DJ Khaled has built his career on collaboration, but when it comes to rap feuds, he prefers to keep his distance.
The producer and DJ spoke candidly this week about why he didn’t get involved when Drake found himself at odds with Future and Rick Ross. Appearing on the Joe & Jada podcast on Thursday, Khaled explained that his loyalty lies equally with all three artists.
“I love Drake, I love [Rick] Ross, I love Future,” Khaled told Fat Joe, who pressed him on the issue. “There’s two energies I’m not gonna get in: hate.”
When asked how he deals with negativity, Khaled shot back quickly: “I don’t.”
He went on to describe Drake, Future and Ross as “brothers,” insisting that his friendship with each remains strong. “You can’t question my friendship,” he said. “Ain’t nobody like DJ motherf—ing Khaled. Joe, you know that.”
Khaled believes much of the tension came down to miscommunication. “A lot of this sh– is a misunderstanding and a lot of not communicating,” he explained. “When it comes down to DJ Khaled, I’m gonna be the one that tries to fix it. I love my brothers and my brothers know that. I would love to squash it.”
The Miami-born hitmaker has long worked closely with the three stars. His discography includes collaborations with Drake stretching back more than a decade, as well as joint tracks with Future and Rick Ross that have defined his “We The Best” brand.
Whether the trio will reunite on Khaled’s forthcoming album Aalam of God remains to be seen. In February, Drake appeared to brush off Khaled’s claim that he had two songs for the project, joking online, “Must be Drake Bell.”
For now, Khaled has launched the album campaign with two singles: Brother, featuring Post Malone and NBA YoungBoy, and a dancehall-inspired track You Remind Me, which brings together Bounty Killer, Buju Banton, Mavado, Kaylan Arnold, Rorystonelove and Vybz Kartel.
Despite the tensions in hip-hop’s upper ranks, Khaled is determined to keep building bridges. “Beef isn’t on the menu,” he said. “What’s on the menu is love.”
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