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DJ Khaled showed up on New York’s CBS Mornings with the same explosive positivity he’s known for in the studio, promoting his first new singles in three years—“You Remind Me” and “Brother”—from his upcoming 14th studio album Alaam Of God. From the moment he sat down, the hosts were already laughing along with him, especially after what he called a bit of loving advice from his wife. “Your queen, as you call her, Paula’s already weighed in and she told you to do something,” one host noted. Khaled smiled and admitted, “Pat my hair down. But that’s what it’s about, you know what I’m saying? Yeah, looking out for you. Looking out for me.”
He carried that energy into the interview, describing the vibe he felt when he walked into the studio. “Man, it’s just the energy on this show. Morning, good vibes, straight up cappuccino, put a fresh outfit on. When I was brushing my teeth, you know, and put that cold water on my face with that New York weather—it feels good.”
And just as the hosts gave him that praise back—“You know what feels good is you”—the conversation turned to the new music.
Khaled laughed when the show mentioned that they’d only been allowed to hear two tracks. “Stingy… you just wanted to—” they began, but Khaled jumped in: “No, no, it’s all love. It’s coming, it’s coming.” He promised fans won’t have to wait long.
When he explained the inspiration behind “You Remind Me,” he immediately acknowledged the devastating events happening abroad. “First of all, shout out to Jamaica. Prayers out of Jamaica. You know, they’re going through tough times. I definitely sent some donations over there and people out there that, you know, helping people. So we love you, Jamaica.”
He then lit up describing the track. “This song right here is special. It’s like putting Jay-Z, Tupac, Nas and Bob Marley on one record in the dancehall world, right?” He listed the full superstar lineup: “Buju Banton, my brother; Vybz Kartel, my brother; Bounty Killer, my brother; and Mavado, my brother. Shout to Kalen on the hook, and shout to Rory Stone Love.”
He emphasized what a rare moment this is musically: “They never made a record together, right? Think about those people I named earlier. They never made a record together—all of them. Well, I pulled it off in the dancehall world, which I come from dancehall and hip-hop at an early age.”
When Gayle King pointed out that one of Khaled’s “superpowers” is bringing together artists who don’t typically collaborate, he accepted the praise with humility. “Thank you. Well, you know, first of all, it’s all praise to the G-O-D, all glory to God.” That thought led him directly into the meaning behind the album’s title. “My album is called ALlama God. And ‘Allah’ means world in Arabic—world of God. So A Llama God is just basically saying, you know, we gotta always show our gratitude to the highest, right? And show love to each other and unite and come together.”
His purpose in music, he said, is deeper than hits. “I wanna also inspire and motivate, but I also wanna have a purpose. And my purpose is to uplift people at all times.”
Next year marks a major milestone for the producer. “Going into 2026 will be my 20 years of music. Two decades of me putting my first album out, and I’m turning 50 this year. And Quincy Jones made Thriller when he was 50.” The hosts understood immediately where he was going with that one. “OK, Khaled… connecting the dots.”
On the topic of collaborations, Khaled kept things playful and mysterious. When asked who else besides Post Malone appears on the album, he teased, “Well, you only heard two songs… but remember, this is my 14th album. So if you know what Khaled does, expect what I always do—but bigger. A Llama God is featuring everyone.” And then he doubled down: “Everyone. I’ma be honest with you—everyone.”
He explained that the lineup isn’t even finalized yet. “The rule is, in my world, with music—we never stop working until the album is officially turned in. So I could be someone that… like, after the show, might inspire another studio session.”
When the conversation shifted to his upcoming milestone birthday, the hosts praised the love he openly shows for his family. Khaled smiled at the clip they showed of him waving goodbye to them. “Look, I speak blind in New York, and I was just telling them, Daddy got to go to work. I’ll be right back. I love my boys. I love my wife.”
Family is his grounding force. “Our kids, you know, we live for our kids. Our kids make us live. And my queen, man, I praise her. We’re both turning 50 together. Her birthday is a week after, so we’re celebrating together.” He praised not just his wife but mothers everywhere. “My queen works so hard, man… I want to praise every mother out there because it’s such a special thing.”
As for turning 50, Khaled isn’t nervous—he’s energized. “I’ve always been living because I gotta show gratitude… but I’m really living now. I got a family, accomplished a lot of my goals, and then when you turn 50 it’s the new goals. More love, more blessings, more life. Do things they said that you couldn’t do.”
He summed up his mindset simply: “I’m at that point now—I’m going next level, next chapter. But the blessing is: it’s more wins.”
And with that, the studio erupted in classic Khaled triumph. “Not just wins—the key word is more wins. I’m here for it. You’re here for it. Gayle’s here for it. Tony’s here for it. Another one.”
Then, one last burst of Khaled flair as he stood in the studio: “Look at the skinny! Like, look—you gotta get a close-up. That’s how he looks, everyone. That’s amazing. Look how he looks.” The segment ended with the whole crew laughing as he declared, “We’ll be right back. Another one. We’ll be right back. Win with us.”
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