MAJOR KEY
| DJ Khaled
MAJOR KEY
Major Key (stylized as Major ) is the ninth studio album by American musician DJ Khaled. It was released on July 29, 2016, by Epic Records and We the Best Music Group. The album features guest appearances from Future, Big Sean, Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Drake, Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Betty Wright, J. Cole, Bryson Tiller, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, August Alsina, Jeremih, Kodak Black, Jeezy, French Montana, YG, Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Jadakiss, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Kent Jones, Travis Scott, Lil Wayne, Meghan Trainor, Wiz Khalifa, Wale and Mavado.[2] Major Key was supported by four singles: "For Free", "I Got the Keys", "Holy Key" and "Do You Mind". The album received generally positive reviews from critics and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in November 2016. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. -WIKIPEDIA
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
undoubtedly his best. Depending where you stand on the Khaled spectrum, that may mean nothing or everything, but it should be noted that—its awards show lineup of guests accounted for—this is the most streamlined and focused album that he's ever masterminded.
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CoS
Major Key is an absolutely mixed bag. Khaled utilizes full-speed-ahead intensity, big room trap, and syrupy R&B, all without leaving room to breathe.
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DJBOOTH
If Khaled's album did nothing else, he gave a few artists a platform to remind us that they’re alive, full of vigor, and shouldn’t be counted out. That’s a major key in itself.
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Entertainment
His bottomless stock of anthemic crowd-pleasers may not be game-changing, but few albums this year have come preloaded with this many obvious singles.
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ALL MUSIC
The contrast between Khaled's all-positive demeanor and his facilitation of buccaneering misogyny is stark as ever here, most evident in tracks like "Work It" and "Pick These Hoes Apart."
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RAPREVIEWS.COM
If you're not expecting an hour of profound wisdom from start to finish this is an ideal late summer mixtape to ride around to.
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HIPHOPDX
There are instances on this album that do prove Khaled’s worth as a Hip Hop orchestrator in terms of matching high profile rappers with quality beats but unfortunately, they come too few and far between.
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popMATTERS
It’s a compilation album with something for everyone, but, as a result, it’s de-centered and lopsided.
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SPIN
The problem with the fantasy of a major Khaled Album though, is that, like a summer blockbuster, Major Key is too front-loaded.
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RollingStone
As with every Khaled LP, the end result is a blast in small doses but a little bludgeoning taken as a whole.
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NO RIPCORD
The production on this album is bearable and more or less gets the job done, but is mostly composed of bothersome loops. This leaves the bulk of the work to the emcees. And quite frankly, some show up, and some most certainly do not.
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exclaim!
It starts off deceptively strong, with standouts like "I Got the Keys," "Nas Album Done" and "For Free" all loaded near the beginning. But once the album advances past this bit of clever sequencing, it barely strikes a chord.
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hnhh
One problem that plagues the album throughout, and almost counteracts the narrative continuity, is the fact that Major Key is the first Khaled album to sound like it's made up of outtakes from its featured artists' own projects.
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Soul in Stereo
Khaled comes close to unlocking this summer’s potential but Major Key just isn’t the right fit.
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THE YOUNG FOLKS
is like a retail mixtape of today’s current popular rappers for anyone who doesn’t know any better. No wonder Khaled doesn’t want to play himself, because himself doesn’t have much to offer.
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THE DIAMONDBACK
Despite moments of annoyance, dullness, and Drizzy coming up short, Khaled's Major Key comes through as the album that it needed to be.
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THE STAR
The album starts strong but eventually loses its solidity in the second half. There's nothing extraordinary about it.
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the musical hype
All in all, DJ Khaled delivers on Major Key. At nearly an hour it runs long, but more often than not, Major Key is one big happy compilation of swag.
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Evening Standard
Although Khaled does little beyond binding the contributors together and shouting occasional slogans, Major Key doesn’t sink under the weight of its stellar guest list and J Cole’s rueful, state-of-the-nation turn on Jermaine’s Interlude is as spine-tingling as hip hop gets.
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The AMALGAM PILLARS
the DJ Khaled game is strong with this album, but will it live up to the legendary hype that it’s been given?
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Aesthetic magazine
the way this project crashes and burns in the wake given all the good music being released right now, it’s hard to believe that Khaled means any of what he’s been saying this whole time.
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The Renegade
Major Key delivers an album with an all-star lineup of great Hip-Hop/Rap artists but falls short due to inconsistencies.
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EIGHT Screens
With a staggering 32 collaborators (see below), it's almost impossible for Major Key to tell any kind of cohesive story. Instead, we're on the search for anthems. After several listens, we're still looking.
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RESPECT
Major Key, turned out to be as big as Khaled proclaimed it to be. The LP contains a handful of tracks that will play on the airways for the remainder of the calendar year. While also catering to some the true fans of the hip-hop culture by showcasing some iconic acts.
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gigwise
As far as compilations go, it’s ok. It features some monster records for the clubs, a couple of tracks for the Hip Hop heads, but the rest of it is just confusing and overproduced.
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Free Hype
The vibes he provides for artists to let loose, be themselves, assisted him in successfully producing what will be one of the best albums of the year.
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sputnik music
He's secured it! He's found the key to success!
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IMMORTAL REVIEWS
Major Key isn't much to tackle. It almost feels like one big joke. There's little interesting development within in and too few great moments for its execution.
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Beat Route
Major Key is the perfect album to bump to in your whip or local club. I guess DJ Khaled was right; I didn’t want him to have a good album, but he did it again. Major key alert. Bless up.
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Focus Hip Hop
A lot of the shit on here is super generic, commercialized mainstream rap.
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DeadEnd Hip Hop
Major Key will have its moment, but will ultimately enter the pop music void and become eternally irrelevant.
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Above Average Hip Hop
The album is sure to get some spins in the clubs, lounges, and cafes during the [last] few weeks still left this summer.
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RapperTalk
For listeners keen on hearing a ton of tracks sure to go off in any club, Major Key is the project for you.
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UINTERVIEW
The wonderful thing about Major Key is that each track is indeed hit material. Unfortunately, it’s what also makes the album overwhelming at times.
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cleveland.com
Of course, at the center of it all is bombastic production and Khaled's most valuable trait - his swagger. Heck, he even manages to outshine Drake on the catchy "For Free."
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HighEndTheory
‘Major Key‘ suffers from trying to appeal to a lot of different tastes at the same while pandering to an internet audience who are extremely picky about the music they hear.
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Ben's Beat
While every song may not knock it out of the park, many do, and it is likely one of Khaled’s most thought-out and well-executed efforts of his career.
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