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hat’s it been like working with T-Pain? I ain’t gon’ lie, they need to make more people like him. He’s the funniest dude in the world. He makes you smile and laugh all the time. We did a record with him, Plies, Rick Ross, and Trick Daddy called “I’m So Hood.” He had like thirty people in the studio with him [when we did that record]. He had all these girls and dudes with golds in their mouth, and he was on that Patron heavy. I gave him the beat, The Runners did the beat, and I had him do the hook on the record. When he played it for me, the shit was so fucking crazy, I lost my mind. He’s just dope. T-Pain is talented, man. What parties do you have going down Memorial Day weekend? Memorial Day weekend we’re at Opium and Mansion, Thursday through Sunday. We’re throwing parties at both clubs. Saturday at Mansion I’m doing my pre-album release party. We’ll have a bunch of artists in there having a great time. My album is coming out June 12th, and we’re going to have a great time then too. We’re going to do a party with Lil Wayne and Birdman, a party with T-Pain, a party with Fat Joe, all types of shit. And then we’ve got the Best of the Best reggae show at the park. That’s going to be huge. Let’s go back to the beginning, for the few people who don’t know how DJ Khaled came to be “The Best.” Aren’t you originally from New Orleans? I was born in New Orleans. I moved to Orlando, FL, and then I moved to Miami. I’ve been in Miami for about fifteen years, so you know, I’m Dade County for life. I got love for everybody.
Rick Ross, my brother Pitbull, shout out to The Runners for making the beat. R.I.P. to Uncle Al, I repped for my brother on that record too. For the people who aren’t from Miami, who is Uncle Al and what did he mean to the city? Uncle Al was a legendary DJ out here, and an artist. He was a legend in the hood. He started out on underground radio, the same way I started out. He was just that dude out here that people loved. He brought people together and supported everybody, and he was a personal friend of mine. He always showed me love. And I don’t know the reason [he got killed] but I just know that it was wrong. He was about peace in the hood. Uncle Al is going to live on forever, throughout my career and the whole Miami, feel me? Underground radio has always been huge in Miami, but the FCC comes through and shuts them down sometimes. What’s the underground radio scene like in Miami these days? Underground radio can never leave Miami. But the FCC is always going to be attacking the underground radio stations because they’re going to keep coming out. They’re not doing nothing negative, but that’s just the rules. I guess you’re not supposed to have them. But at the end of the day, Miami ain’t never gonna stop. Without underground radio, it’s just impossible...
An extended version of this interview is featured in the June issue of OZONE Magazine. Visit us online at www.ozonemag.com
You did the record “Born & Raised” and there was a little controversy here and there, some hate from people saying, “Khaled isn’t even from Dade County.” Do you feel like you can still represent for the city even though you’re not from there? I am from Miami. I’ve been here for fifteen years. If you’ve been in a city more than ten years, that’s your city. But that’s just life. People like to talk, but I don’t really bump into many of those types of people because I surround myself with great people that just got love. I don’t keep myself around negative people. I appreciate all the love. That record was real big for me, and it was big for Miami. I made the first, biggest Miami classic record and it’s going to be in the history books forever. Shout out to Trick Daddy,
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