DJ Khaled told 'Haute Living' about why prioritizing his family and close music industry friends is so key for him.
All in the family! DJ Khaled sat down with Haute Living for their October 2022 cover story to celebrate the release of his 13th studio album, God Did, and spoke about how his close relationships with friends and family mean everything to him.
Khaled has worked with top musical artists including Eminem, SZA, Justin Bieber, 21 Savage, Rihanna, Lil Durk, Roddy Ricch, Travis Scott, Latto, Kodak Black, John Legend, the late Juice WRLD, and many more, but there are certain collaborators that he calls family.
“A lot of the artists you see me working with, I worked with them at the beginning of their careers, just like they worked with me at the beginning of mine. Respect for each other is on the highest level, because we came up from the mud to the marble floors. Also, we know who we are as individuals, as hustlers. And so, a lot of these kings and queens, I consider them family," he shared.
Some rappers that hold the special title: "Jay-Z is family to me; Drake, [Rick] Ross, Lil Wayne, Future… they're family."
"These are real friendships. We don’t just make music together; we talk to each other on the regular. They come over for dinner, and we just chill. Some of us even go on vacation together, but not everyone sees it, because it isn’t all on social media," the record executive added.
Other than making an effort to maintain genuine friendships within the music industry, Khaled also prioritizes spending quality time with his wife, Nicole Tuck, and sons, Asahd, 5, and Aalam, 2.
“Sometimes, you need to sit back, look at life, and reflect. I’m watching my boys grow, and when I look at them, I see me. When I look at them, I see my queen. ... And to be able to sit here, on my couch, with my son right across from me, watching TV, is a blessing, and I don’t take that for granted. Blessings don’t have to be big things — they can be the simplest thing ever, like sitting with my son, watching movies, having popcorn. But it’s those small moments that make me want to go harder, and continue to build the empire even bigger," he noted.
While the music mogul is busy at work, he makes sure his family is right by his side, and even had his sons appear on his latest album and made them executive producers.
“I want to be there when my kids come home from school. I want to be woken up in the place where my queen is getting my boys dressed for school. ... I’ve been blessed to have this life, and the love of my family, so I made a promise to myself, and that was to create an environment where I could have my family with me every step of the way. That’s the love I want to be around, non-stop," Khaled explained.
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