DJ Khaled expounds on why he’s calling his eleventh studio album Father of Asahd in an open letter. In an accompanying video montage of home footage, the hip-hop producer spoke about how Asahd, his son (and recent executive producer), changed his outlook on life – and therefore, his career.
“Love turns bad to good, dark to light, losing to wining,” the producer says over shots of the father-son pair vacationing, playing at home, swimming and chatting on the red carpet with Ryan Seacrest. “Love can change everything. It’s changed me.”
Khaled calls the 16-month-old Asahd his “inspiration and motivation.” “Every morning, I tell Asahd ‘I love you’; ‘I got you,'” he continues. “But the truth is: He got me. He’s what gives me hope and purpose … When Asahd smiles at me, it’s God smiling at me. Love did that. The power of love did that … My whole life, I thought our parents gave us our names. Mine called me ‘Khaled.’ But here’s a major key: Our children give us the ultimate name, the greatest title, the highest honor.”
Khaled plans to release Father of Asahd this summer. He issued the LP’s lead single, “Top Off” (featuring Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Future), which debuted at Number One on iTunes on March 1st.
DJ Khaled has yet to detail the album’s full track list, which is likely to be stacked with heavy-hitters. He recently hinted to Rolling Stone that Kendrick Lamar could make an appearance. “We’ve been talking about it,” he said. “I know when I do get my opportunity to present something with Khaled and Kendrick, I want it to be something monumental … and I got something up my sleeve.”
Khaled also beamed with parental joy in the interview, calling Asahd “the realest, purest definition of love.” He added, “I feel like my purpose and my son’s purpose is to bring love to the world. When people see him, they tell me a story, something personal – like Asahd makes them smile – and that means a lot. Love is the most powerful thing in the world, especially in times like these.”
