The Keys Read online

  Copyright © 2016 by Serious Promotions, Inc.

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Crown Archetype, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

  crownpublishing.com

  Crown Archetype and colophon is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: DJ Khaled.

  Title: The keys / DJ Khaled.

  Description: New York : Crown Archetype, [2016]

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016024431 | ISBN 9780451497574 (hardcover)

  Subjects: LCSH: DJ Khaled. | Sound recording executives and producers—United States—Biography. | Rap musicians—United States—Biography. | Success.

  Classification: LCC ML429.D546 A3 2016 | DDC 782.421649092 [B]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/​2016024431

  ISBN 9780451497574

  Ebook ISBN 9780451497581

  Key illustration on chapter openers by Danny Smythe/Shutterstock

  Cover design by Emmanuel “Eye9Five” Santiago

  Cover and page ii photographs by Wolf Ademeit (lion), iStock (key), Shutterstock (flowers)

  v4.1

  ep

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Walk with Me Through the Pathway of More Success

  Stay Away from “They”

  Be Yourself

  Don’t Ever Play Yourself

  Secure the Bag

  Life Is What You Make It, So Let’s Make It

  Weather the Storm

  “They” Gonna Try to Close the Door on You; Just Open It

  Stay Humble

  Respect the Code

  Believe in the Hustle

  Keep Two Rooms Cooking at the Same Time

  Temptation Is a Type of “They”

  Fan Luv

  Inspire the Young World

  Choose Your Own Wins

  Keep It Off the Record

  Glorify Your Own Success

  Don’t Deny the Heat

  Don’t Chase the Money; Let the Money Chase You

  God Is the Greatest

  I Remember

  Win, Win, Win, No Matter What

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  To my beautiful woman, Nicole, thank you for your dedication in keeping me on track for this book and always inspiring my best

  WALK WITH ME THROUGH THE PATHWAY OF MORE SUCCESS

  This is a story about how you can be self-made. As long as you stay out of trouble, learn the business, and dedicate yourself to your hustle, you can accomplish anything. Seriously. When I look at the last year, I almost can’t believe the blessings. God is great, and He has truly helped me realize so many of my goals. The pathway of more success hasn’t been easy. No one ever said it was going to be easy. I had to weather storms and break through barriers, especially since “they” hid the keys from me, and when I say “they,” I mean the people who want you to fail. The keys are guiding principles to prosperity. Think of them as commandments that will lead you to success and then more success.

  I’ve said it to you before and I’ll say it again: “They” don’t want you to have the keys. So I made sure I got the keys. People always ask me how many keys there are. There are many keys—an infinite number of keys—that will help you formulate a vision for your life and let you know that you’re on the right path. And now, in this book, I’m sharing the major keys (and some bonus keys) with you. I love my fans. Fan Luv is everything to me, and without you I know I would be less motivated. It’s a special connection—a vibe. And once you get to know me and hear my real story, it will inspire you to go through your own journey and not only succeed but achieve joy. Success can be defined any number of ways, but true joy can be a goal for everyone.

  My phrases and my beliefs are real. They are the keys that will help you because they helped me. They’re forged from personal experiences all from my perspective, from life lessons that everyone can relate to. Like most of you I didn’t grow up rich. I come from a family of immigrants, like so many people in this beautiful country. My parents arrived from Palestine with nothing, and they worked hard—like so many of our parents—to make sure their kids had a better life. So I worked hard. Man, I worked hard. If my story tells you anything, it’s that with hard work you can be Steve Jobs, you can be Oprah, you can be Barack Obama, you can be whoever you want to be, but you got to get there by being yourself.

  And the key to more success is that the work never ends. I’m just going to be real with you about that. Success and prosperity don’t come fast. Becoming the best is not a product of luck or magic. And getting lucky once doesn’t change the rest of your life. It takes dedication, blood, sweat, tears, and some serious hardship. Just don’t give up. Never surrender. I may have been up and down over the years but each time the stakes got higher and I made sure to gain a little more ground with each win. The keys will also keep you focused, no matter how many days or weeks in a row you feel down-and-out.

  Now, I know that sometimes at the beginning or when the bag is low you have to chase money to survive. This is a time that will truly test your character. You might even have to take a hiatus from your goals to get the bag up and get your finances right, but you have to keep fighting if you want to keep your dreams alive.

  I know it looks easy for me to say this. The young world, meaning as in, the next generation, knows I’m having a legendary run. The deals are colossal. The collaborations are epic. But I know exactly where I came from and the hard work it took. It’s been ten years of We The Best, ten years since I started my own company. I’m blessed, but a decade is a long time, and I’ve been in the game for even longer. What I’m saying is that I’m forty and I’m just now on my way. I will never stop.

  The other thing I can’t stress enough is that the keys are applicable to everyone’s lives. Not just artists or music industry people. Everything you see me do and say can be interpreted for any job, any age, and any aspiration. Fan Luv, we’re in this together, and together I truly believe we can be great.

  I put my best into this book….It’s going to get deep….It’s going to get very exclusive….I’m going to tell you things that “they” don’t want you to know.

  But the real first step to walking the pathway to more success is to give thanks to God and give thanks to life, because without God’s love and without His blessings, there would be nothing. We’re blessed to have our health, our family, hip-hop, and each other. Be thankful every minute of every day for what you have; don’t complain. Keep your energy and vibe clean so that other good people want to be around you.

  What’s so dope about this last year is that I’m making a connection with people who didn’t know me before. And even if people did know my music, these same people didn’t know anything about my life. Fan Luv has always been amazing, but this new energy is crazy.

  The world is showing me love, and the epic thing is that I am just being me. Being able to do what you love without any pretense or filters is a gift—it makes you feel like you have the greatest job in the world. I need you to overstand this the way I overstand this. Notice how I didn’t say understand, because I need you to more than understand—I need you to overstand. And listen, I’m not done. We’re still grinding. We just getting started. I promise you. And We The Best.

  We The Best means exactly what it says. I didn’t say I’m the best. That’s an important distinction; I said we. That means me, Fan Luv, my team, and everybody who’s got love and positive energy. Let me ask you this: If somebody came up to you and asked, “Are you the best writer, chef, producer, director
?,” what would you say? If you don’t declare that you’re the best, I’m disappointed. You’re supposed to say that you’re the best writer, chef, producer, or director, because let me tell you, you’re the best. You need to own it with confidence and conviction. Say it to yourself first a thousand times, and then say it to other people a thousand more. For real. Is somebody better than you? Nah. We The Best. You have to speak it into existence. You have to speak your success into existence, because absolutely no one else will do it for you.

  That’s why when I started my first label, I called it We The Best. Were we the best yet? That’s up for debate. But did we have the drive and the passion and the necessary dedication to be the best? Without a doubt. Muhammad Ali, rest in peace, said, “I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.” Make your life about fulfilling your vision and dream big. I remember when we first opened the door to We The Best Studios. It really didn’t match what I had in mind for our home but it had potential. It was run-down, and the carpeting and rooms were all crazy bright colors, so we ripped it all up so that my office could look worthy of a mogul, from the lighting to the Venetian plaster walls. Every day during construction I would pull up an office chair to the site and watch the crew to make sure that everything was ready. I knew the framed magazine covers were coming and the gold plaques and then the platinum plaques. I envisioned it all.

  One of my gifts is that I can see the pathway early. If you look at my track record, a lot of the artists that I predicted would do it, did it. I don’t look at where you are. I look at where you’re headed. You’ve got to think future to be future. Just ask my friend Future.

  When you speak it into existence it will happen. Right now I’m telling everyone that my new aka is Billi. And I’ll tell you why. It’s because I’m going to be a billionaire, so now I want you to greet me and call me Billi. This way everything will affirm and reaffirm my vision. You got to speak your wins into existence. We The Best means being the best and letting the world know that We The Best. Who? We.

  STAY AWAY FROM “THEY”

  You hear me saying “Stay away from ‘they’ ” all the time, but who are “they”? I’ll tell you: “They” are the enemy. “They” want to keep the keys hidden and block you from the pathway of more success, and “they” want to see you fail. I’ve seen “they” out there and I’ve seen their evil. It makes “they” happy when you don’t prosper, and “they” laugh at your plans to make yourself better and get ahead. The person who wants to distract you from your studies or your career with their drama? That’s a “they.” That’s a big “they.” But here’s a major key: As long as you stay away from “they,” you will prosper.

  People ask me how “they” become that way. I tell them—hate makes you “they.” Back in the day I used to just call “they” haters, but I realized after a while that I had to change that word out of necessity. “They” are sneakier than that—“they” take all forms. For some it will be immediately apparent that there’s hate in their hearts, but others have a disguise.

  There’s the type who will do everything in their power to befriend you; “they” will want to hug you and kiss you, meet your family, and become your friend. You’ve even got the kind who bring you thoughtful presents. But even if a “they” hid their true nature at the beginning, eventually you’ll see their evil energy. The “they” vibe is a mess. You know that feeling in your gut when you meet someone who seems off? Young world: Pay close attention to that feeling and trust your instincts. It doesn’t matter how new or inexperienced you are, or how influential “they” are, or what “they” have that you don’t. Don’t get distracted by the gifts and affection and don’t ever think a “they” knows what’s best for you.

  I’m blessed for a lot of reasons. You can see the blessings in my house, my family, my musical garden, and Florida, but an unseen blessing might be one of the most important—my memory. Anyone who’s ever worked with me—and that’s a lot of people—will tell you the same thing: I remember. I want this to be put in bold in the book in big letters: I REMEMBER. Major key.

  “They” tried to count me out. “They” told me I couldn’t have a house on the ocean, that I couldn’t have a garden filled with angels. “They” told me time and time again that whatever my goals were, I couldn’t reach them. And I remember it all—twenty years of doubt and hate. If you’re reading this and experiencing doubt and hate right now, just remember I’ve gone through all of it and triumphed. I’ve had “they” tell me to my face—to my face!—that I wouldn’t amount to anything. When I was working at the very bottom, nobody was trying to hear that I was going to be the biggest DJ in Miami and the world. Nobody thought a high school dropout would ever be a record label executive. Even later, when I wanted to make an album, I had so many people tell me I’d lost my mind. “They” all said, “Khaled, you can’t have a hip-hop album; you can’t rap.” But I found a way. Not only that, I make some of the biggest rap records in history.

  And now I got the keys. And “they” hate it. “They” hid the keys from me because “they” wanted to end me. “They” didn’t want me to learn that if I worked hard and dreamed big, I’d win. This is exactly the lesson that I want to share with you. Don’t let “they” ever tell you anything different.

  Because “they” are petty. The whole lot are busybodies who want to get in your head and ruin all the pleasure in your life. “They” don’t want you to win. “They” don’t want you to do 360s on a Jet Ski. “They” don’t want you to have stars on the roof of your Rolls-Royce. “They” don’t want you to enjoy your best life.

  So how do you make sure you do all the things that “they” don’t want you to? Take out the trash. Rid yourself of all the “they.” As soon as “they” show you their true colors, act fast and cut them loose. It’s like breaking a hit record or making a new announcement—timing is everything. And the time is always now.

  I know that when I say take out the trash, it sounds simplistic. Making that choice in your mind is easy; you’re a boss, and you do what you have to. But actually deciding to go out and take out the trash can be difficult and requires a lot of follow-through. You just have to remember that “they” will try anything to make you change your mind. “They” will try to confuse you and beg you for another chance, or try to argue and blame someone else for their mistakes.

  But when you’ve got a “they” on your team, you have to move. I can’t stress this enough. Don’t just talk about that person behind their back or start beef on social media. It’s not only a waste of time, it’s the first step in how you become a “they.” Tell them straight up that “they” are no longer a part of the team and why. Just do it. Don’t wait for something to change. Don’t start second-guessing yourself. Here’s another key: When a “they” is on your team, it’s like a cancer on your future success. Think about that. “They” are stealing from your future, the future that you work hard every day to make sure you reach.

  Part of making sure that you’re keeping trash off your team is keeping a small circle. Now, my circle’s always been tight, but as the successes get bigger, I tighten up my circle more. It’s very important. I’ve seen people make mistakes and do the opposite. Some people can’t handle success; I can. What that means is that some people sabotage themselves when they’re on a winning team. When a boss’s circle gets too big, people on the team start thinking they’re bosses or make sloppy decisions because they get gassed or greedy. The more people you have around you, the more chances one of them is a “they.” “They” are everywhere, so this is just math and logic. Small circles mean you have a better chance of getting all the ungrateful people out of your life. And “they” shouldn’t take it personally because it’s business. Now, I’m not saying that just because we’re hot, we’re trying to leave people behind. It’s that a certain number of wins can change someone. You’ve heard it before: Power corrupts.

  That said—and this can be sad—sometimes you can have a good friend who turns
into a “they.” People change. It’s human nature to evolve. Now, you can be a good friend and try to help a “they” out and tell them to cleanse off, maybe jump in the ocean—use that salt water to rinse off the evil. And when it’s an old friend, you might really go out of your way to try to change them. But let me tell you: Once someone turns into a “they”—even if it’s your oldest, closest friend—most of the time there’s no changing back. Hate makes you “they.” Jealousy makes you “they.” And since We The Best, that hate and envy won’t stop.

  The point is, some people can’t elevate their vision because they don’t want to progress in the pursuit of prosperity. Instead of being inspired to new heights, they want to drag you down to their level. So just be straight up. Tell them it’s time to part ways. It’s not just a matter of cutting them off, it’s that they’re cutting themselves off. It happens all the time. Do it quickly and clearly. I just tell them, “Yo, don’t ever walk into my house with any negative energy in your life.” I don’t care who it is or where we are. If there’s a room, I’m out or “they” out. Period. My people know this.

  I can’t stand ungrateful people. Ungrateful people are some of the evilest “they”s I can imagine. I know some people who are ungrateful to where it’s so disappointing, but it’s called “Congratulations: You played yourself. Look at us. We’re not stopping. So whatever plan you had in your head with your ungratefulness and your complaining and your evil and your doubt, it’s not going to work.”

  Fan Luv is beautiful, and I’ve got so many fans, but if you know me personally…like, if you’ve been to my house and really know me, you know I always help my family, team, and loved ones, and give back to the community. Some of it you see, or maybe you read about it online, but a lot of it is anonymous. I help people out in so many different ways, so when I know someone who is ungrateful, I have to get them out of my life. It’s unfortunate, but lately I don’t even waste time thinking about “they.” That’s not selfish; that’s me taking care of my vibe and making sure I stay positive. This is a lesson that really took me a long time to learn. Prioritizing yourself isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.