DJ Khaled’s major-label debut, We the Best Forever (Bonus Version), is an ode to hip-hop, so it only made sense that he’d link with rap-label royalty Cash Money Records to release the album. Long an independent hustler and mixtape aficionado, Khaled’s hard work paid off and earned him a deal with one of rap’s coveted imprints. Before this breakthrough, Khaled was an integral force in New Orleans’ rap scene, helping artists like Birdman and Lil Wayne before they broke through. He moved to Miami in the late ‘90s and began releasing records and DJing, eventually linking up with Bronx collective Terror Squad. Gaining reps working with others, he shared his 2006 debut album, Listennn... the Album, followed by 2007’s We the Best, which featured “We Takin’ Over.” His last independent release, “All I Do is Win” became such a hit that the major labels immediately came calling in hopes of releasing We the Best Forever. He took full advantage of the resources offered to him, building an album around epic collaborations and massive, stadium-ready beats. It was the first time he unveiled his album formula on a major stage, organizing songs around unexpected collaborations that unveil effortless chemistry and charisma. The album kicks off with its biggest single, “I’m On One,” which features Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne. It’s a collaborative group that Khaled would recruit again on 2013’s “No New Friends,” but in 2011, this concept took the rap world by surprise, linking up three of the genre’s biggest names on one track and giving them room to showcase their best bars. With production handled in part by Drake’s right-hand man, Noah “40” Shebib, the song became a Cash Money calling card, with Weezy adlibs of “Young mula, baby” and “YMCMB” populating Drake’s bars during the chorus. It would become a jumping-off point for Khaled but also introduced Drake to a wider audience than ever before. Rap has a pre-Drake era and a post-Drake era—and the latter unofficially began with the success of “I’m on One.” The song’s celebratory nature would inform much of the album and establish DJ Khaled as one of rap’s major party starters. No matter how big Khaled got, he never forgot where he came from. On “Welcome to My Hood,” which features Rick Ross, Plies, Lil Wayne, and T-Pain, the chorus—“Welcome to my hood/Everybody know everybody/And if I got it, everybody got it”—is a powerful reminder of Khaled’s dedication to his community.