DJ Khaled joins Zane Lowe on New Music Daily on Apple Music to celebrate a new chapter for his artistry and break down his thirteenth studio album, ‘God Did’. He tells Apple Music about the ups and downs of the journey it took to make this album complete. Through collaborations with his close friends such as Eminem and Kanye West, songs like ‘Use This Gospel’, produced by Dr Dre will help explain the new chapter of DJ Khaled. This star-studded album features longtime friends and collaborators such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Juice WRLD, and more.
Video | DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about new album ‘God Did’, its star-studded track list, what he loves about JAY Z, and more
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about the title of his new album
When I came up with the title, it resonated with me to the point where I had to let it out, my soul, and spread it to the world. What happened was it resonated with the fans, and I’m like, “Oh my God, they feeling what I’m feeling”, and that’s when I said, “It’s going to be the name of my album,” because I had another name for my album. It might be the next album… and it’s like when I said, “They didn’t believe in us, God did”, I felt like I was speaking for all of us. Every single person in this world, I know it resonates in some way that connects with you. Zane, this album is God Did, for real, there’s so many surprises and there’s so many things that people, I’ve shared maybe pictures or clips, and then they’re hearing rumbles, but there’s so many things that they don’t know, you know what I’m saying? Because some of these things that came in, it’s a gift, that’s what it is. It’s a gift from God, it’s a gift from God and the gods.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about his faith and why the new album is the start to a new chapter
I give all glory to God, you know what I’m saying? Everything you see me doing is from God’s blessings, know what I’m saying? Of course my family and my kids, but God, and I’ve said this many times, God gave us life so we could do anything we want to do, as long as we want to do it and as long as we do it with love, and we supposed to be out here doing God’s work. This album is like the new chapter of DJ Khaled, the new chapter of We the Best. Because the other day, I said, “Man, we win so much this shit look easy, we win so much, they think this is normal.” Zane, you’re one of the greats, you talk to the greats, you know this is not normal. For me to be consistent with you and the fans and continue to put these albums out at a high level, like come on, this is thirteen albums, Zane… You know what I’m saying? My career’s been doing this.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about the stacked list of collaborators on the album
Look, produced by Dr Dre & ICU, this is a gift, this is a gift from Kanye, Dre, and Eminem. This is a gift, not just to me, to the world, this is a gift. Zane, this is a gift, produced by Dr Dre, ICU, Kanye, Eminem, Zane, this is God Did. I need to be clear, like this is like, “What the f**k?” The minute I thought my album was done, do you see how my album starts? Six God… Rose, Wayne, and JAY Z, Dr Dre, Kanye, and Eminem, then it goes into Future Lil Baby. Listen, like Zane, like I’m a true, pure fan First of all, I want to say how grateful I am for Drake, JAY Z, Dr Dre, Kanye West, Eminem, everybody, Lil Baby, Lil Wayne, Ross, the whole album, but that last minute magic gift, you see what they’re talking about on there, right, Zane? They talking about God.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music what he loves about JAY Z
JAY Z is also one of my idols too, and what I love about him, I’ve always been a fan not just from his music, just from his moves, you know what I’m saying?From business to being a father, and to be on top, and to watch everybody through their career, people come at each other in some way when you’re on top, and just to watch him as a boss and a don, never let distortion get in the way of the blessings and the greatness, and look how far he’s become, and he’s just getting started. Not only is he a Billy, he’s one of the gods, a beautiful father, a great friend, built many brands, helped other great people become Billys, and helped me in so many ways. Then for him to bless my album the way he blessed my album, it’s like not only does he love me, it feels so great for him to be so in love with the music in this day and time, you understand what I’m saying? He ain’t got to do none of this (censored), but if the music speaks to him, he going to do it, you know what I’m saying? That was such a blessing and that meant so much to me, because not only does he trust me, he know it’s special. To answer your question, he’s taught me so much, he’s my brother, he’s my friend, and I want to take my time to thank Jay-Z on this show. I love you, brother, we forever, and you one of my idols. Me and my family are grateful for all your blessings that you put your hand around me, you know what I’m saying? He stood beside me at the Hollywood star, JAY Z, Puff, and Joe, that’s a big blessing. Yo, Zane, come on, bro.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about Quavo, Takeoff, and the future of Migos
I mean those are all my brothers, all three of them are my brothers, and from their big brother, we want to see them together no matter what. Nobody says they not together, so I’m not going to be one of those guys that’s going to…those are brothers, you know what I’m saying? You asking me, I’m always going to be like, “Those are brothers, and it’s our job to make sure that they continue to be brothers,” but obviously they got their thing. I don’t know, but I could tell you this, that mother f***ing Takeoff and Quavo on this album, called Party All the Time
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about ‘Let’S Pray’ (featuring Don Toliver and Travis Scott)
Man, that record is incredible, one of my favorites. All of them are my favorites, but I love that one because I love Don Toliver, I’m a fan of Don Toliver. I love his name, Don Toliver, besides his music, him being… Because I’m a Don, he’s Don Toliver, you know what I’m saying? I just like his swag, I like his energy, I like the way he posts on Instagram, I like Don Toliver, I like him and I love his music. I documented 90% of the album in my studio, like filmed us recording and making these records, so you’re going to see some magical moments.m You’ll see our connection with me and Don, and of course my brother, Travis Scott, it was only right to put Travis on this record for a lot of reasons, because it just felt like you had to have Travis Scott on it. Every time I played it for everybody, like, “You getting Travis, right?” Everybody was saying that, and I’m like, “Yeah, I’m working on it.” The shit he’s saying on there, his flow and his verse with the, “Straight up,” but he hit them with a straight up with like a… And it lasted for like two minutes, just him going, “Straight up”, and it went into like melody.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about being grateful for Eddie Murphy for clearing a sample for ‘Party All the Time’
Shout out to Eddie Murphy, let me tell you something. That MF going to go, like these records don’t come every day, this… Zane, man, this is ‘God Did’. His whole team, shout out to the whole Eddie Murphy team, shout out to Eddie Murphy just for clearing that record, shout to everybody that cleared on the album, from the Bee-Gees to so many samples that I had on there. Yeah, for sure, he had to clear that, and we’re very grateful and thankful.
DJ Khaled tells Apple Music about how ‘Use This Gospel’ with Kanye West and Eminem came to be
I remember me and Kanye worked on a few records and we didn’t finish them, they’re incredible, we just didn’t finish them. Kanye, he got so much going on, he’s doing a lot, so I’m like, “Yo,” I called Kanye one day and I said, “I got an idea.” Came by my house about a year and a half ago, I never told this story, you know that, Zane, I haven’t told this story yet. He came by my house like a year and a half ago, I played him music, first he came to my house to get some eggs, 8:00 in the morning and he just showed up to my house. I never knew he was coming, tells the chef, “Give me some eggs with ketchup”, and he had a drink. We go to my studio, I play him music, he plays me music, we both inspiring each other. He plays me an incredible album that he did with one of my idols, Dr Dre, he played it from top to bottom for me. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. We had a great get-together at the crib, he leaves, that’s a year and a half ago.I told you he was making records for this album, me and Ye, he couldn’t finish them because he was so busy, so I said, “I got an idea. I remember you playing me this Dr Dre, Eminem, Kanye record and y’all was talking about God, y’all was speaking that gospel.” I said, “Man, that would be beautiful if we could put that on God Did,” and Ye hits back and says, “I love the idea.” You know Ye don’t love no idea, he said he loves the idea. I talked to Ye, he said, “I’m down,” but obviously I said, “I got to call Dre to get his blessings, and of course, Em’s blessings.” After I hung out with Ye, I called Dr Dre and I said, “Dre, bless up, brother, yo, boom boom.” I was like, “Yo, I would love to put your song on my album that you produced with Em and Ye.” Make a long story short, he was like, “Yo, I’m down, we just got to make sure we get Em’s blessings,” and I’m like, “Of course, everybody got to bless this.” He hits me back, and Dre said, “We got you, and we love you.” Zane, this is my idol, Zane, Dr Dre produced on my album, produced by Dr. Dre, Kanye West and Eminem. We get the blessings, before I came up with calling Ye about this, a few months ago, I texted Dre to see if this was still his number because I ain’t talked to him in a while.I said, “Bless up, brother, is this still your number?” I think he hits me back like a week or two weeks later. I ended up catching the COVID, so I look at my phone, I’m like”, he hit me back”, but I was sick with the COVID, God bless, God is great, so I didn’t want to hit him back right away because I didn’t have my energy, my spirit wasn’t. If I’m going to talk to Dre, my idol, I got to feel DJ Khaled, he got to hear DJ Khaled. I was working on another record that I wanted to present to him that I produced, that I wanted to present to him to get on, and I never played it for him. That’s what I’m saying, this is God Did, instead I was blessed to get a gift from Dr Dre, Kanye West, and Eminem, produced by Dr Dre, man.
