The Keys Read online

  All storms end. And when they do, you’d better make sure you know who helped you. This is a major key. Those early days at Mixx 96 might have been a struggle but people definitely looked out for me, like Joe Crack, my brother. He lived in New York but would always visit a lot. And even though we were a small operation at Mixx 96 we were killing it, and he really believed in everything I was doing. It meant so much to me that at the top of his game he and Pun would cosign me to be a part of Terror Squad and show me love. People wouldn’t even believe that I knew them and then they’d come to the station, where it was small and hot, and freestyle for hours and take calls. You have to understand, this is like a dream come true as a fan. I’ve seen Pun record, and that’s a legendary experience and a blessing that I’ll never forget. Joe lives in Miami now, so you know that all of the relationships and outlets I have here, from radio to the club, I always make sure to show love right back. There isn’t a version of a Khaled story that could be written without Joe being in it. And that’s what I mean by letting the people who embraced you and showed love during a storm know that their help did not go unnoticed.

  Hardships also help you focus. Even when I got more successful and way later when I finally had enough saved up to start this business, there were moments when I had to sacrifice my mortgage to pay my studio bill. To me, these were days when I needed a studio more than I needed a home. I’m the guy who always had a state-of-the-art studio before I had furniture or paint on the walls in my house, so this will come as a surprise to no one, but these decisions were tough.

  In the end I made sure to hold on to both, but I knew that I needed the studio for my future. I needed it to record the anthems and I had to have an office for me and for my team. It was a turbulent time but I knew I had to risk my house to get to the next level. I just really, really didn’t want to go back to sleeping in my car, and I’d been scarred by seeing my parents lose their home, but I had to bet on me and face the storm.

  Here’s the other thing about storms: As you get bigger, they get bigger. The tests get harder as you get smarter. This is when the key is to have all the keys—start thinking about how all these keys fit together. Think about patience, think about “they,” think about your backup plans, and think about your vision. It will help you.

  The other thing to remember about challenges is that you must always expect them. You are one person on this gigantic planet; there ain’t no way a storm won’t come for you if it wants to come for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s been a long time since you had a storm, or if you just had a storm. Man, I’ve had storms within storms. Some seasons they just come. Be humble, know it can happen, and make all the arrangements so you can get through it.

  The only part of any of this that you can even hope to control is to always give your best. No matter if you’re up or down, no matter if your war chest is empty or you’re tired. Never surrender. Embrace the blessings, but sometimes it will be more important to embrace the storms. Because storms keep you humble. In turn, humility is what makes life sweet. As I always say: It’s not an easy road, but give thanks to the road. You will never be happier than when you know a storm is over. When you’re on the other side and the sun is smiling on your face and your yard is green from the rain and your angels are happy and there’s a rainbow on the water, you will know joy. Storms are what make every win sweeter.

  MY INITIAL IMPRESSION of Khaled was hearing him on the air in Miami at WEDR. At the time he had just become an artist, but he was still a fixture on that radio station. And we were in the process of putting a radio station on to compete against his.

  Much to my surprise, he was quite friendly and receptive to establishing a relationship. And since we played his music, he gave us equal access to the music as he did his home station. I just thought he was a really nice guy.

  He was—as he is now—extremely charismatic, and the relationship blossomed. He’s always been the person that whenever he promised he would do something, he’s done it. And I can’t be mad at anybody that keeps his word the way he does.

  He came across at a time where people began to give attention to producers à la Quincy Jones, you know, but without a doubt, Khaled being the most charismatic of them all. It’s hard not to like Khaled. Khaled is just a teddy bear, you know? He’s just a nice guy. Beyoncé was here in town this weekend and it was hard to get a ticket; you know, he got me tickets, which was kind enough, but he just went above and beyond, like made sure I got to my seats properly, sent out one of his people to check on me. It’s just Khaled, he’s always been that way. There’ve been times when I’ve run into him in a nightclub in Miami and he was just always, “Hey, come sit with me, I take care of Doc! This is Doc!” It’s difficult for me to think that anybody could have a true beef with him.

  And then he just got into this Snapchat thing that has just become absolutely insane. I could be on the front page of any magazine and not hear a word, but when I’m on Khaled’s Snapchat, I get people all over the world saying, “My God! I saw you on Khaled’s Snapchat! Oh my God!”

  —Doc Wynter, director of Urban Programming, iHeartRadio

  “THEY” GONNA TRY TO CLOSE THE DOOR ON YOU; JUST OPEN IT

  We all experience doors in our lives. And by “doors” I mean obstacles. No matter how high you climb the mountain, there’s always another one after it. And sometimes that next mountain is like Mount Everest—it’s huge. But you’ve got to keep going and breaking through. I always say: They gonna try to close the door on you; just open it. If you can’t open it, break it down, rip the door off, and put them hinges in the haters’ hands. Sometimes I use a word that’s stronger than haters, depending on the vibe, but this is a book, so I’m gonna keep it professional. Now, when I say break and rip and all that, I’m not promoting the use of violence. Please don’t ever get confused.

  First of all, we only break the door down when we have to. We don’t break the door down for fun. Only crazy people with too much time and anger problems break the door down for fun. This is about necessary force. This is for survival. This is for when we don’t want anybody to stop our blessing. We need our blessings. Not only that, we like our blessings. I told you “they” tried to close the door on me all the time because “they” didn’t see me coming. There was no road map for me. Who else came up the way I did? At every stage, for every win and every blessing, “they” said no. Every time, I had to turn no into yes. There are times to be humble and follow rules, just like there are times to rip down doors. The key is to know the difference.

  When you first get on, it shouldn’t matter what type of business it is—take the opportunity. Get through that first door—just open it. Meaning, at least get in the building. It might be that the first situation won’t make you rich or famous. The first step is often an internship or a few years spent as an assistant. That’s okay. People are impatient sometimes, and they think they’re too good to start at the bottom. That’s playing yourself in a big way. That’s called having a short-term vision, aka the wrong vision. The key is those first opportunities lead to more opportunities.

  For me Mixx 96 was that first shot. That was my first radio experience and a great place to learn because there was so much freedom. That’s the blessing of a pirate radio show and that’s what I mean by taking full advantage once you open the first door. Once you’re in, keep your eyes open. You smart. You very smart. But even if you’re smart, learning the business could take a minute. Ask questions to the bosses who will make time for you and move with a clean heart, aka do good business, aka respect the code. Of course you’re going to come across people who don’t appreciate your greatness, and any business is rough because you can be fooled in the beginning or people won’t see your vision—but push through. Remember these early days and think about what kind of boss you’re going to be in the future. Know from the mistakes they make.

  When you’re special cloth, a lot of the time people don’t understand you. In order to really be happy you have to be yourself
first, and if you’re one of one, people get confused. They want to put you into a box or put limits on you, so make sure your vision is so huge that it destroys the box and those limits. This is you getting to that next door. You’ve got to let everybody know that there’s no door that can keep you out. Those doors might be expectations or people saying no. The key is to know that a no isn’t a death sentence. Get through that door and change their minds.

  After Mixx 96 I had the incredible opportunity to work with one of Miami’s most important icons—Uncle Luke. That’s Luke Skywalker; he’s a Florida legend, so when he called me after I was killing it on underground radio, I was honored. I’m always going to be grateful to Luke for that. He said he wanted me to be his cohost and his DJ at 99 Jamz—that’s the big radio station, WEDR, in Miami. It was the Friday night show, the hottest show in the city, and it was so live that crowds would gather outside the station when we aired. It was a vibe. After a while Luke would go on tour so I ended up getting my own show, and from there I got a mix show, which led to my own night show, which was number one for over fifteen years. But just because I found my way into the mainstream didn’t mean there weren’t doors. At first when I wanted my own night show the bosses said no. Straight up. They weren’t trying to hear it. But when I see a door like that I just get into a mode where I can’t accept the answer. I just kept asking.

  When you get into that zone people might think you’re crazy. And they might find you frustrating. They’re like, “Who is this guy who’s just not going away?” Then something changes. This no-saying person starts to get a little curious about why you want to get through so damned bad. They might start asking you questions and find out what you’re about. Then they actually start respecting the hustle. When you’re out there putting in work and they see it every day, your determination is undeniable. Let me tell you, after twenty years of business and friendship, these people who said no become your brothers. It happens.

  But other times you will need to destroy that door. This is the second part of the key. If you can’t open it, break it down. Rip the door off and put them hinges in the haters’ hands. You put them hinges in their hands so “they” can remember. So “they’ll” know what happened and there’s no confusion. If it’s a “they” that’s keeping you out, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do—you’ve got to go through them.

  If you paid your dues, mastered the game, stayed respectful, and worked hard to where your knowledge is undeniable, make it your mission to destroy that door. Get up earlier, stay up later, keep your mind clear, and do it.

  You can say no to me a thousand times, but I’m still going to keep coming. I am single-minded in my pursuit. I don’t get embarrassed or mad or feel disrespected by the process. To me, it’s a simple difference of opinion. You can’t see my vision. I get that, but I will do everything in my power to try to convince you.

  I could see my special chemistry with the audience. I’d experienced it with the crowd and I knew that they wanted me to have a show—not only at the turntables but Monday through Friday night as a personality. So after a while I turned it into a campaign. It was like running for president. People at the radio, like all the people who worked there, started wearing T-shirts like “Khaled for the Night Show!” and it became a movement. When I eventually got that show I knew it was the best situation for everyone. Think about it: Me ripping down that door turned into a beautiful career and a number one show that lasted for over fifteen years. That’s how wrong people can be when they first tell you no. That’s why you can’t listen to them and why you can’t quit.

  For real, sometimes, when they finally say yes and you walk through the door, the person on the other side might change your life. From those early years to now this has always proven true. I will never forget how it took me a whole year to get a Jay Z verse a few years ago, but now he’s my manager. It’s unbelievable but that’s a fact. Now we’re building the vision together. Plus, I have even more Jay Z verses. God is good and the wins are sweet. “They” don’t want me to be the biggest DJ or the biggest producer in hip-hop. “They” don’t want me to break the most legendary new acts this culture has ever seen on my label. Just like “they” don’t want me to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of We The Best with more major successes. But look at me—I’m doing it all. And this is why I’m sharing the keys with you. So you don’t have to break down every door, but some of the time that’s what it takes. And for each of the doors I broke down, I had to be patient. Some doors take years to break down. I don’t break down doors because I’m in a rush; I feel like that gets misunderstood sometimes. I’ve got Fan Luv and major magazine covers, but when people call me an overnight success I laugh.

  But even while you’re patient, just hustling and grinding at your vision, you’ve got to be thinking about the next door. Matter fact, you got to keep your mind on a few doors. That’s why when I was younger, while I was doing the radio show and working my way up, I was still thinking about producing. After a while I had a vision to make a mix tape, so I made a mix tape, then I took everything I learned and wanted to make an album. The album was a huge door. I had to look up at it, it was so enormous, and the whole time people thought I was crazy.

  These days people might think that all the doors are ripped down in my life. Doors are never going to miraculously just open for you. I think what’s going on now is that the whole world is seeing my hard work at the same time. Snapchat opened some doors, but now there are bigger doors. I only ever wanted to be in music, but now I also want to be the biggest mogul. I want to make movies, television shows, and more books; I want it all. My love of music got me everything I want and I’m looking forward to getting more. And I know that means more doors, but I’m ready.

  IN KHALED I see some of the same qualities I saw in Jay when I joined Roc-A-Fella Records in 1996, which makes twenty years this year. Leadership, limitless creativity, and an ambition that is unmatchable. When Khaled talks it can come off as unrealistic, until he accomplishes exactly what he says he’ll do. He always gets his win. We met through music but it’s his relationships that really make him special. This man’s relationships are unheard of. People know they can trust him. They want to be in business with him and they love him. Besides, he stays making hits, so what’s there to lose?

  —Lenny Santiago, senior VP of Roc Nation

  STAY HUMBLE

  I’m humble. I was born humble, but now I get humbler every day. Now, just because I’m humble doesn’t mean I’m not confident. I’m bold and I know I’m one of the greatest to ever do it. I’m an icon, and I let the world know it, but being humble means being grateful for your blessings and remembering everyone who helped guide you to them.

  Right now is a special time in my life. I thank God because of the level of blessings I have the opportunity to experience. Every time there’s a new deal alert or a new announcement, I’m humbled. How could I be anything but humble? Please just look at the reality of my life: I toured with Beyoncé and President Barack Obama asked me to personally talk to him about young world at the White House. I’m on a level of grateful that I can’t even properly articulate. It’s amazing.

  You have to understand, I’m a fan of this music and culture for real. I remember from the time I was thirteen years old daydreaming about all of this and setting goals. I would sit in a garage, covered in wall-to-wall posters of Run DMC and KRS-One and Eric B. & Rakim, plotting and scheming about how I was going to make an impact in this world and culture that I love so much. And now at forty I’m seeing these dreams being realized. When I’m shooting a video in the Bahamas with Nas, you have to believe I’ve been thinking of this moment from years before. That’s Nas! I had a poster of him on my wall when I was growing up. You can feel my joy because I’m just so happy I can’t believe it. I get to do my favorite thing—make music—with icons. That’s humbling.

  This is why I don’t understand people who are jaded or don’t appreciate their role in the most incredible indus
try in the world. And of course this is a deeply personal experience and goes for any industry. Depending on who you are, being a fashion designer, or a chef, or a director might be the most amazing thing. I will never understand people who work their whole lives to win, and then when they do, they try to act like they’re already over it. Don’t ever play yourself.

  I fell in love with the culture during a great time—an iconic time—when I was super young. I remember listening to NWA, Public Enemy, EPMD, A Tribe Called Quest, Leaders of The New School, and LL Cool J. Then, after all that greatness, you’ve got Nas, Jay Z, Biggie, Tupac…the list goes on. It’s a privilege to play a part in keeping that going. Being around greatness from a young age made me aspire to greatness, but that’s also why I’m so grateful. I always give credit where it’s due, and part of giving credit is studying the game. Learn every name that means something to the people in that business. And when you have the opportunity to meet these people, appreciate their greatness and show gratitude. Now, they might not be famous or a household name, but these people are all visionaries who can teach you something.

  Knowing the pioneers of the game—whatever your game is—is unbelievably important. You’ve got to know who put in the work ahead of you for you to be able to do what you’re doing now. It’s one of the best ways to be more inspired about what you create. Listen to their stories, and it will help you write your own. If you’re a fan of the music and the people responsible for it, you’ll discover that you see your own music differently. If it’s sports, memorize the lessons of the legends. Whether it’s the process of making a hit record or being a star athlete, figure out how they work. Figure out the connections. Take someone like Lyor Cohen, who’s a great friend of mine. He is not an artist himself, but this is a man who’s worked with Jay Z; he’s worked with everyone from Run DMC to Whodini, Kurtis Blow to the Beastie Boys, Slick Rick to Bon Jovi, Method Man to Mariah Carey.