DJ Khaled Is Extra Careful Around Beyoncé

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/magazine/dj-khaled-is-extra-careful-around-beyonce.html

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You’re a prolific hip-hop multihyphenate: producer, radio host and record-label executive. But you also make your own albums, and it seems as if one of your many gifts is persuading other rappers to appear on your albums. How does that work? I put the right people in the room together to make magic. Basically, I’m one of the greatest producers ever. And I’m also one of the greatest D.J.s ever. And I’m also one of the best executives ever.

What people really know you for is your Snapchat, where you disseminate “keys to success.” Exactly how many keys to success are there? The keys can never run out, you know what I’m saying? Sometimes when you get a key, it gets you another key, and gets you another key. One of my major keys is actually the master keys: God. In my life, they’ve hid the keys from me, so I’ve overcome and weathered a lot of storms.

You just mentioned “they,” a recurring villain in a lot of your videos. Who are “they?” They is the people that don’t believe in you, don’t support you.

What do you do when you encounter a “they”? Sometimes you might meet somebody that you love that’s turning into a they. My key is invite them to Miami and take them to the ocean and let them jump off the boat in the ocean, on the sand bar, and cleanse off and pray and then go take a shower and hopefully the “they” is out of you.

You’ve said that both having “a lot of pillows” and cocoa butter are keys. Which is more important? Cocoa butter. I put cocoa butter all over my face and my iconic belly and my arms and legs. Why live rough? Live smooth.

You also show off your incredible garden on Snapchat. Do you keep it yourself? I have a landscaper, but I’ve always loved gardening. It’s cheaper and also better to execute your vision and just go get it yourself and then have somebody put it in for you. If I’m stressed out, I go sit there and just embrace it and play some nice reggae music in the background. You should try it one day. I’m addicted to my flowers. Sometimes, I overdo it. My girl is like, “What are you doing?”

The one person who seems to get annoyed by your constant Snapchats is your fiancée. No, actually, she loves me.

Do you have a favorite kind of flower? I do. I don’t know how to pronounce the name. They’re amazing. When the sun is out, they wake up just smiling, and then when the sun is down, they just go down. That’s why I water them and take care of them, because I’m planting my seeds of success. I show them love. When you show the flowers love, you see the love.

What else is on the horizon for you? Well, my life goal is to do everything forever. My life goal is called “live life.” I want to do movies. I want to work with Denzel Washington.

Earlier this year, you gave Jeb Bush some advice on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” but it obviously didn’t work out. Do you think he didn’t follow your advice? He replied, so at least he’s starting to embrace the keys, you know what I mean? You can’t put a timer on your success. Patience is a talent. That’s another key.

What are the top keys of success? No. 1 key is God. That’s the master key. Another key is “never give up.”

All right. Another key is “never quit.”

Uh-huh. Another key is “never surrender.”

O.K. Another key is “give thanks to life at all times.”

Now, you realize that three of those are almost exactly the same, right? It’s not: giving up is when you’re thinking about giving up. Quitting is quitting. Never surrendering means you got to fight everything to make sure you don’t fall for none of them jive artists.

Right now, you’re on tour with Beyoncé. Do you ever talk to her? I’m very quiet. Every time I’ve ever seen her is when I’m with my brother Jay Z, and I just say, “Hi,” and I look the other way so fast, and I kind of run. I just don’t want to say nothing too much. I’m not messing that up.