A huge star-studded cast is assembled to create Major Key, and DJ Khaled is your cartoonish yet gracious host.
Yes, this really is the official album cover.
DJ Khaled has been a busy man lately. He’s got lost on a jet ski in the middle of the night. He’s turned his Snapchat into a platform for giving inspirational speeches and showcasing his beautiful pear-shaped exterior. He’s screamed “Another one!” and “Major Key Alert!” almost frequently enough to be diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome. But less brazenly, under all of his social media antics, he’s been working on this: Major Key, his ninth studio album.
Although it is still not completely clear what DJ Khaled does for the hip-hop industry, or even why he is one of it’s most prominent figures, one thing is certain: he has by far the biggest phone book in the game, and liberally dialed almost the entire rap scene in order to coax them into contributing a verse or two for Major Key. The first track alone sees a reincarnated Jay Z pairing up with Atlanta’s man of the moment, Future, for I Got The Keys. The song is an instant banger with an infectious hook- a rare glimpse of Jay’s ability to truly body a track when he really tries. Jay should have no problems leaving his awkward Magna Carta Holy Grail days behind him if he keeps spitting like this.
The album continues at breakneck pace with the introduction of another titan of the music industry- Drake, and his latest track, For Free. Fresh off of the platinum selling Views the Canadian rapper returns with yet another summer anthem to compliment the likes of Controlla, One Dance and Too Good. Along with I Got The Keys, this track is one of Major Key‘s brightest highlights as Drake shows no signs of post-album burnout.
Other less immediate but still notable highlights include Holy Key, which sees Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar trading relentless bars, and Nas Album Done, which unsurprisingly features veteran MC Nas over a phenomenal beat. The only letdown to this track is the hook. DJ Khaled probably held Nas at gunpoint in the studio and forced him say “I told her she smart and loyal, I like that, that’s a major key” over and over again until he broke down in tears. It’s entertaining enough, I guess.
We get it, you vape.
Of course, any album comprising of 32 (yes, thirty-two!) guest stars is bound to be somewhat hit-and-miss, and Major Key, for all it’s great moments, isn’t without it’s misses. The likes of Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross sound uninspired on the slow jam Do You Mind, a record that sounds like it could’ve been a hit had it been released five years previously. Pick These Hoes Apart is another letdown, but then again, any song featuring borderline comedy rappers Kodak Black and French Montana is somewhat destined to be. “She so wet I made that pussy fart“. It’s time to stop, Kodak.
Luckily, Major Key has more than enough redeeming features to overshadow it’s disappointments. Bryson Tiller shines on Ima Be Alright, and is complimented surprisingly well by Future, who provides one of his finest verses of the year. Fuckk Up The Club achieves exactly what it’s title states without compromising on the quality of the bars; Rick Ross restores our faith in him with a dope verse, and YG resurfaces fresh off his superb sophomore album, Still Brazy. Khaled’s latest signing, Kent Jones, also delivers an impressive segment on Don’t Ever Play Yourself and more than holds his own against experienced spitters Jadakiss, Fabolous, Fat Joe and Busta Rhymes.
Despite being credited as the album artist, it was a huge relief to hear relatively little of DJ Khaled himself across Major Key. Only the occasional “Another one” or “We The Best” is audible in select tracks. If only Khaled was around in the 90’s to oversee the production of Biggie’s albums, rather than letting Puff Daddy almost ruin his discography by horrifically ad-libbing after every line.
What is unforgivable, however, is the album’s penultimate track, Forgive Me Father. It wouldn’t be unfair to label this song a complete train-wreck, and I can only imagine DJ Khaled included it as a final sadistic inside joke to taunt us all before Major Key comes to a close. It’s like Wiz Khalifa made an even more cringe-worthy version of See You Again, and collaborated with Meghan Trainor to provide a particularly grating chorus. I suppose it’s worth a listen for it’s comedy value, but be warned, prolonged exposure to this song has cost many listeners their sanity.
Overall, DJ Khaled shrewdly legitimises his position as one of the rap game’s most prominent cult figures by enlisting a legion of the industry’s most well-known talents to echo his countless mantras. DJ Khaled steadily rose to the peak of his fame in 2016, so much so that Major Key may be looked back on as Khaled’s magnum opus, and that’s saying a lot for a man with nine studio albums and counting. Ironically, DJ Khaled has displayed more longevity than most of the guests on his own album. Each track is a celebration of success: less like ‘serious music’, and more like a bunch of friends taking the week off to jovially lay a few tracks down. Nobody stretches themselves too far, and everyone does just fine (well, except Kodak Black). For listeners keen on hearing a ton of tracks sure to go off in any club, Major Key is the project for you. However, anyone wanting to listen to a conceptual, or even cohesive album would be wise to look elsewhere- don’t play yourself.
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