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He’s become one of the most popular social media influencers of the decade and has worked with some of the biggest artists in the music industry. However, many people still aren’t quite sure what DJ Khaled does, or how exactly his career got started. Let’s break down the notable career and multiple hit songs of this award-winning artist.

How old is DJ Khaled?

DJ Khaled was born in 1975 as Khaled Mohamed Khaled. He was raised in Louisiana by Palestinian parents, and from a very early age, his parents supported his interest in the music industry. Khaled started experimenting with rap and soul music, developing the signature sound that fans would soon be able to recognize.

Khaled first started working as a radio DJ, and by the early 2000’s he was a well-recognized personality on radios around the world. In 2006, Khaled released his very first album, titled Listenn…the Album. It premiered at #12 on the Billboard charts and was soon followed by Khaled’s second album, We the Best in 2007. It was the year that the music industry really started taking notice of Khaled and his unique talents, and he won two Ozone Awards that year – one for Best Video and one for Best Radio DJ.

He hasn’t slowed down in the decade since We the Best. Khaled has released eight more albums since including Suffering from Success, We the Best Forever, and Major Key, which soared to number one status on the charts. In the process, Khaled has collaborated with some truly incredible artists, including Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, and Kanye West. He has worked on projects with Jay-Z and Justin Bieber and is a highly sought-after artist.

Khaled’s pop culture popularity

Since Khaled has worked with so many other artists and appeared in so many popular music videos, it was a logical progression that Khaled become the stuff of internet legend. Throughout 2015-2016, Khaled released a series of videos to his Snapchat account, offering tips and life advice geared to help his followers become successful. The videos became hugely popular, and fans delighted in making memes and compiling web pages full of knowledge based on Khaled’s video series. In 2016, he collected all his advice into one place and released his book “The Keys,” which is full of backstage stories and words of wisdom. 

Khaled is one of the biggest personalities on social media and frequently offers his fans glimpses into his life via the platform, including teasing songs and hinting at possible collaborations. Khaled is also a movie star- he has made cameo appearances in Spider-Man: Homecoming and Pitch Perfect 3. He is set to appear in Bad Boys for Life, opposite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, and will lend his voice to Spies in Disguise, an animated film. Television watchers even started to recognize Khaled after he became the new celebrity spokesperson for Weight Watchers, and filmed a number of commercials for the company. Khaled has even thrown his hat in the home design ring and has his very own line of luxury furniture that he launched in 2018.

While many naysayers are convinced that Khaled is famous for doing mostly nothing, the truth of the matter is that Khaled has been hard at work both in the studio and behind the scenes for years. Whether he is throwing down a red-hot club anthem or lending his widely-recognized voice to a popular film, Khaled is clearly winning at life. By utilizing his larger than life personality and skills in the music industry, it is likely that Khaled will be around for a very long time to come. 

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