DJ Khaled says he wants a Jamaican passport
DJ Khaled by all means, is an honourable Jamaican, so why not make it official?
Donned in his black, green, and gold coloured silk shirt during an Instagram Live with the Jamaica Observer on Friday, DJ Khaled said he’s a “Jamaican at heart”, and expressed his desire to be one officially.
“That’s a dream of mine to get a passport. I wanna come out there and celebrate, hopefully, that will happen because Jamaica knows that Khaled reps Jamaica. America knows Khaled reps Jamaica, and my roots and my story, and where I come from you have to say Jamaica too, no matter what,” he told Jamaica Observer Lifestyle editor Novia McDonald Whyte, and Chairman of the Jamaica Observer limited, Adam Stewart.
He continued; “I love Jamaica so much that I was stranded in Jamaica. I used to come to Jamaica and couldn’t figure out how I could pay to get a plane ticket back home,” he said to much laughter from his hosts.
DJ Khaled said the deep connection he shares with the island goes back to the early days of his career. And he credits Jamaican artistes such as Buju Banton, Sizzla, Bounty Killer, and the Marleys for giving him a leg up early on his journey. “
“I would be crazy not to say this because my career started in Florida and Jamaica,” he said.
A magical place
“I’ll never forget, I was in Jamaica, there was a Bob Marley festival and they brought down everybody to perform, like Lauryn, Busta, and every Jamaican incredible artiste. But it started raining, and I remember being backstage and the Marleys sent the band out on stage and the meditation started and they started playing some Bob Marley, and then the rain stopped.”
“And that’s when you knew Jamaica was a magical place,” chimed in Stewart, to which DJ Khaled nodded in agreement.
He added; “I actually performed on that show so it was a historic moment for me. Jamaica musically is the most special ever.”
He said it is this music that he relies on to carry him through the different phases of his life.
“The lyrics from like a Sizzla and a Buju and a Bob Marley, and the list goes on, these words guided me through the storms, through life. When my son Ashad was born, an hour before I had Buju on the phone, and he prayed for me and my family, and he sang a song,” he shared.
“I have so much love for Jamaica, I tell everybody Jamaica is a home for me, but also it’s part of my story. Jamaica is so beautiful, the people are so beautiful the energy is so beautiful, the culture is so beautiful, it’s special man. When God made Jamaica, he really put his hands on that.”
DJ Khaled was on the island recently finishing his acclaimed album Khaled Khaled. A reggae track on the album-Where You Come From which features veteran artistes Buju Banton, Capleton, Bounty Killer, and Barrington Levy has been dubbed “historic” by the DJ.
Related story: Jamaican flavoured ‘Where You Come From is historic
DJ Khaled says he has plans to return to the island this summer. He thanked Stewart for the hospitality he receives whenever he stays at a Sandals property that he calls “The Holy Mountain”.
“Thank you for always showing me and my family so much love, we love you for that. We love what you do and your whole brand is just beautiful, inspiring,” he said.
