Record producer DJ Khaled dropped his newest album, “GOD DID” on Aug. 26th, 2022. It is full of surprises and has the media buzzing. The album features various artists, but rarely Khaled himself. Khaled is not having a great influence on the name he has made for himself as this album is overall disappointing.

While featuring over 30 well known artists on one album may seem interesting, it begins to feel considerably repetitive. As I listened to this album, I immediately observed that it doesn’t exactly feature other artists, but rather features DJ Khaled. Not only that, but none of the artists blended well or portray a similar vibe in their music. For instance, “KEEP GOING” is a song on the album that features Lil Durk, 21 Savage and Roddy Rich. Hearing the song go from one artist to another was utterly obvious and overbearing. The song has no sense of flow and is exhausting to comprehend.

A notable piece in this album is the tribute to late rapper, Juice WRLD titled, “Juice WRLD DID.” The song itself keeps his memory alive and gives Juice WRLD fans new music to enjoy even after his passing. That being said, it was enjoyable until the lyrics were all about DJ Khaled. I was intrigued by the idea of a tribute, but was unimpressed by the song overall. It may be a good fit for those who love to hear about Khaled on repeat, but it wasn’t for me. 

One thing I like about this album is how it features SZA and City Girls. However, there is often a lack of representation in the R&B community when it comes to female artists being featured in male artist’s music. For instance, this album features over thirty artists and only two are female identifying. I loved hearing SZA and City Girls both have creative freedom in their songs, but I also think that incorporating more female artists in this album and in general is an important factor that Khaled should consider in the future.

“BILLS PAID” immediately had me bopping my head. The chorus and the beat of this song are both extremely catchy. It was a happy take on your typical City Girls song and was definitely something I would add to a playlist. The lyrics “But don’t get it confused, I can do without you,” radiate the social and true term of “Don’t settle for less,” as do many more lyrics in this song.

There is currently a debate running through the media on whether or not Jay-Z’s verse in “GOD DID” is his greatest verse of all time. The song “GOD DID” is exactly 8:22. Jay-Z’s verse begins around the 3:00 mark and ends around the 7:00 mark. We might as well call it a Jay-Z song. In regards to the lengthy verse itself, a lot of what is being rapped about is not only true in Jay-Z’s life as a celebrity, but is true in today’s world. The lyrics “For those who make the laws, I’ma always have smoke for them,” are regarding the justice system. While this may not be his greatest verse of all time, it definitely accentuates important factors in life today.

Generally speaking, this album felt like less compared to his other albums. From the urge to skip songs to the overuse of autotune, this was an unimpressive and dull album from start to finish with the exception of three songs. 

“God Did”: ★★☆☆☆