DJ Khaled recruits all hip-hop heavyweights in his latest album.
Our Rating 9.3/10
DJ Khaled returns with his fortunate 13th studio album GOD DID, following the release of “Staying Alive” starring Drake and Lil Baby two weeks earlier. While the single has done well in terms of sales, it has received mixed reviews from reviewers. However, in the run-up to the release, DJ Khaled did what DJ Khaled does best: he embarked on a press tour to generate buzz and expectation for the record. The hip-hop icon’s live life king-size attitude translates to his sounds, with his new album ‘God Did’ splattered in his performance, but it goes beyond that. This album is genuine, unadulterated by DJ Khaled: crazy, loud, ambitious, and uncompromising, it’s difficult to adore yet impossible to avoid.
It’s obvious from witnessing several conversations over the last week that this project means something more to him deeply, whether he was announcing Jigga-‘s involvement or Dr.Dre, Eminem, and Kanye-led Use This Gospel. All of his projects are obviously very important to him, but this one is about his gratitude to God for the accomplishment he has thus far been able to experience.
This album stands apart from prior Khaled releases, while it’s unclear if this is by purpose or due to a downturn. Khaled has stated in conversations that this album signals the beginning of a new page for him.
Khaled revealed the official tracklist three days before the album’s release, which includes famous names like Jay-Z, Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, Future, Travis Scott, John Legend, and others. He described the record as “exceptional.” He also motivated his fans by saying, “let me clear; there’s a lot of things that can happen in the next 24 hrs”. Khaled has also called the album “the holy scripture,” “a gift to the world,” “a gift to the fans,” and “a gift to fans.”
God Did debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, with moving 107,500 album-equivalent units (including 9,500 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.
“God has always told me to keep going; When times get hard, I go harder,” said Khaled. “When times get great, I go even harder. I don’t waste my emotions and energy on moving backwards. I use my energy to find the solution to keep going. If something ain’t workin’ out the way it’s supposed to work out, I want to find a way to get back up and keep going and find the solution.”
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‘God Did,’ as usual, demonstrates the strength of DJ Khaled’s address book, his golden catalog. From beginners to all-out legends, every track is overflowing with brilliance. Do you enjoy Kanye? What about Eminem? Khaled, on the other hand, has him both on the same page. The same can be said about Nas and Jay-Z.
Drake’s “NO SECRET,” which starts the project, is a fine introduction, but at only 47 seconds it leaves you wishing for more.
The title track “GOD DID” follows, and it features John Legend, Friday, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and a five-minute Jay-Z verse. This group strikes us as spectacular, even though it seems like we’ve heard these Ross, Wayne, and Hov songs. As heavenly as the name might imply, “GOD DID” feels. You get a rhythm that sounds like a chapel, vocals by John Legend and Fridayy which sound like church, a three-minute verse by Jay-Z about his wealth and fame and incredible rise to stardom, and verses from Rick Ross and Lil Wayne that spit ferociously and hit us with lyrics that sound productively rebellious. I appreciate how this song is performed with such passion and heart by practically everyone. The hook is appealing, Rick Ross crushed it, Lil Wayne sounds excellent, Jay-Z nailed it, and John Legend did his thing towards the end. This has the potential to be one of DJ Khaled’s best tracks.
Later on on the album “JADAKISS INTERLUDE,” another New York superstar named Jadakiss performs the same.
It’s like the album was God Did as he manifested his desire to work with Eminem & Dr. Dre come true.
The album’s other great moment is “Use This Gospel (Remix),” which features Dr. Dre and ICU’s version on the Jesus Is King track. The song begins with massive trumpet sounds before transitioning into hard-hitting rhythms, Ye’s absolutely flawed yet sincere vocals, and Eminem doing his thing. Is the song as good as we’d anticipate from a Kanye West, Eminem, Dr. Dre, and DJ Khaled partnership? The composition is outstanding, with numerous layers and complexity in an era were pared down, simplistic production has become popularised by Drake and 40.
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Kanye talks about God’s love while Eminem spits about being undisputed on the mic in the song, both singers still performing at the top of their game despite being far into their forties. Perhaps compared to Kanye’s hook, I prefer Eminem’s rap. But this song is history: Two historical rulers of hip hop collaborated on a song.
As the album progresses, it becomes clear that “STAYING ALIVE” wasn’t the only flashback track; Khaled also finds influence in Eddie Murphy’s 1980 hit “Party All The Time.” Even if Quavo and Takeoff give it their all on the song, it still comes off as goofy in execution. At this moment, you realize that “Staying Alive,” which may have seemed unimpressive at first, really ended up being the album’s greatest track.
Drake’s singing of the song’s chorus is smooth and contagious, and Lil Baby and Drake both deliver rap lines that expertly balance being gritty and sly. Keeping one’s focus in the face of difficulty is the song’s main message, and the two sounds nicely complement this goal. “STAYING ALIVE” is an all-around certified smash.
This song is not overrated, in my opinion. It isn’t bad.
The album’s next notable moment is “BEAUTIFUL,” in which Future, renowned for his “toxic” views on women, offers a genuine love ballad, aided by SZA’s pure vocals. “Beautiful” is an apt title for the song, as the two vocalists complement each other well.
Future and SZA collaborate on the album hit ‘BEAUTIFUL,’ while Latto and City Girls collaborate on the snappy, tempting ‘BILLS PAID,’ putting two female favorites in the same track, we see you, DJ Khaled. The song’s production is top-notch, Latto has traits reminiscent of a young Foxy Brown, and all the women execute flows that can compete with any of the guys.
Around the midway point, the speed picks up with a number of hits, notably “IT AIN’T SAFE” with Nardo Wick and Kodak Black as well as the Tay Keith-produced “LET’S PRAY” starring Don Toliver and Travis Scott.
Roddy Ricch and Gunna, two of hip-most hop’s melodic rappers, are featured in the song “FAM GOOD, WE GOOD.” They are the ones that truly propel this song, which is why I bring it up because of their catchy melodies. You will become obsessed with the hook before you start analyzing the lyrics. I also believe the verses by Roddy and Gunna, the tempo, and the song’s title are all demanding.
Watch: DJ Khaled’s Crazy Reaction To Kanye West, Eminem & Dr. Dre’s “Use This Gospel” Remix
21 Savage then deviates from his typical gangsta talk, breaking up on “WAY PAST LUCK” and back to his “A Lot” persona. It serves as a reminder that, while 21 is recognized for specific kinds of material, he can also “rap rap” whenever he chooses to.
As the album nears its conclusion, Khaled returns to his sound-deadening Reggae origins with “THESE STREETS KNOW MY NAME.” While the song falls short of past Reggae anthems such as “HOLY MOUNTAIN,” like with prior Khaled albums, it does have one of the most outstanding feature pairings on the whole CD. It features classics like as Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, and Sizzla, as well as Skillibeng, who is positioned as the next great Reggae superstar.
One aspect of this record that I don’t particularly enjoy is that a number of musicians don’t seem entirely at ease and uninhibited on the tracks on which they appear. Juice WRLD, in my opinion, sounds the most liberated on this record. Everything in “Juice WRLD DID,” from the rhythm to the style of the hook to the flow shifts to the message, reflects what the late rapper stood for. Overall, I get the impression that this music is genuine.
The album concludes with the Gospel-inspired “GRATEFUL,” which features Vory and his beautiful voice. The song, which has some chords and a deep female voice, takes the album’s topic around again and serves to highlight what Khaled is attempting to say.
Overall, this is not your typical Khaled effort. It appears to be less audacious than his previous endeavors, and one would wonder if this album will yield as many great hits and milestones as his previous efforts. Finally, ‘GOD DID’ is an album with a lot of sparkles but few astonishments. The tracks are kept short, punchy, and straightforward; there are no house production twists, no revelations, just pure, unadulterated Khaled. It’s like being strapped onto a rollercoaster: exciting at times, scary at others, and exhausting by the close. By returning to his hip-hop origins, DJ Khaled reasserts his position as rap’s most well-connected figure, a testament to both his vivacious character and his boundless ingenuity.
The opening part of this track set was excellent. There were a couple of songs that were a little disappointing, but there were certainly several songs that I’ll be listening to on loop. The first of them, “GOD DID,” was pretty astounding in that Khaled crafted a song of this caliber, an 8-minute banger with some of the all-time greats joining together to produce the single of the year. Songs like “USE THIS GOSPEL” were extremely wonderful and a song that I believe would warm me, but all of the songs reflected the project’s style and attitude, which was full of energy and looked passionate.
After all, is said and done, I believe we must praise Khaled for attempting to offer fans what they desire from the musicians they enjoy.
