ANOTHER ONE, Grateful the tenth studio album from the bigger than life DJ Khaled. As with all of his recent albums, the promotion to them is always creative. Four years ago, the promotion of Suffering from Sucess included a hoax marriage proposal to Nicki Minaj. This time around we had the hilarious“Did The Drake Vocals Come In Yet!?”, it’s always entertaining coming from him.
The problem is his previous albums have not always matched the promotion.There is always a scattering of 1-2 smashes per project, which is usually the lead singles(e.g Welcome to My Hood, I’m On One, No New Freinds and I Got The Keys). Although, as his exposure has skyrocketed with Snapchat and endorsements so has his album quality with Major Key his most cohesive album so far.
His album track lengths are always pretty excessive and this is no different! so let me get started with this!
1. (Intro) I’m So Grateful (Ft Sizzla)
Calming beginning to the album, some real some real reggae soul from Sizzla. The birds chirping, swishing and flutes are nice, not so keen on the “DJ KHALED” shout at 1.14 but better get used to it fast.
2. Shining (Ft Beyoncé and Jay-Z)
This, the oldest of the four singles which follow (To the Max, Wild Thoughts and I’m the One) have been unavoidable on the radio. As a true PartyNextDoor fan, it was clear as day from the first listen he was all over the writing credits of Beyonce’s verse. As fire as Jay’s verse is (Drake – Summer Sixteen response??) I prefer the Tory Lanez version now.
“I know you ain’t out here talking numbers right?
I know you ain’t out here talking summers right?” – Jay-Z
3. To the Max (Ft Drake)
This was most definitely created or in a skeleton format around the time of Drake’s Playlist. The UK presence heavy on More Life with UK Rap, Grime, and House influences. This song samples the 2007 baseline classic fromT2 Heartbroken, to give a really up-tempo bouncy mixture of genres.
Whenever I listen to this though I still think to myself HAVE THE DRAKE VOCALS COME IN YET?!!!
4. Wild Thoughts (Ft Rihanna and Bryson Tiller)*
I can say it now this is my favorite out the four singles. The power of this song is it re-creates the same level of elegance of Maria Maria without sounding like a straight rip off.
Rihanna and Bryson Tiller work fantastically together with the vocals, simple and nothing over engineered.
5. I’m the One (Ft Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper and Lil Wayne)
One of the oddest combinations on paper with 3 chorus kings and then Weezy. As I mentioned in my earlier post it’s sad but Weezy just blends into the background. It’s a summer anthem, all the same though (Chance takes this song).
6. On Everything (Ft Travis Scott, Rick Ross and Big Sean)
Something about Travis’s hook isn’t cutting it with this, maybe it needs more autotune. Big Sean outshines Ross on this delivering witty jabs at someone…that’s about it.
“Roc-A-Fella chain, but you can still get Ethered” – Big Sean
7. It’s Secured (Ft Nas and Travis Scott)
“It’s Secured, It’s Secured? Yah yah yah yah” wow, sometimes these lackluster hooks can really mess up the rest of the song. These two don’t work well together based on this song and Nas Album Done was WAY better than this.
8. Interlude (Hallelujah) (Ft Betty Wright)
Betty Wright is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to these type of songs. Holy Key is up there one the most powerful and uplifting Khaled collaborations EVER. I guess this will be followed by something soulful.
9. Nobody (Ft Alicia Keys and Nicki Minaj)
Is this the first collaboration between these two? I think so, Nicki is back on her bars again. It is missing just one more rapper though (Nas should’ve been on this instead of It’s Secured).
10. I Love You So Much (Ft Chance The Rapper)
Ignoring the cringeworthy Khaled “I Love You So Much” loop it’s a nice tribute to the important people in both Chance’s and Khaled’s lives. Chance really does embrace his College Dropout Kanye, it’s basically an interlude.
11. Don’t Quit (Ft Calvin Harris, Travis Scott and Jeremih)
Probably the most mainstream pop sounding song so far which is what I expected with Calvin Harris on the production. Much better hook from Travis than the other two, it seems like every album Khaled has an artist who’s on every song ha. Not a personal favorite of mine but may crossover well.
12. I Can’t Even Lie (Ft Future and Nicki Minaj)
Come on Hendrix, I need something now.
Wow, whoever thought having all these random animals in the background was wrong. I thought this was going to be some lovers anthem but no, It’s not really hyped either. Why does he fill the album with songs like this?
13. Down For Life (Ft. PartyNextDoor, Future, Travis Scott, Rick Ross and Kodak Black)*
Yes, something that hits hard from the start we are back to the hype again. Why can’t PartyNextDoor go back releasing songs like this? takes me to the 2013 PND days. I would’ve cut Future’s and Kodak’s verses, kept Travis’s Ooooh adlibs and Ross’s Verse.
This has I’m On One feel to it, my second favorite song so far based on the hook and the Ross verse.
14. Major Bag Alert (Ft Migos)
Migos – What The Price pt 2, agree with me?
15. Good Man (Ft Pusha T and Jadakiss)
President Push, I’ve never understood the sequencing to Khaled’s albums, it’s just all over the shop. If you’re looking for stellar lyrics come straight to this. No funny sound effects, no annoying hooks, just bars.
Pusha T is so underrated and Jada is just a living legend, end of.
16. Billy Ocean (Ft Fat Joe and Raekwon)
More billi’s more problems, too old-school Hip-Hop for my liking, I’m almost falling asleep hearing it.
17. Pull a Caper (Ft Kodak Black, Gucci Mane and Rick Ross)
There is something with Kodak’s voice which I can only take in small doses. I don’t even know how to describe it but sometimes it works and sometimes his pitch just grits. Ross can’t even save this throwaway.
18. That Range Rover Came With Steps (Ft Future and Yo Gotti)
Future is coming at Desiigner’s neck on this. He starts out all guns blazing but the energy levels die by the time Yo Gotti comes in.
“I can’t name how many times they tried to clone me,
I can’t name all the names that tried to clone me” – Future
19. Iced Out My Arms (Ft Future, 21 Savage, Migos and T.I.)
Just too random, again like with a few of the other songs there are features for the sake of it. This is Future and Migos all over, no need for anyone else. Future sounds like he’s half asleep on the hook.
20. Whatever (Ft Future, 2 Chainz, Young Thug and Rick Ross)
These big features aren’t really working at all, they all sound good on paper but together? meh, Whatever. This is Future’s best hook on the project(not a patch on any of his HNDRXX stuff) but the rest of the song doesn’t work.
If you want a laugh, listen from 1.32 – 1.38, the verses blend so bad it sounds like a poor Virtual DJ mix.
21. Interlude (Ft Belly)
This is refreshing something of substance after whatever that was on the last song. Belly isn’t a rapper I’ve heard much of with the exception of Consuela, maybe I’ll give his mixtape a try. It’s songs like this I like when Khaled shines a light on artists who aren’t in our face all the time.
22. Unchanging Love (Ft. Mavado)*
Mavado man release your own album already! these random features at end of Khaled albums have been going on for years. I hear these songs, they don’t get the right promotion and then he ends up on next Khaled album.
23. Asahd Talk (Thank You Asahd)
15 seconds gratefulness, can’t really say much about it.
Khaled again demonstrated his ability to orchestrate some great songs(e.g. Wild Thoughts, Down For Life and I’m the One).His promotion is always unique to anyone else in Hip-Hop and his work ethic is way up there with the elites.
The problem which has pretty much always been the case is the quality control. There is always too much dead wood, cutting this by 7-8 tracks off would’ve improved it. My other reoccurring problems with his projects are; the overuse of one artist and too many features on one song.
Overall, with the exception of the singles and a few other songs which I’ve highlighted, it’s not a great project. What I would like to see Khaled do next is put more energy into promoting Mavado and free Ace Hood!
Top 3 tracks: Wild Thoughts, Down For Life, and Unchanging Love
6/10
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