DJ Khaled - Major Key

DJ Khaled
Major Key
2016
Spotify

Strike while the iron is hot is the old adage, and none have seized that opportunity like DJ Khaled. Without his Snapchat story, which gets millions of views everyday, Khaled likely would have stayed in the same lane He already was well entrenched in. Khaled has been producing Hip Hop tracks for years, you've likely heard his incessant "DJ Khaled!" over every track He has ever produced but now we get even more catch phrases sprinkled through each song. Major Key is Khaled's ninth record in just about as many years, but his newfound mega stardom has taken away from his ability, in fact it seems to have heightened it. Everyone in the critical world was ready and willing to write this album off because it seemed like a quick way to cash in on Khaled's Snapchat fame, but the record is well done, relevant and filled with some of the biggest superstars in the game. Even with Khaled shouting "Major key" "DJ Khaled" "New Shit" ect. ect. (something I absolutely loath from producers) the music is undeniable. The beats are modern and fresh, very much of this moment, and the features might as well be the roll call for the Hip Hop hall of fame. The only thing Khaled could have done to get more famous rappers would have been to raise 2Pac and Biggie from the dead (however there is way to much Future for my taste). It would be silly to try and list them all, but just open an issue of Complex and you will likely find most of them amongst those pages.

It's not like these rappers are just there for name alone, they actually bring fire each and every time. Major Key becomes an almost greatest hits for these rappers and Khaled himself even though all the music is brand new. Khaled's assent over the past ten years would have to be tracked with a telescope from Terror Squad member to Miami DJ to now an all out cultural icon. His positivity has resonated with people and that translates to the record which doesn't bother itself with getting into negative shit. All these good vibes should be totally cringe, but somehow Khaled's version feels very authentic, He is not faking this it is how He really feels. His shout outs even give way when the music is really cooking. Not everything on the record is "another one", songs like "Pick These Hoes Apart", "Fuck Up the Club" and "Work For It" are much more club songs filled with misogyny than anything else. They are fine, but are more Khaled a few years ago, not the person He is today. Some of the tracks also feature a few to many rappers, "Do You Mind", so some really solid flows get buried in the mix. Major Key is something that Khaled really should be proud of, because the album really does mirror his new status. This album really could have been quite bad, easily, but yet again Khaled shows He is here to stay and that He is going to be doing it his way.

7.9 out of 10