Like a lot of people, Jack White wonders what it is that DJ Khaled does – besides shouting things during songs by different artists.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, White questioned Khaled’s role in “Wild Thoughts,” which heavily samples Santana’s 1999 hit “Maria Maria” and is performed by Rihanna and Bryson Tiller.
“It’s just Santana’s song in its entirety,” he said.
White added, sarcastically: “It was nice of DJ Khaled to sit down and write and perform and record that – that was good of him! He's an incredibly talented man. There's no doubt about that. He does so much!
“He said, ‘They told me I would never be on the Grammys.’ Really? Like, ‘Hey, man, like, I know you're headed to lunch, but I just wanted to let you know that you'll never be on the Grammys!’”
Last year, British music magazine NME noted “it can be difficult to work out what role [Khaled] plays in his music, other than shouting his own name like an audio watermark.” Stereogum said: "Khaled’s rise, and his continuing presence, is a ridiculous and weirdly charming story, especially for a guy who doesn’t really do anything."
Khaled told NME: “When I work with artists, I try to bring the greatness out of them. They’re already great, but I want the greatest… I’m in Quincy Jones mode.”