S. Samuel
Fat Joe recently talked about his current relationship with long-time associate DJ Khaled and applauded the Def Jam South president for taking advantage of the opportunities presented to him.
Joe said he helped put Khaled in the rap game.
“We passed him the baton and let him go,” Crack said about Khaled. “What we do is try to help our brothers grow. He took it from there and he’s got the ‘We The Best’ thing and he’s doing his thing. I’m proud of him and we want him to do well. It’s just, you know, that’s how it is man. There are people who do things and there’s a lot of people givien out opportunities. Some people take it and go all the way with it and try to create history and some people are passive and don’t wanna work as hard and they take the same opportunities and sit on they a** and don’t do it. Khaled was the go-getter, he went up there and did what he had to do.” (Ozone Magazine)
Last year, Joe talked about Khaled becoming Def Jam South president.
“No one has ever seen an executive like DJ Khaled,” Joe said in an interview. “Everybody in the music business who’s an executive has been polished for the job. Khaled comes with the energy that hasn’t been seen in this game, ever, from the day that f*cking Lyor Cohen and Russell Simmons opened Def Jam! He’s going to put out nothing but hits. And I expect him to be one of the biggest executives in a couple of years, the hip-hop game has ever seen. I guarantee he’s going to be an executive of a lifetime. Remember I told you.” (Complex)
Khaled previously said maintaining a relationship with Island Def Jam executive L.A. Reid helped secure his spot.
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do, is be an executive and take it to another level,” Khaled said in an interview. “L.A. [Reid] just hit me one day. He was like, ‘We should bring Khaled onboard. He makes hits, he has relationships.’ I got a team of producers and we go in hard. My job is to bring hits to the table and work with new artists and work with established artists. I’m bringing new energy to the game and to the building.” (MTV)
Earlier this year, Khaled spoke on his place in rap history.
“I’m like the L.A. Reid of hip-hop, the Berry Gordy of hip-hop,” Khaled told radio personality Jenny Boom Boom. “I feel like I’m the executive right now that’s in the streets and going to take it to the next level, that’s the goal, you know what I’m saying? That’s the next goal. At Def Jam, we’re one big team, and I’m an executive at Def Jam, office in Miami, but I gotta come to New York, do big meetings…LA Reid is a boss — those [firing reports] are rumors, that’s not happening. He hired me, so I’m with LA Reid for life, man. Shout-outs to LA Reid, one of the best execs in the game and also he’s a music guy, he’s another Berry Gordy.” (“Jenny Boom Boom TV”)
Check out Fat Joe speaking on DJ Khaled below:
Ozone Magazine Interview with Fat Joe from ozonemag on Vimeo.
