Group since 2008 Khaled has signed other artists such as Ace Hood and Mavado expanding his influence beyond his music career.
| Full Name | Khaled Mohammed Khaled |
| Date of Birth | November 26, 1975 |
| Place of Birth | New Orleans, Louisiana, USA |
| Occupation | DJ, Record Producer, Media Personality |
| Height | 5 feet 6 inches (168 cm) |
| Spouse | Nicole Tuck |
| Children | Asahd Tuck Khaled, Aalam Tuck Khaled |
| Net Worth | $95 million |
DJ Khaled’s Early life
Khaled Mohammed Khaled, known professionally as DJ Khaled born on November 26, 1975, in New Orleans Louisiana comes from Palestinian parents who moved to the United States. His father hailed from Mazra’a ash-Sharqiya and his mother from Ramallah. Khaled’s brother Alec Ledd (Alaa Khaled) is an actor.
Growing up Khaled was immersed in Arabic music due to his musician parents. However, he developed a passion for rap and soul music early on which his parents fully supported. His journey into music began when he worked at a local record store called Merry-Go-Round where he laid the groundwork for his future music career.
Career
In his early career, DJ Khaled helped launch the careers of artists like Birdman Lil Wayne, and Mavado. He started at a record store in New Orleans where he met Birdman and Lil Wayne in 1993. Later he DJed in competitions mixing reggae and hip-hop. His first radio job was on an illegal station. Moving to Miami in 1998 he co-hosted a show with Luther Campbell. By 2003 he had his radio slot called The Takeover on 99 Jamz.
Throughout his career, DJ Khaled has used various names like “Arab Attack” “Big Dog Pitbull” and “Terror Squadian” (during his time with Terror Squad). He explained that “Arab Attack” was meant positively for music but stopped using it after 9/11 to avoid offense.
His first album “Listen… the Album” dropped in 2006 and hit number 12 on the Billboard 200. His second album “We the Best” came in 2007 with hits like “I’m So Hood” and “We Takin’ Over.” In 2008 “We Global” followed with tracks including “Out Here Grindin” and “Go Hard.” He won several awards for his DJ skills and became president of Def Jam South in 2009.
“Victory” his fourth album released in 2010 with collaborations from Drake Lil Wayne and others. The song “All I Do Is Win” was a big hit. He signed with Cash Money Records in 2011 and released “We the Best Forever” featuring artists like Chris Brown and Kanye West. The album included singles like “Welcome to My Hood” and “I’m on One” which debuted at the BET Awards.
His album “Kiss the Ring” dropped in 2012 hitting number four on the Billboard 200. It featured tracks with Kanye West Rick Ross and others including singles like “Take It to the Head” and “I Wish You Would.” DJ Khaled also worked with Kanye West on his album “Yeezus” in 2012 although his contributions didn’t make the final cut.
In January 2013, DJ Khaled started working on his seventh album “Suffering from Success”. The name came from a doctor who said he was “suffering from success” after noticing a bald spot on Khaled’s beard. The album’s first single “No New Friends” featured Drake Lil Wayne and Rick Ross and was produced by Boi-1da and Noah “40” Shebib. Khaled promoted the album with a video and released the single on iTunes in April 2013. It debuted at #55 on the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year Khaled made headlines by “proposing” to Nicki Minaj with a $500000 ring but Minaj clarified it was not serious.
In April 2014, DJ Khaled announced Jay-Z would feature on his new single “They Don’t Love You No More” also featuring Rick Ross, Meek Mill, and French Montana. This was part of his eighth studio album “I Changed A Lot” released in 2015. In July 2014, he partnered with Bang & Olufsen to launch his headphone brand “We the Best Sound”. He continued releasing singles like “Hold You Down” and “How Many Times” leading up to the album’s release in October 2015.
From 2016 to 2019, Khaled released albums like “Major Key” featuring tracks with Jay Z Future and others. He gained internet fame for his Snapchat videos sharing his “keys to success”. He also appeared in advertisements and movies like “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and “Pitch Perfect 3”.
In 2017, Khaled announced his tenth album “Grateful” featuring collaborations with Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and others. The lead single “Shining” was well-received. His eleventh album “Father of Asahd” followed in 2019 featuring hits like “No Brainer” with Justin Bieber Chance the Rapper and Quavo.
In July 2020, DJ Khaled released two singles “Popstar” and “Greece” both featuring Drake ahead of his twelfth album “Khaled Khaled” which dropped in April 2021. This album included tracks with Jeremih and Cardi B.
Most recently in August 2022, he released his thirteenth studio album “God Did” continuing his successful career in music and beyond.
Net Worth
DJ Khaled has an estimated net worth of $95 Million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of DJ Khaled’s net worth comes from his successful career in music as a DJ, producer, and entrepreneur. He earns money through music sales, concerts, endorsements, and other business ventures.
Personal life
DJ 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 when he live-streamed Asahd’s birth on his Snapchat account. Their second son Aalam Tuck Khaled was born on January 20, 2020.
In January 2017, Khaled bought a house in Mulholland Estates a gated community in Los Angeles California previously owned by Robbie Williams. In 2018, he purchased a waterfront mansion in Miami for $25.9 million which spans over 12000 square feet and is nicknamed “the Resort” by Khaled.
DJ Khaled is the proud owner of several cars including a special edition Maybach designed by Virgil Abloh of which there are only 150 models. He affectionately calls this car the “Cappuccino.”
Partnerships
Rick Ross and DJ Khaled have a strong and enduring friendship that began in their early days in the music industry. Ross often speaks highly of Khaled saying he always knows how to excite him with great music ideas. Their collaboration started back in 2006 with the song “I’m a G” on Ross’s debut album and they’ve continued to work together on many successful tracks since then. Khaled considers Ross not just a friend but family highlighting their journey from humble beginnings to success in the music world.
Their partnership has produced several hit singles like “I’m So Hood” and “We Takin’ Over” which have achieved significant recognition on music charts. They’ve appeared together on numerous albums over the years including Khaled’s “We the Best” series and other major releases. Their bond extends beyond music with both expressing deep respect and admiration for each other’s talents and achievements.
In addition to his collaborations with Khaled, Rick Ross has also worked with other prominent artists like Lil Wayne and Drake. These relationships have been pivotal in shaping his career and contributing to his success in the music industry.
Other ventures
In 2016, DJ Khaled wrote a book called The Keys: A Memoir. It shares his views on success personal stories and insights from other musicians. The book became a bestseller on the New York Times list.
Inspired by his own home and lifestyle Khaled launched a new line of luxury furniture called “We the Best Home” in August 2018.
In November 2018, DJ Khaled and Floyd Mayweather Jr. settled with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for $750000. They didn’t disclose payments they received for promoting a cryptocurrency initial coin offering (ICO). Khaled specifically received $50000 from Centra Tech Inc. whose founders were later charged with fraud. This was the SEC’s first case targeting ICO investment promotion violations. As part of the settlement, Khaled agreed not to promote any securities for two years.
Khaled voiced a character in the animated movie Spies in Disguise which came out on December 25, 2019. He also had roles in Bad Boys for Life and Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
DJ Khaled is a big fan of golf and often says “Let’s go golfing!” He’s been on the cover of Golf Digest and loves playing at the Miami Beach Golf Club. In 2023, his We the Best Foundation organized its first golf tournament in Miami raising thousands for youth organizations. Sean Combs alone donated $150000.
