Had a quick conversation with DJ Khaled about his new album, new video and his connection with Loud.com/Battlerap.com’s new online rap battle contest. Loud.com and Battlerap.com are launching a nationwide contest, where the winner gets a $100,000 and a record deal. Check below the interview for info on the contest and info on DJ Khaled new album.

DJ Khaled Myspace
Pictures From The Making Of We Taking Over
Loud.com
BattleRap.com

RealTalkNY: How did you start Djing?

DJ Khaled: I’ve been Djing all my life, since I was 13-14 years old. Just loved music, always loved music, I collected tapes, records, CDs and had a bumping system in the crib. So I decided to become a DJ , We The Best, you know.

RealTalkNY: What’s the difference between making a mixtape and making an official album?

DJ Khaled: Well, I making an album right now called, “We The Best,” and it’s a official album. A mixtape is just something I put out for the streets and get crazy with it, there are no rules. On my album there are no rules either, but the difference is production, concepts of records, putting artist together, unifying, there a lot of different elements. Clearing records, producing records, you know, taking it to another level, It’s like graduating.

RealTalkNY: Your first single is, “We Takin Over,” what can we expect from the video?

DJ Khaled: “We Takin Over,” is going to be the biggest record in the country. I just shot the video, its going to be the biggest video in the game. Mark my words, it will be the biggest record in 07 and the biggest video in 07. We are reenacting Hypnotize, cars driving backwards on the highway, Me and Fat Joe on a speed boat. Lil Wayne and Birdman rhyming in a church, a big performance scene with everybody. Me and Akon by the whole port of Miami, me and T.I. ripping it down inside a truck. Like they kidnap me and T.I. saves me and he’s rhyming in an armored truck, you know, Crazy! Its a movie, it will be one of the biggest videos of the year.

RealTalkNY: When can we expect the album?

DJ Khaled: The album comes out June 12th. DJ Khaled, “We The Best.”

RealTalkNY: Do you have a clothing line coming out?

DJ Khaled: Currently I don’t have a clothing line coming out, Cool and Dre got one coming out. I am currently working on coming out with one in the future.

RealTalkNY: How did you get down with Loud.com/Battlerap.com?

DJ Khaled: I got connected with Loud.com/Battlerap.com through a friend, Joseph Safina. Safina stepped to me with the idea, I loved it, and wanted to get down with. Then Steve Rifkind jumped in, he is a great friend of mine, he’s a genius and made the idea bigger. I just loved the whole concept of it.

RealTalkNY: How does the contest work?

DJ Khaled: Basically a person can log on to Loud.com or Battlerap.com, download beats, and rhyme and battle people across the country. You have a chance to win up to a $100,000, a record deal and get to work with the biggest producers, like myself, Cool & Dre, Zukhan Bey & Teflon. On top of that, your skills can be recognized by a CEO, like a Steve Rifkind or other people like producers. you get a chance to get your name out there and its fun too.  

RealTalkNY: As a judge what things are you looking for from contestants?

DJ Khaled: Swagger, style, lyrics, energy, presentation, you know, they got to rip it down.

RealTalkNY: Any last words?

DJ Khaled: DJ Khaled, “WE THE BEST,” going to be number one album &  number 1 video out in the country, I promise you.

 

More Info on The Rap Battle Contest

Loud is Back! Pure Games Launches Loud.com and Battlerap.com – as Hip-Hop Community Site, with Winner Getting $100K and a Record Deal with SRC Records

SRC’s Steve Rifkind and Joseph Safina’s Pure Games to Launch Groundbreaking Site Offering Original Beats for 99 Cents from Leading Hip-Hop Producers

NEW YORK–Hip-hop finally has its own version of successful online communities like YouTube, MySpace and various game sites with the debut of Battle Rap, a contest which will be launched on the legendary www.loud.com site as well as www.battlerap.com. The project is a Joint venture with SRC Records and Pure Games. Entrepreneur Joseph Safina, along with hip-hop legend Steve Rifkind and Rich Isaacson will spearhead the site.

LOUD.COM is a free competition open to all registered users that offers the ability to download professional beats from some of today’s leading hip-hop producers at 99 cents apiece and overlay rap tracks while going head-to-head with other DJs and MCs from around the world. The series of battles will be judged by celebrity hip-hop producers such as Cool and Dre, Zukhan Bey, DJ Khaled and Teflon, with the ultimate winner of the Showdown given $100,000 in cash and a recording deal with SRC Records, Steve Rifkind’s Universal Music Group-distributed label that is home to such platinum-plus, Grammy-nominated superstars as Akon and David Banner. Additional judges will be announced soon.

“Loud.com and Battle Rap will revolutionize the way records are made, marketed and sold,” said Safina, founder and CEO of Pure Games. “Loud.com is an online community, competition, A&R site and marketing company all rolled into one. We have assembled a great team to execute our plan and are eager to get started.”

Said Rifkind, who revolutionized grass roots marketing with his patented Street Team: “The resurrection of Loud.com and Battle Rap is the latest step in providing a vibrant, growing on-line hip-hop community with not only compelling user-generated content, but also the means to create and sell their own product to like-minded fans.”

Added Isaacson, a Harvard-trained attorney who formed Loud Records with Rifkind: “Our vision is to create a place where all with a shared passion can come together to meet, share, create, express and battle, where creativity, aspiration and competition melds into something fresh. It combines the interaction of social networking communities, the competition of online gaming and the thrill of creation.”

Battle Rap puts the user at center stage, providing them with professional “beats” from leading hip-hop artists along with powerful online editing tools which will allow them to create their own raps and compete with other aspiring MCs and DJs around the world. There is no charge except the 99 cents for the downloaded beats. Each battle is officiated by a panel of celebrity hip-hop producers, with a 10-round head-to-head elimination resulting in a Battle Rap Showdown final. The final winner will receive $100,000 in cash and a recording deal with Rifkind’s SRC label, home of Akon and David Banner, among others.

The Battle Rap portal at www.loud.com and www.battlerap.com includes original beats by celebrity producers, educational forums on making demos, engineering and production tips, ringtone creation, bulletin boards, a real-time data base, chat rooms and a comprehensive grass roots marketing program, including posters, flyers, T-shirts, hats and other gift items.

 

More Info on DJ Khaled New Album- “We The Best”(press release says We Got This)

1st Single, “We Takin’ Over,” Exploding Now at Radio; New Album Will Feature Paul Wall, Trick Daddy, Game, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne, Akon, Baby, Jadakiss, Styles P, Dre, Cassidy, Bun B, Tony Sunshine, Flo Rider, Juelz Santana, Young Dro, T.I. and Many, Many More!

NEW YORK, NY — (MARKET WIRE) — March 22, 2007 — DJ Khaled is set to release his sophomore album, “We Got This,” on June 12th, 2007 through Terror Squad/KOCH Records. The new collection features a veritable who’s-who of Hip Hop including T.I., Game, Jadakiss, Paul Wall, Trick Daddy, Ja Rule, Ludacris, Rick Ross, Jeezy, Lil’ Wayne, Akon, Baby, Styles P, Cassidy, Juelz Santana, Young Dro and many more to be announced.

The new album will include the 1st single, “We Takin’ Over,” which features T.I., Akon, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, Lil’ Wayne and Baby. “We Takin’ Over” was was the #1 most added song at hip-hop radio last week with 52 adds. The single is already over 1,200 spins and growing by the minute. The track will be available for download on iTunes on March 27th.

A video for “We Takin’ Over” was recently shot in Miami and directed by Miami native/award-winning Director Gil Green, whose credits include Three 6 Mafia, Akon, Rick Ross, Lil’ Scrappy and many more.

DJ Khaled, who currently has the most popular radio show in Miami (WEDR/99 Jamz), released his debut, “Listennn…The Album,” last year and it sold over 200,000 units and debuted at #1 on the Billboard Independent Chart. The album spawned numerous singles/videos including “Holla At Me,” “Grammy Family” and “Born N’ Raised.”

DJ Khaled is very excited about About “We Takin’ Over,” and exclaims, “We taking over!!! Lisssssttteeennnnn!! We the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m about UNITY!!”

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 22nd, 2007 at 12:09 pm and is filed under Exclusives, Interviews.