Before the director cuts, half a dozen cameras witness a hornet yellow helicopter barnstorm the field twice. While the camera crew rushes to the pool for the next scene, DJ Khaled and his group—Drake, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Birdman, Mavado, Ace Hood, and Fаt Joe—slowly retire to their tour buses. The tremendous gravity of Khaled bin Abdul Khaled is observed by the stars. With a neat buzzcut, beard, and bossy stomach, he exudes an air of grandeur. 

Rappers are filming a flashy, ’90s-themed music video at this nouveau riche estate with a moat, an hour outside of Miami, for his summer 2013 single “No New Friends.” Occasionally, Khaled yells his nаme above the beаt, although he doesn’t rhyme or write the song. Few, if any, could have pulled off the trump card gambit because it defied every rule of the fiercely competitive music industry. Khaled convinced Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, and Drake to work together on a fantastic song for his upcoming album, Suffering From Success. In this game, how can you get the top players to provide you their best new stuff in exchange for top billing?

Begun in New Orleans, the 37-year-old was slamming rap and soul to the Arabic music of his parents, who were immigrants from Palestine. Their son began his career in a local record store, where they pushed him to enjoy the music of a new country. Khaled has supported up-and-coming musicians for 20 years before they become well-known thanks to his DJ ear. Later in their careers, they give him back their voices and positions.