Major Key marks DJ Khaled’s ninth studio album and most people still don’t know what exactly it is Khaled does. Ever since his first project, it has been a mystery as to what part of the music creation process Khaled is involved in. He doesn’t rap or sing and although he is credited for the co-production of five tracks on this album, it’s hard to distinguish the magnitude of his contributions. These days Khaled is more known for being a walking meme and a Snapchat guru rather than anything Hip Hop related but according to the man himself, Major Key is his best work to date. (What else was he supposed to say, right?)
Without his gigantically star-studded collaboration tracks, there would be no such thing as DJ Khaled, so making sure the best of the best gift him with a verse is unequivocally essential and ultimately expected. That’s why having the likes of J. Cole, Jay Z and Nas on this album feels like an everyday accomplishment. These more seldom collaborators are tacked on besides the usual suspects like Rick Ross and Lil Wayne plus some new recruits like Kodak Black and Bryson Tiller make their Khaled album debuts. This brief moment of Hip Hop unity is arguably the most special part of Khaled albums. Where else are you going to see Kodak Black sharing a tracklist with Nas?
The album is loosely centred around Khaled’s keys or as he likes to call them, his “major keys to success.” Lead-off record “I Got the Keys” with Jay Z and Future uses the most obvious reference to this Snapchat phenomenon and really is the album’s strongest track. Jay sheds light on his recent lawsuit victory and other miscellaneous wins like Beyoncé being his wife. (Checkmate.) Future fills in the rest of 808 Mafia’s rolling trap beat with that classic growl and Khaled is left to obviously handle the ad-libs. “Nas Album Done” is a slam-dunk purely off the strength of its title. The Illmatic One snaps over a tightly-chopped “Fu-Gee-La” sample and announces that after four years, his new album is in fact, complete. Release date to come.
We look to Khaled for trend-setting instead of trend following but a few cuts on this album see a lot of similarities to past hits. Kendrick Lamar and Big Sean’s “Holy Key” is basically “Control” reincarnated save for harder drums permeating Betty Wright’s chaotic screams on the hook. “Do You Mind” is almost an exact carbon copy of 2014’s “Hold You Down” and the issue of cluttering the track with the three same R&B dudes (Chris Brown, Jeremih, August Alsina) singing the same sappy story. By now, it’s clear that Khaled is dedicated to a certain formula when crafting an album and doesn’t much like straying from it. Like clockwork, a few songs for the “streets”, a cut or two for “the ladies” and some club records dominate the tracklist. A perfect example of a song assembled for the sake of naming it after one of Khaled’s taglines. Newcomer Kent Jones, of “Don’t Mind” fame, all but obliterates his veteran competition of Jadakiss, Fabolous, Fat Joe and Busta Rhymes and the same empty promises are showcased on a song like “Tourist,” which may sport the names Travis Scott and Lil Wayne but fail to deliver anywhere the impact as say an “Antidote” or “Rich as Fuck.”
Luckily, J. Cole breaks the colorless bottle popping, cloth-talking and hater-stopping mould with “Jermaine’s Interlude;” a down-tempo, hollowed out, introspective three minutes that touches on the recent racial tensions sweeping the nation.
If this album was just the first five songs, it would edge closer to a perfect game but it’s a shame the wheels start to come off as the LP rolls right along. Even though Khaled has found past success in the mega collaboration tracks where almost a dozen artists spit a sixteen and then vanish, said formula doesn’t work here. If Major Key teaches us anything, it’s that even when you put a bunch of A-listers together, the product doesn’t always unlock the entry to an automatic win. In a lot of ways, Major Key, along with most of Khaled’s catalogue, is like the NBA All-Star game; an assembly of the game’s most talented players that almost never lives up to its full potential. There are instances on this album that do prove Khaled’s worth as a Hip Hop orchestrator in terms of matching high profile rappers with quality beats but unfortunately, they come too few and far between. So for the time being, the most enticing feature for Khaled is his Snapchat feed.
funny how you got a whole review about this album and dont even mention the biggest single off the whole album which will obviously be Drake’s as usual (i dont even like the song but its easily the biggest standout) and instead allude to the Future -Jay-Z track as the best joint but it misteps horribly revealing how Jay-z has aged out of the era and doesnt sound relevant. Just makes you wish it was another Drake collabo tbh. What this album reveals more than anything is also how average both Kendrick and Jay-z sound – thats the shocker.
So the Drake doing stands out and Jay-Z and Kendrick are outdated? LOLOLOLOLOL. GTFOH. You must be REALLY feeling the new Bieber shit. Seriously, we should nuke Canada. Your turtleneck is clearly on too tight. It’s cutting off your circulation.
How average Jay Z and Kendrick sound, said no one ever.
still, what khaled does? he is like discount coupon. Buy album with all major rapstars in it. He gathers people to make a song, than compiles an album and whoa! you have 10in1. He is doing business, not music.
This record gayer than the prophet Muhammad. Allah fucktard!!!
Also I bet, khaled kiss all rappers asses just to get a cheap bars….somehow it looks like that
It was so wack I couldn’t wait to delete it from my HD
All these rappers and no classic material smh
FIrst track isn’t the best. Half of Jays bars are about absolutely nothing or him grunting.
Kdott tho?
4/5 Khaled’s best album to date!
Don’t understand the 3/5 rating….
I dont kno what yall guys think, this is much better than most hip hop albums this year, so what if he is bringing in many major rapstars? what matters at the end of the day is not how many people he got on the album but how good the album is, and who cares if he even produced it all by himself, for me this is the best album of the year so far, better than VIEWS and Q’s Blank face. Not lyrically speaking but the album is very listenable
My thoughts exactly. Fab review.
Hatin, there are some Bars on this album. That’s the problem with cats new to hip hop like this site is that they don’t appreciate bars. Who’s got the best bars on the album? That’s a tough one 1. Nas 2. Kent Jones (WTF is he?) 3. Kendrick 4. Big Sean 5. Fat Joe 6. Jada Kiss
Jay Z track was the best track on the album?! You lose all credibility right there. It’s not even top five. The thing with Kahled albums is that there is something for everybody. So the stuff you like you’re going to love, and the other stuff not so much.
Krazy the hate of this album…..don’t play ur self is one of tracks this year..and the album has several bangers klub and lyrics alike. And “I got the keys” the best track?? Fuck outta here…..and I’ma Jay-Z fan… haters str8 haters BLOOD! FIRE ASS ALBUM PERIOD!!
The album cover looks stupid. That alone makes me hesitate to cop this album.
You is Petty
all star cast, each guest operating at no lower than 80% capacity–except for Jay-Z who is mildly embarrassing delivering a rap style he simply isn’t wired for. largely boring production–but the Nas and Cole cuts are interesting. the DX review is an accurate interpretation of the album’s shadow. thank goodness for flat monthly fees on streaming services.
dope music , loved track J Cole and kendrick lamar , nas , future , many good songs.
It takes a few listens. Lots of competition going on here for those that know what’s going on. Nas showing the youth jay-z was never king of anything. Big Sean mad that Kendrick took the spotlight on his own ‘control’ track and imo on ‘holy key’ he redeemed himself. Kent Jones the only one taking ‘don’t ever play yourself’ track seriously. Everyone trying to get a Future collab but none of them really work should’ve given him his own track.
How much did he pay for this review?
Funny how you havent reviewed any other albums for the past 10 days so this can stay at the top of the last before this review there was one almost every other day we ainy stupid DiX
How much did he pay for this review? Funny how you havent reviewed any other albums for the past 10 days so this can stay at the top of the list before this review there was one almost every other day we aint stupid DiX
THIS ALBUM SUCKS BTW! KHALED ALREADY GOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR DOIN NOTHIN. HE DONT NEED ANYMORE. HIS LION LOOKS WELL FED THO
Holy Keys, Jermaine’s Interlude, Pick These Hoes apart, and Forgive me Father are all above average to impressive. The rest of the album isn’t bad. The best part though is whenever DJ Khaled isn’t on the track at all.
Get FUTURE off any upcoming albums! He adds nothing to the songs! I cant stand his auto-tone voice repeating the same shit over and over again! “Picking off these hoes” is the epitome of the state of hip/hop.
There are some hightlights but it’s overshadowed by Futures shitty voice!
Everyone is raving about Nas’s song, and then you force feed them BS!
*pick these hoes apart… thats how memorable that song is! I only play it when im on the can and have a stiff bowel movement!
6/5