Biography
Who is DJ Khaled?
Early life and real name
Khaled Mohammed Khaled was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents immigrated to the United States from Palestine. His father came from Al-Mazra'a ash-Sharqiya while his mother was from Ramallah. Both parents were musicians who played Arabic music. He attended Dr. Phillips High School.
The young artist worked at a local record store called Merry-Go-Round. He later worked at another shop named Odyssey. It was there in 1993 that he met Birdman and Lil Wayne. These early experiences helped him develop a passion for soul and rap music.
Rise to fame in radio and DJing
The artist started his career as a radio host during the 1990s. He worked for the station 99 Jamz. In 1998, he moved to Miami to co-host The Luke Show on WEDR. He later launched a weeknight program called The Takeover in 2003. Before these roles, he hosted a show on a pirate radio station.
DJ also spent time DJing in reggae sound clashes. He mixed dancehall and hip-hop music during these events. He worked closely with the hip hop group Terror Squad. He served as their producer and performed as a DJ for their live shows. During this time, he used the name Terror Squadian. He also used other aliases like Arab Attack and Mr. Miami. He stopped using the Arab Attack name after the events of September 11.
Music career and albums
His first studio album arrived in 2006 and was titled Listennn... The Album. He followed this with We the Best in 2007. This second project featured the song I'm So Hood. In 2008, he released We Global with the song Go Hard. His 2010 album Victory included the triple platinum track All I Do Is Win, which featured T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, and Rick Ross.
In 2011, he released We the Best Forever. This album produced the hit I'm on One. DJ Khaled later released Major Key in 2016, which reached number one on the Billboard 200. That project earned a Best Rap Album nomination at the 59th Grammy Awards.
Writing and acting roles
Beyond music, he is a published author. His book The Keys was a New York Times best seller. He also ventured into acting. He appeared in the 2020 movie Bad Boys for Life. He returned for the sequel Bad Boys: Ride or Die in 2024. He provided a voice for the animated film Spies in Disguise in 2019.
In 2008, he started the We the Best Music Group label. He used this imprint to distribute his own music. He also signed other artists to the label. These musicians included Kent Jones, Mavado, Flipp Dinero, Vado, and Ace Hood.
Family and relationships
He is married to Nicole Tuck. Together they have two children. Their children are named Asahd Tuck Khaled and Aalam Khaled. His brother is an actor named Alec Ledd.
Birthday and age
DJ Khaled was born on November 26, 1975, which makes DJ 50 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. DJ shares the date with 46 other famous people.
Explore more
