God Did is the thirteenth studio album by American disc jockey and record producer DJ Khaled. It was released on August 26, 2022, by We the Best Music Group and Epic Records.[4] The project serves as the follow-up to his previous album, Khaled Khaled, released a year prior.[5] It features guest appearances from Drake, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, Fridayy, Kanye West, Eminem, Future, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, 21 Savage, Roddy Ricch, Quavo, Takeoff, SZA, Nardo Wick, Kodak Black, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, Gunna, Latto, City Girls, Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, Sizzla, Jadakiss, Vory, and Juice WRLD.[6][7] Critics noted the music's maximalist production, which was primarily handled by Khaled himself, as well as by StreetRunner and Tarik Azzouz.
God Did | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | August 26, 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2021–2022 | |||
Studio | We The Best Studios | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 57:11 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
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DJ Khaled chronology | ||||
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Singles from God Did | ||||
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The album sees Khaled return to a more hip-hop-oriented approach, having courted pop prestige via features from Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake among others on his previous album.[8] One critic wrote that “[b]y returning to his hip-hop origins, DJ Khaled reasserts his position as rap’s most well-connected figure, a testament to both his vivacious character and his boundless ingenuity.”[9] ‘God Did’ was supported by two singles: the Drake and Lil Baby-assisted "Staying Alive", and the Future and Lil Baby-assisted "Big Time", the former of which was released exactly three weeks prior to the album.[10] The record project was a commercial success, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.[11] It also earned five nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including for Best Rap Album, and Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for the title track, featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend and Fridayy.[12] On December 4, 2023, ‘God Did’ was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Background
editAccording to Khaled, the album thematizes the constant quest to relate to and praise a higher God for believing in him when others did not and he has been very open and proudly admitted to being a Muslim who habitually prays.[13] "God has always told me to keep going; [...] When times get hard, I go harder. When times get great, I go even harder. I don't waste my emotions and energy on moving backwards. I use my energy to find the solution to keep going. If something ain't workin' out the way it's supposed to work out, [...] I want to find a way to get back up and keep going and find the solution."[14]
Songs
editTitle and packaging
editOn July 6, 2022, Khaled announced the title of the album, which comes from a self-affirming mantra that he frequently uses: “They didn't believe in us, God did!”[15] On August 2, 2022, Khaled announced the release date of the album as part of the same announcement for its lead single, "Staying Alive", which features Canadian rapper and singer Drake and American rapper Lil Baby.[16] "Staying Alive" was released three days later on August 5, 2022.[17] On August 22, 2022, Khaled revealed the cover art, which depicts Khaled looking to the sky while a tear runs down his right cheek in an image shot by Lougè.[18] Khaled explained that “[t]he tear represents tears of joy from God’s blessings GOD, I LOVE U SO MUCH! … I’m grateful for anything and EVERYTHING. Thank you god for blessing my family, my friends and my fans. When nobody believed, YOU DID! I praise you daily. We’re here to do GOD’S WORK!!” [18] The following day, he revealed the tracklist of the album.[19] On 24 August, in an interview with Billboard, Khaled stated that he had allowed American rapper Jay-Z, a close friend and frequent collaborator of his, to choose the album cover from two options.[20]
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 43/100[21] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Clash | [22] |
AllMusic | [23] |
Pitchfork | [1] |
HipHopDX | [24] |
Mic Cheque | [25] |
Tiger Times | [26] |
HipHop24x7 | [9] |
Slant Magazine | [27] |
Shifter Magazine | (favorable)[28] |
HotNewHipHop | (favorable)[29] |
LifeWithoutAndy | (very favorable)[30] |
Redwood Bark. | (very favorable)[31] |
God Did received often positive yet polarised reviews from critics. HipHopDX called the album "an unexpectedly, confusingly good collection of rap songs".[32] The magazine also praised the album as "one of the most well constructed albums the 46-year-old record executive has ever released". It reserved special praise for the tracks "Party", "Beautiful", "Way Past Luck" and "Juice Wrld Did".[33] Mic Cheque wrote that the album was “DJ Khaled’s best offering since 2016’s Major Key”, noting that many of the songs were “strong enough to be lead singles for the guest artists’ own albums”.[25] Clash called the album "incredibly entertaining".[22] One critic stated: “Clocking in at a total of 57 minutes long, the new offering from the ‘I’m The One’ producer is quintessential Khaled: laid back, soulful, hard-hitting and infectious. … It’s definitely in the running for hip hop album of the year, and a standout amongst Khaled’s long-spanning discography.”[30] In particular, Jay-Z's performance on the track "God Did" received critical acclaim.[34][35] Simon Vozick-Levinson of Rolling Stone called the verse "a master class in mature lyricism",[36] while Complex wrote that "the long-teased verse is a reminder that he's still an exceptional writer" and that "this verse will definitely go down among Jay-Z's best".[37] An Ambrosia For Heads article called Jay-Z's verse the best verse of 2022.[38] The project earned five nominations at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, including for Best Rap Album, and Song of the Year and Best Rap Song for the title track.[39]
However, Clash also called the album a "bombastic return from the hip-hop high-roller".[22] Dani Blum of Pitchfork described the project as a "bogged-down album" in which "some of the album's most appealing melodies and hooks seem more incidental than intentional, the logical outcome of combining stars and beats, then backing away". Blum characterized DJ Khaled as incompetent to harness "the power of collaboration to push artists beyond their comfort zones", with the exception of the title track with Jay-Z, which was praised as "ambitious".[1] On Metacritic, based on 6 reviews, the album received a score of 43, the lowest of Khaled's career.
Commercial performance
editGod Did debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 107,500 album-equivalent units (including 9,500 copies in pure album sales) in its first week.[40] On December 4, 2023, the record was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Track listing
editNo. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "No Secret" (featuring Drake) |
| 0:47 | |
2. | "God Did" (featuring Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, John Legend, and Fridayy) |
|
| 8:21 |
3. | "Use This Gospel (Remix)" (with Kanye West featuring Eminem) |
|
| 3:43 |
4. | "Big Time" (featuring Future and Lil Baby) |
|
| 2:53 |
5. | "Keep Going" (featuring Lil Durk, 21 Savage, and Roddy Ricch) |
|
| 3:04 |
6. | "Party" (featuring Quavo and Takeoff) |
|
| 3:31 |
7. | "Staying Alive" (featuring Drake and Lil Baby) |
|
| 2:58 |
8. | "Beautiful" (featuring Future and SZA) |
|
| 3:43 |
9. | "It Ain't Safe" (featuring Nardo Wick and Kodak Black) |
| 2:50 | |
10. | "Let's Pray" (featuring Don Toliver and Travis Scott) |
| 2:38 | |
11. | "Fam Good, We Good" (featuring Gunna and Roddy Ricch) |
|
| 3:04 |
12. | "Bills Paid" (featuring Latto and City Girls) |
|
| 3:28 |
13. | "Way Past Luck" (featuring 21 Savage) |
|
| 2:16 |
14. | "These Streets Know My Name" (featuring Skillibeng, Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, and Sizzla) |
|
| 4:59 |
15. | "Juice Wrld Did" (featuring Juice Wrld) | 3:27 | ||
16. | "Jadakiss Interlude" (featuring Jadakiss) |
| 2:52 | |
17. | "Asahd and Aalam Cloth Talk" |
| 0:20 | |
18. | "Grateful" (featuring Vory) |
|
| 2:07 |
Total length: | 57:11 |
Notes
edit- Track titles are stylized in all caps with the exception of “Juice Wrld Did”, which is stylized as “Juice WRLD DID”.
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer.
Sample credits
- "Staying Alive" contains samples from the similarly titled "Stayin' Alive", written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, and Maurice Gibb, and performed by the Bee Gees.
- "Party" contains samples from "Party All the Time", written by Rick James, and performed by Eddie Murphy.
- "Bills Paid" contains samples from "Lights, Camera, Action!" written by Terrance Kelly and performed by Mr. Cheeks
- "Way Past Luck" contains samples from "All This", performed by Barbara Jean.
- "Jadakiss Interlude" contains samples from "New York", written by Ja Rule, Fat Joe, Cool & Dre, KRS-One, and Jadakiss, and performed by Ja Rule, featuring Fat Joe, and Jadakiss, as well as Down and Out in New York City, performed by James Brown.
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
|
Year-end chartsedit
|
Certifications
editRegion | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United States (RIAA)[69] | Gold | 500,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
References
edit- ^ a b c Blum, Dani (September 7, 2022). "DJ Khaled: God Did Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ Chigurupati, Aakash (6 September 2022). "Is DJ Khaled's "God Did" his most Khaled project yet?". The Miami Hurricane.
- ^ "Top 40 Rhythmic Future Releases | R&B Song and Hip-Hop Music Release Dates". All Access. November 1, 2022. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
- ^ Sisario, Ben (2022-09-06). "DJ Khaled's Latest All-Star Album, 'God Did,' Is His Fourth No. 1". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-10.
- ^ Rindner, Grant (August 26, 2022). "The Highlights of DJ Khaled's New Album 'God Did,' From a Rare Dr. Dre Beat to an Unexpected Eddie Murphy Sample". GQ. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Rowley, Glenn (August 24, 2022). "DJ Khaled Talks 'God Did,' Reuniting With 'Favorite Artists' Drake & Lil Baby: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Gallagher, Alex (August 26, 2022). "DJ Khaled's 'God Did' arrives with Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Jay-Z and more". NME. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ "GOD DID, DJ Khaled". Apple Music. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ a b "DJ Khaled "God Did" Album Review: Guest features make the project a grand affair". HipHop24x7. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
- ^ Rose, Jordan (August 26, 2022). "Stream DJ Khaled's New Album 'God Did' f/ Jay-Z, Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Baby, SZA, Travis Scott, and More". Complex. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ DJ Khaled's Latest All-Star Album, 'God Did,' Is His Fourth No. 1
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. 2022-11-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ^ Ashrawi, Sama'an (September 2, 2022). "DJ Khaled's Divine Inspiration". GQ. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Palmer, Tamara (August 29, 2022). "5 Takeaways From DJ Khaled's New Album 'God Did' — As Told By Khaled Himself". The Recording Academy. Retrieved November 10, 2022.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (July 6, 2022). "DJ Khaled Ready to Throw Righteous Party on 13th Album, 'God Did'". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ Denis, Kyle (August 2, 2022). "DJ Khaled Announces 'Staying Alive' With Drake & Lil Baby, 'God Did' Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ Aniftos, Rania (August 5, 2022). "DJ Khaled Taps Drake & Lil Baby for Groovy 'Staying Alive': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
- ^ a b "DJ Khaled Sheds Tears of Joy on 'God Did' Album Cover". Rap-Up. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Bowenbank, Starr (August 23, 2022). "DJ Khaled Unveils Star-Studded 'God Did' Track List Feat. Jay-Z, Drake, Ye & More". Billboard. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ Elibert, Mark (August 24, 2022). "DJ Khaled Says JAY-Z Picked His Latest Cover Art & Says 'God Did' Is His Best Album". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ "GOD DID by DJ Khaled Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ a b c Murray, Robin (August 26, 2022). "DJ Khaled - GOD DID". Clash. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Kellman, Andy. "God Did - DJ Khaled". AllMusic. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ Brutocao, Ben (August 31, 2022). "DJ Khaled 'God Did' Has More to Offer Than Just the Fine Jay-Z Verse". HipHopDX. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- ^ a b R., Hamza (August 30, 2022). "Review: DJ Khaled, 'God Did'". Mic Cheque. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ "DJ Khaled's 13th Studio Album God Did: Album Review". Tiger Times. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
- ^ Attard, Paul (30 August 2022). "DJ Khaled God Did Review: Pure Maximalism for Its Own Sake". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
- ^ Bourne, Kevin (26 August 2022). "Album Review – GOD DID appears less about big moments and more about simple gratitude". Shifter Magazine. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
- ^ "DJ Khaled "GOD DID" Review". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ a b "Album Review: DJ Khaled Delivers His Best LP Yet On Collab-Filled 'God Did'". Life Without Andy. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ^ "DJ Khaled proves that he is 'The Best Music' after releasing 'GOD DID.'". Redwood Bark. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
- ^ "GOD DID by DJ Khaled". Metacritic. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ "DJ Khaled 'God Did' has more to offer than just the fine Jay-Z verse". HipHopDX. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ Kaufman, Gil (November 6, 2022). "Don't Believe Jay-Z Ripped 'God Did' Verse in One Take? Young Guru Provides the Receipts". Billboard. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Fu, Eddie (August 26, 2022). "Rap Song of the Week: JAY-Z's Verse on DJ Khaled's "GOD DID"". Consequence. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ Vozick-Levinson, Simon (October 26, 2022). "Jay-Z's Verse on DJ Khaled's 'God Did' Is a Master Class in Mature Lyricism". Rolling Stone. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Buford, Jayson (September 1, 2022). "Beyond the Hype: Analyzing Jay-Z & His "God Did" Verse". Complex Network. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Jay-Z's DJ Khaled God Did Song Lyrics Breakdown Full Audio". ambrosiaforheads.com. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ "Grammy Awards 2023: The Full List of Nominees". The New York Times. 2022-11-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-15.
- ^ DJ Khaled's Latest All-Star Album, 'God Did,' Is His Fourth No. 1
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- ^ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 35.Týden 2022 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
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