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Allmusic	link
Entertainment Weekly	(B) link
Robert Christgau
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Konvicted is the second studio album by hip hop and R&B Senegalese-American singer Akon. It was released in November 2006. The album features collaborations with Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Styles P and T-Pain. He went on to become Billboard Magazine’s Top Artist of 2007, the #2 Hot 100 Producer of the Year, and #2 Hot 100 Songwriter of the year after the album was released.

Background[link]

Konvicted is Akon's most successful album worldwide. The album received three nominations for the Grammy Awards in two categories, Best Contemporary R&B Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. On November 20, 2007, the RIAA certified the album ‘triple platinum’ with 3 million units sold in the US. It has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide.The album was accompanied by several different bonus tracks depending on territory. In the UK, the track "Gringo" was issued. "Gringo" also became a bonus track for Target customers in the US. In Japan, the UK B-Side "Struggle Everyday" became the final track on the album. "Struggle Everyday" also became a bonus track for Circuit City customers in the US. All digital versions of the album come accompanied by a remix of "I Wanna Love You", featuring Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Walmart customers in the US were treated to four exclusive bonus tracks, including unreleased tracks "Fair To You" and "Still Alone", plus Walmart Live Soundcheck versions of "Mama Africa" and "I Wanna Love You". The Platinum Edition of the album, issued in 2007, came complete with the new single "Sorry Blame It On Me", a new track entitled "Rush", and a remix of "Don't Matter". Some editions of the album also came packaged with a bonus DVD, containing a thirty-minute documentary and three music videos."Smack That","I Wanna Love You" and "Don't Matter" were certified 3x platinum by RIAA.

Chart performance[link]

Konvicted debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 284,000 copies that week.^[1] The album was able to stay within the top twenty for 28 consecutive weeks, but eventually started to drop slowly. On November 19, 2007, the RIAA has certified the Konvicted album 3x platinum status with 3 million units sold in the United States. The album became the second best selling record of the year on the Billboard 200 charts.^[2]

Track listing[link]

Credits[link]

• Executive Producer: Devyne Stephens and Akon
• A&R Direction: Devyne Stephens and Akon
• A&R Administration: Tashia Stafford and Jason "Chyld" Kpana
• Creative Direction: Devyne Stephens
• Mastered: Eddy Schreyer
• Marketing: Elise Wright and Jason "Chyld" Kpana
• Art Direction & Design: Joe Spix
• Photographer: Jonathan Mannion
• Wardrobe Stylist: Fiskani
• Legal: Sandra L. Brown
• Corrdinator: Cragg Brown

Peak position and certification[link]

References[link]

Note: All citations to magazine articles lead to a website where scans of these magazines can be viewed free of charge

DJ Khaled
Background information
Birth name	Khaled Bin Abdul Khaled
Born	(1975-11-26) November 26, 1975 (age 36) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Origin	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Disc jockey, radio personality, record producer & rapper
Years active	1998–present
Labels	We the Best, Terror Squad, Cash Money, Universal Republic
Associated acts	Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Jadakiss, Akon, Cool & Dre, T-Pain, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Trick Daddy, Ace Hood, Pitbull, Ludacris, Drake, Birdman, Young Jeezy, Busta Rhymes, Plies
Website	www.myspace.com/djkhaled

Khaled Bin Abdul Khaled (born November 26, 1975),^[1] better known by his stage name DJ Khaled, is an American record producer, radio personality, DJ, rapper & record label executive. He is a radio host for the Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR and the DJ for the hip hop group Terror Squad. In 2006, Khaled released his debut album Listennn... the Album. He went on to release We the Best (2007), We Global (2008), Victory (2010), and We the Best Forever (2011). In 2009, Khaled became the president of record label Def Jam South.

Biography[link]

Khaled was born in New Orleans, Louisiana.^[2][3] He is of Palestinian descent^[1] and lives in Sunny Isles, Florida.^[4] Currently, he hosts the weeknight program TakeOver on Miami-based urban music radio station WEDR with fellow host K. Foxx; Khaled states that he has worked for the station professionally since 2003. Early in his career he dj'd for a south Florida regional station Power 96.5 FM.^[2] In 1998, Khaled worked as a "sidekick" for Miami rapper Luther Campbell for Campbell's Friday night WEDR radio show The Luke Show.^[5] In his albums, Khaled usually provides "shoutouts" that assert his representation of "the ghetto" and urges people to listen.^[6] From 2004 to 2006, Khaled assisted in the production of the hip-hop albums Real Talk by Fabolous, True Story by Terror Squad, All or Nothing by Fat Joe, and Me, Myself, & I by Fat Joe.^[7] Many of DJ Khaled's songs are known to entice the listener by hip hop chanting his name before the song starts. Khaled represents the Kendall area of Miami. He is Muslim. He is currently engaged to Nicole Tuck.

[edit] 2006: Listennn... the Album

On June 6, 2006, his debut album Listennn... the Album was released by Koch Records; it premiered on the Billboard 200 chart at #12.^[8]

[edit] 2007: We the Best

We the Best followed in 2007 with singles "I'm So Hood" with T-Pain, Trick Daddy, Plies, and Rick Ross and "We Takin' Over" with Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Lil Wayne. "We Takin' Over" peaked at #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #11 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on November 20, 2007.^[9] Khaled made a guest appearance on the single "100 Million" from Birdman's 2007 album 5 * Stunna; the single also featured Rick Ross, Dre, Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne. That year, Khaled won two Ozone Awards: one for Best Video ("We Takin' Over") and another for Best Radio DJ.^[10]

[edit] 2008–2009: We Global

In 2008, Khaled's third album We Global came out with singles "Out Here Grindin" with Akon, Rick Ross, Lil' Boosie, Trick Daddy, Ace Hood, and Plies, followed by "Go Hard" featuring Kanye West and T-Pain. RIAA certified the single "I'm So Hood" Platinum on June 4, 2008.^[9] That year, Khaled won DJ of the Year awards from the BET Hip Hop Awards and Ozone Awards.^[11][12]

He was appointed the president of Def Jam South in 2009.^[13]

[edit] 2009–2010: Victory

His fourth studio is titled Victory and was released in early 2010. The album featured guest appearances from Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Nelly and more. The single "All I Do Is Win" featuring Ludacris, Rick Ross, Snoop Dogg and T-Pain was certified as a double-platinum single. Other singles include: "Put Your Hands Up" featuring Ross, Young Jeezy, Plies and Schife, and "Fed Up" featuring Usher, Drake, Ross and Jeezy. The album had low sales and debuted at #12 on the Billboard 200.

[edit] 2011–present: We the Best Forever & Kiss the Ring

DJ Khaled announced the title of the album, We the Best Forever, on Twitter.^[14] On August 19, Khaled signed to Cash Money Records along to Universal Motown, the album will be released under the label, also under E1 Entertainment, Terror Squad, Def Jam South and Khaled's own label We the Best Music Group, with confirmed guests as Fat Joe, Chris Brown, Keyshia Cole, Cee Lo Green, Cool & Dre, Rick Ross, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Nas, Birdman, Lil Wayne, T.I., Akon, Drake and Nicki Minaj^{[15][16][17][18]} The first single titled "Welcome to My Hood", featuring Rick Ross, Plies, Lil Wayne and T-Pain was released in January 13 of 2011, which was produced by The Renegades, and co-produced by DJ Khaled himself and The Nasty Beatmakers. The song is the first released under Cash Money Records and Universal Motown,^[19] a music video was filmed in Miami, Florida and directed by Gil Green, featuring cameos by Flo Rida, Bow Wow, Busta Rhymes, and other artists.^[20] The next single, "I'm On One", featuring Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, was released on May 20, 2011. It debuted at #10 on the Hot 100, becoming Khaled's and Ross' highest charting song. "I'm The One" also reached the number-one spot on the Rap and Hip-Hop/R&B Songs charts, becoming Khaled's first #1 song on both charts. It was #1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart for 11 non-consecutive weeks, and on the Rap chart for 13 consecutive weeks, the third most of any rap song on the latter chart. The song also got a triple-platinum certification, which is Khaled's and Ross' first. We the Best Forever debuted on the Billboard 200 at #5, selling 53,000 copies. It is his most successful album. The album also debuted at #1 on the Rap Albums chart, becoming his first number-one album on that chart. On December 10, 2011 DJ Khaled announced the title of his next album, Kiss The Ring, via a video, with the release date as "coming soon", presumed 2012.^[21] DJ Khaled is working on the project with T-Pain, R. Kelly, Nas, Plies, Ice Cube, Ace Hood, Kanye West, Ryan Leslie, Rick Ross & Maybach Music Group artists (Meek Mill & More), Drake, Young Money & Cash Money artists and many more. Khaled mentioned that he has a verse from someone very special. The first single released was "Take It to the Head" featuring Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne.

Performances[link]

DJ Khaled performed at BET Awards 2011 with Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne which aired on June 26, 2011.^[22]

Discography[link]

• 2006: Listennn... the Album
• 2007: We the Best
• 2008: We Global
• 2010: Victory
• 2011: We the Best Forever
• 2012: Kiss the Ring^[21][23]

Awards and nominations[link]

• BET Awards
  • 2008, Best Collaboration ("I'm So Hood (Remix)") with Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Rick Ross (Nominated)^[24]

• BET Hip Hop Awards
  • 2009, DJ of the Year (nominated)
  • 2008, DJ of the Year (Won)^[25]
  • 2008, MVP of the Year (nominated)^[26]
  • 2008, Best Collabo ("I'm So Hood (Remix)") with Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Rick Ross (Won)^[27]
  • 2007, People's Champ Award ("We Takin' Over") with Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Lil Wayne (nominated)^[28]
  • 2007, Best Hip-Hop Collabo ("We Takin' Over") with Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, & Lil Wayne (nominated)^[29]

• Grammy Awards
  • 2012, Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "I'm On One" (nominated)w/ Drake, Lil' Wayne, Rick Ross & Birdman

• Ozone Awards
  • 2008, DJ of the Year (Won)^[30]

References[link]

External links[link]

• DJ Khaled on Myspace
• DJ Khaled on Twitter
• DJ Khaled at Allmusic