Let's figure this out.
Some of us know DJ Khaled as a world famous record producer who has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Drake, to Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and every name in between. Chances are you can't name a single song he's written produced or starred on except for the anthem 'All We Do is Win' with the unmistakable mention of DJ Khaled within the first few seconds of the beat. The rest of us know him from Snapchat, and what a journey it has been.
Upon adding DJKhaled305 to your Snapchat friends it doesn't take long to realize that this guy is crazy. But I gave him a chance, and my Snapchat has never been so funny, so confusing, and so #blessed. So ride with me through a typical story of Mr. DJ Khaled as he goes forth in explaining what he refers to as his "keys of success" (note the gold key next to his name on your friends list).
Now, let me point out that Khaled isn't the first entertainer that has used keys of success to connect to his fans, especially within the rap community. Rev Run has been denoting these very keys for a while, as made popular from his tv show ‘Run’s House’ where almost every episodes ends with Rev Run tweeting words of wisdom while relaxing in a bathtub. But Khaled is bringing us his keys in a form beyond the scripted nuisances of reality television and directly to us through Snapchat. Khaled is talking to us directly and captivating us into listening.
“Bless up.” Khaled demands as he walks to his kitchen in ‘bless up’ slides asking what’s for breakfast. We already know what’s for breakfast, it’s a variation of the same thing everyday. Eggs, hashbrowns, and water. Two major keys: breakfast and water. Khaled warns us everyday that “they don’t want you to have breakfast, I promise you.” Khaled’s most confusing if not most important lesson. So what exactly does it mean? Who is they and why would they not want us to have breakfast? At the surface it makes no sense, but Khaled could be on to something. After all, water is a key to life and breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It doesn’t really matter who they is. The fact of the matter is that anyone who doesn’t want you to eat the most important meal of the day, a meal that is scientifically proven to jump start your day and set you up for the nutrients required for success, doesn’t want you to be successful. Khaled is simply saying that not everyone in your life is going to want you to be successful. The lesson seems obvious at first, but we still manage to keep those in our lives who add no value to it and if anything take away from it. So they is anyone keeping you from being successful.
"Walk with me towards the pathway to success" as we watch Khaled head to his jungle of a backyard. Dj Khaled’s backyard is filled with life. From flowers, to trees, to animals, it is a haven for growth all surrounding a statue of a lion, the king of the jungle. Everyday we watch as Khaled waters his plants with a hose on full blast while speaking often the most confusing and sometimes the most relevant keys. Warning us to remove the trash from our lives and encouraging us not to believe in the concept of something being “our time" because it's always our time and there should be no time limit to our success. Not a bad lesson, except it's hard to take seriously while he's screaming "LION!!" at a statue. While the delivery at times is inconsistent and sometimes even laughable, Khaled has created an environment of growth both physically and metaphorically. His garden is important to him from selecting what goes into it, to carefully nurturing it. Another metaphor about the things you bring into your life and how your actions shapes how those things may grow or die.
“Ride with me.” The most ridiculous part of the day where Khaled literally snaps us while he’s jet skiing. Sometimes making a detour to pull up to Rick Ross’ houses on his jet ski. Like I say, this guy is crazy. Let’s not forget about the time he got lost at sea on his jet ski and instead of calling the Coast Guard like any normal person, he snapchats the entire journey where thanks to his fans reporting the incident he was found. The major key there? I have no idea. But I can tell you that after receiving a ticket for speeding on his jet ski the key was that “they don’t want you to jet ski.” It’s not just breakfast, they don’t want want us to do anything, or, as he puts it, they don't want you to have joy.
"Another one.” And here comes the most uncomfortable part of the day, Khaled relaxing in his hot tub, spitting major keys, while occasionally drinking Ciroc and/or whispering sweet nothings into his female friends ear. All of course, on Snapchat.
Khaled may have some major keys but the major problem is that it's so hard to take him seriously because everything he says sounds so ridiculous. Between telling us to keep calm, stay focused, and reminding us that it won't be easy, he is also telling us that apples, cocoa butter and pillows are keys to success, they're not, yet we're still listening, why?
The truth is that DJ Khaled's Snapchat is like our own personal inside joke. The real keys mixed with the jokes and the ridiculousness of it all makes for one entertaining story. You're never going to be bored and there's always something to talk about, especially when you have celebrities like Justin Bieber spitting Khaled's major keys all over their Snapchat stories too.
Khaled has utilized Snapchat in a way I haven't seen another celebrity do yet. He's created a space for us to both laugh at him while quite possibly taking him seriously all at the same time. He's mastered the irony of our generation where we're spitting Khaled's keys ironically just to hide the fact that we are definitely listening.
