DJ Khaled Says He’s Still A “Soundbwoy” But These Days His Albums And Singles Do The “Killing”

American producer DJ Khaled says he’s no longer interested in generic sound clashes or even a Verzuz battle, because these days his singles and albums are doing the work.

Speaking on the latest episode of Drink Champs, the We The Best producer explained that he has grown and evolved from his early days as a Miami DJ, popular for his Rap and Dancehall mixes and dubplates.

“I’m a sound killer, and you know, I’m nice…I’ve been killing sounds my whole life. You want me to keep killing sounds?,” the 46-year-old told hosts N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN.

“Let me tell you something, I come from the mud. It’s a beautiful place, I actually had more fun in the mud than I have now. But I’m from the mud to f-cking limestone and marble floors…you have to progress; you have to grow so how I kill sounds now is by my albums, my anthems, my singles, my body of work—that’s my new way of killing sounds…I’m a sound killer! I kill sounds,” Khaled declared.

In soundclash culture, to ‘kill a sound’ means to beat an opposing sound system or DJ in a musical competition, often utilizing exclusive dubplates voiced by artists.

Khaled’s enthrallment with Reggae and Dancehall dates back to the 1990s when he often visited Jamaica to observe soundclash culture and play at events, particularly the Fully Loaded, Reloaded and Overloaded series of beach parties organized by Solid Agency.   Last year, Khaled had said his popularity had grown quickly courtesy of dubplates and specials from Jamaican stars like Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Buju, and Capleton—with whom he formed friendships.

During the Drink Champs interview, Khaled said his massive dubplate collection will be a gift to his children, with one of the most recent additions being a Dark Room dubplate by Dancehall deejay Shane O.  

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According to Khaled, who bills himself as a top dog, no contender can come close to his talent, or legacy. He bragged that his definition of clashing or having a ‘war’ is solely lyrical and he is always certain of the outcome.

“You can’t recover from the kind of killing I do. I love everybody and without me being a ‘sound bwoy’ wouldn’t make DJ Khaled be who he is today,” he admitted. 

“That’s why if you hear my music, listen to my music different after I told you I kill sounds. Now listen to my music because I took that talent and put it into my albums. If you notice, all my records have the biggest hooks; when you hear it on the radio, it’s always standing out or visit a club. It is a collaboration that is unbelievable. That’s how I used to cut dubs, that’s how I used to kill sounds.”

“I am a Sound Bwoy. I am a Sound Don. I am a Sound Legend. I am a Sound King. I take no talk back. Ask anyone in the streets, in the trenches—they know me. The streets know my f-cking name,” he continued.

Khaled later added, “I ain’t got time to be sound clashing nobody. I ain’t got nothing to prove to nobody. Ain’t nobody in this room or any f-cking [where] can question what DJ Khaled is. I’m special.”

The producer said his disinterest in clashes or Verzuz has come with his level of maturity and success.

“If you think about it, you’ve never heard me talk bad about somebody. I don’t tear people down…I don’t wanna be arguing with somebody. I got too much love and them people different. So I always make sure I’m that guy that’s like yo, ‘we got love, we gotta continue to prosper and progress,'” he said.

“At one point in life, you gotta grow and take your sh-t to the next level…If somebody diss DJ Khaled today, I love you. I ain’t got nothing to prove. I am so blessed!…”

Khaled has been nominated four times for a Grammy Award, winning once for Best Rap/Sung Performance with Higher featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend.

His best-selling records include Wild Thoughts with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, Do You Mind with Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, August Alsina, Jeremih, Future and Rick Ross, I’m The One with Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne, No Brainer with Justin Bieber, Chance The Rapper and Quavo, Popstar, Greece and For Free with Drake, Every Chance I Get with Lil Baby and Lil Durk, and All I Do Is Win with T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross.

He has had 46 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including I’m The One with peaked at No. 1, Wild Thoughts, which peaked at No. 2, and Popstar, which peaked at No. 3.

On the Billboard 200 chart, three of his last four albums debuted at No. 1, namely Major Key (2016), Grateful (2017), and Khaled Khaled (2021).

Father Of Asahd, released in 2019, debuted at No. 2 on the chart.

His 13th studio album God Did will be released on August 26, and according to Khaled, the project includes a “monumental” record with some Jamaican artists, that will honor his Dancehall roots.