An verse from the legendary JAY-Z appears on DJ Khaled’s newest album, God Did, and is possibly one of the most-discussed.

“God Did,” the album’s title track, features Hov on empire mod for the verse that has everyone buzzing. He describes briefly in a new interview with GQ how establishing and maintaining a strong rapport with JAY led to their collaboration. Regarding collaborating with JAY on the album, DJ Khaled told Sama’am Ashrawi, “I had the privilege of witnessing him record a substantial amount of Magna Carta. Lenny S. and Jay, [SVP of Roc Nation], are to be commended for always allowing me to be in the studio with them. Not only did I have the opportunity to observe his work, but we also grew closer as brothers and our camaraderie continued to flourish. I spent considerable effort in obtaining his verse. It was not as if he had no desire to do it. Simply put, JAY-Z is occupied with an immense number of commitments. During that period, he was exceptionally occupied.

Khaled famously recounted in 2016 how he purchased a condo in New York City in order to be in close proximity to JAY and assure him that he was “hungry” for the verse. He stated, “I essentially rented a condo in New York City for an entire year in order to remain close to him and express my hunger for that verse.” Thus, I spent each day in the studio. While he was in the process of recording his album, he graciously allowed me to be present and capture that grandeur. However, I must admit that I was also working quickly, if you catch my drift. “I wish to introduce that verse.” Ultimately, it achieved triumph, and JAY made a guest appearance on his 2014 single “They Don’t Love You No More.” Their relationship began at that moment, and it has since fostered numerous collaborations.

Khaled described his success in securing Hov for “God Did.”I spent considerable effort in obtaining his verse. It was not as if he had no desire to do it. Simply put, JAY-Z is occupied with an immense number of commitments. During that period, he was exceptionally occupied. He remarks that he is certain he and JAY share the same comprehension regarding the extent to which Khaled lives, breathes, and dresses hip-hop and how their shared passion propels them both: “[Jay observed] I was born into this sҺite, and [my love] is unadulterated. It takes an absolute passion for the subject matter to assemble a corpus of work comparable to that which [God Did]. While I am unable to comment on his predicament, I can sаy that [our relationship] is based on two victors. Everybody is an expert at what they do.”