DJ Khaled Gets Real About Relationship with Birdman, Talks Jay and Bey [Watch]

Promoting the Friday (June 23) release of his tenth studio album Grateful, DJ Khaled dropped by Hot 97 earlier this week for a sit-down with Ebro in the Morning.

He gave details on his 23-track, double disc new album, shares insight on his latest single “Wild Thoughts,” his relationship with Birdman and how he convinced JAY-Z and and Beyoncé to record “Shining,” which was released only hours after the Grammys.

First, the legendary DJ described how the record came about. He was in New York City eating at a restaurant when the original song from where the sample derived played over the speakers.

“I immediately went to my phone and Shazamed it. I’m like this is my single,” he recalls.

So he went to the studio to lay down the instrumental and called Party Next Door to assist. “Boom, it was amazing. I went to go see Jigga and played Jigga the instrumental. I wanted to get Jigga on it so I played it,” he said. “I shouldn’t be asking for another record. It’s kinda soon. I played him the beat and noticed he liked it out the gate….I let the beat run for like three or four minutes. He was like ‘that’s hot’ and I was like ‘I need you.'”

Khaled continued, “I was like ‘yo, I’mma be honest with you. You should play it for your wife.’ He looked at me like ‘now, you’re trippin.'”

Tripping or not, he bumped into Jigga at an ESPN function and later that night at a Roc Nation party. “I get to the Roc Nation party. Somebody grabs my shoulder and it was Beyonce…and she goes ‘I really like that record.’ I liked to pass out.”

Weeks go by before the DJ asked them about recording their parts to the record. “I left it alone but I’m stressing because I want it to be my first single,” he said. “Grammy time comes and a night before the Grammy, JAY hit me up like ‘record done.'”

During their discussion of Khaled’s many successes, Ebro asked about the DJ’s rumored beef with Birdman and his feelings on Rick Ross dissing the Cash Money Records CEO in “Idols Become Rivals.”

“First off, Rick Ross is my brother. He’s like one of my best friends, somebody we came up from the mud to the marble floors,” he explains. “So when you hear him on that record saying ‘Khaled is blessed,’ that’s personal to him. He loves me…Khaled never came to him about nothing. I never complain. I go hard…I don’t have a problem with Birdman. I’m grateful for all my opportunities that everybody has ever game me…”

Watch the full interview above.

In other Khaled news as previously reported, he dropped his new video “Wild Thoughts” featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller last week. The super DJ and A&R mixes Rihanna’s rude gal flavor with this one as Bryson spits his melodic vibes as they both get the bedroom rocking.

“Wild Thoughts” is just one of the smoking bangers that’ll be featured on DJ Khaled’s new album Grateful which will be released on June 23.

No one can touch Khaled when it comes to putting together all-star collaborations that make sense and that don’t just sound like a bunch of artists thrown together on a track. The We the Best boss‘ upcoming project Grateful will also feature Nas, Rihanna,Travis Scott and Nicki Minaj. The album will also feature the hit single “I’m the One” featuring Lil Wayne, Quavo, Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper as well as the Drake starring “To The Max.”