DJ Khaled

Popping in DJ Khaled's second album, We Global, the casual listener would be forgiven for wondering what, exactly, Khaled does. He doesn't produce the album, save for one song. He doesn't rap. He doesn't sing. All he does, it seems, is scream–obnoxiously so–various infantile catch phrases over every single song's intro, hook, and outro. Aside from jarring the listener, then, why does DJ Khaled have a career outside of DJing?

Because he apparently is really, really good at corralling rappers and singers into doing tracks for him. Hailing from Miami, Khaled has been responsible for some of the biggest posse cuts in hip-hop over the last few years– "We Takin' Over" and "Holla At Me Baby" being just two of the highlights. And We Global is no exception, with two certified bangers, "Go Hard" and "Out Here Grindin,'" having drummed up anticipation for the album. Both are chest-puffing, synth-heavy and vocoder-laced anthems, the type of tracks you're likely to hear shaking trunks from Miami to Montana.

The problem with We Global, though, is that the album rarely strays from this formula. Almost every track has an amped-up, R n' B hook, glossy synths, and a few capable verses from a scattering of rap's A-listers and a host of B- and C-listers. But little else.

Sure, Nas and Fabolous show up to briefly light up the middle of the album, but other than that it's underwhelming posse track after underwhelming posse track, leaving the listener with an overwhelming sense of "meh" at the end. Even otherwise inspired pairings like Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott end up flopping, though Miami MC Pitbull does pop up with a few great street verses on "Defend Dade," showing that he would be wise to spread his wings beyond club songs in the future.

In the end, then, Khaled's songs, like the man himself, are novelties best enjoyed in moderation. A couple of singles a year and your car system gets a good workout – but an entire album of repetitive beats, Khaled-screaming and, all too often, depressingly run-of-the-mill hooks and verses? Meh.

—Matthew Mundy
09.19.08

Getting back on track, DJ Khaled's We Global corrects all the mistakes made on his disappointing sophomore effort We the Best and gets back to the high-quality control of his debut Listennn: The Album. Like both previous releases, We Global finds the Terror Squad DJ commissioning tracks from the A-List, adding his shout-outs over top, and handing production over to the likes of Cool & Dre, the Inkredibles, and Danja along with a handful of cuts for the underappreciated team, the Runners who can go convincingly hard (the street single "Out Here Grindin'") or brilliantly slick (the R&B-flavored, Lloyd showcase "Go Ahead"). Important names like the Game -- who's focused like a sniper on the great "Red Light" -- and Nas -- who sounds absolutely Illmatic on his hectic cut "I'm On" -- get their own tracks, but most cuts are either giant baller anthems with freestyle after freestyle or more interesting and tighter collaborations, like the good timing "She's Fine" from Missy Elliot, Busta Rhymes, and dancehall don Sean Paul. Khaled's love of the warmer territories is further supported by Floridian Rick Ross' appearance next to another reggae man, Baby Cham, plus the expected guest shot from Pitbull who closes the album with a Dade County hip-hop history lesson. Khaled's lone production here is "Standing on the Mountain Top," a theatrical showcase for newcomer and protégé Ace Hood who lands on three more cuts and nails each and every one with his fresh-off-the-streets delivery. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide