DJ Khaled places more importance on his relationships with music stars than making his latest track.
The DJ and record producer is known for landing music heavyweights like Rihanna, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, and Drake on his tracks, and he believes he attracts the biggest names in the industry time and time again because he nurtures his relationships with them.
“My relationships are more important to me than making a song,” he told GQ. “Making sure that everybody is happy is most important to me because music is a celebration. When you give it to the world, it’s a celebration in so many ways. Even when it’s pain.”
When pressed further about why his frequent collaborators, such as Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, come back to him again and again, the 46-year-old explained that it was because of his authenticity.
“I don’t try to be (no one else). I’m just me,” he stated. “It’s important to be yourself, the greatest version of yourself. When people meet me and get to work with me, it’s straight up pure. I got a clean heart, a beautiful soul, a beautiful vibe. That’s what God blessed me with. I hope that the people that I come across are being themselves too. I think when you’re just you, that’s when the realness and the pureness is always authentic. You know?”
The hip-hop star released his 13th album, God Did, in August.