DJ Khaled has released an excerpt from his forthcoming book, The Keys. This is the We The Best founder’s first book and its inspirational context gives insight on Khaled’s mindset as he rose to fame and fortune. After reading the excerpt, it’s clear that Khaled’s purpose is to inspire readers. He takes time out to define “They,” which has been Khaled’s go-to term in many of his Snapchat stories. Without giving “they” a name, the new father expresses how important it is to ignore the haters and know that you can achieve anything they said you couldn’t have. “They” tried to count me out. “They” told me I couldn’t have a house on the ocean, that I couldn’t have a garden filled with angels. “They” told me time and time again that whatever my goals were I couldn’t reach them. And I remember it all—twenty years of doubt and hate. If you’re reading this and experiencing doubt and hate right now, just remember I’ve gone through all of it and triumphed. I’ve had “they” tell me to my face—to my face!—that I wouldn’t amount to anything. When I was working at the very bottom, nobody was trying to hear that I was going to be the biggest DJ in Miami and the world. Nobody thought a high school dropout would ever be a record label executive. Even later, when I wanted to make an album, I had so many people tell me I’d lost my mind. “They” all said, “Khaled, you can’t have a hip-hop album; you can’t rap.” But I found a way. Not only that, I make some of the biggest rap records in history. Another important aspect of Khaled’s The Keys is that he reveals how and why he keeps his circle small. He talks about how people on your team can become envious and yearn for power. This is why it is imperative to – as your success get bigger – the smaller and tighter your team needs to be. Part of making sure that you’re keeping trash off your team is keeping a small circle. Now, my circle’s always been tight, but as the successes get bigger, I tighten up my circle more. It’s very important. I’ve seen people make mistakes and do the opposite. Some people can’t handle success; I can. What that means is that some people sabotage themselves when they’re on a winning team. When a boss’s circle gets too big, people on the team start thinking they’re bosses or make sloppy decisions because they get gassed or greedy. The more people you have around you, the more chances one of them is a “they.” “They” are everywhere, so this is just math and logic. Small circles mean you have a better chance of getting all the ungrateful people out of your life. And “they” shouldn’t take it personally because it’s business. Now, I’m not saying that just because we’re hot we’re trying to leave people behind. It’s that a certain number of wins can change someone. You’ve heard it before: power corrupts. The Keys is scheduled for release on November 22, but is now available for pre-order at Amazon, Target, and your local book stores.
