Do more than 2 million people tune in to watch you eat breakfast? What about you sitting in your hot tub?
If you’re DJ Khaled, the answer is yes.
If you have a Snapchat, or even if you don’t, odds are that you’ve seen the infamous DJ Khaled’s Snapchat stories.
From watering his garden, getting tipsy with famous rappers like Rick Ross and Nas or getting lost at sea on a jet ski, millions of people each day tune in to Snapchat to watch DJ Khaled live his life.
DJ Khaled is currently one of 12 Snapchat celebrities in the running for “Snapchatter of the Year,” presented by Univision.
Khaled, the 40-year-old Miami native, is a record producer, radio personality and record label executive. He’s been in the music industry since 2003 and has had produced countless hits like “All I Do Is Win,” “How Many Times” and “We Takin’ Over.”
But since December, it seems that his take over of the Snapchat universe has propelled him farther than his music career ever could have dreamed to.
“‘All I Do Is Win’ is my favorite song of his,” said Thomas Panzica, a freshman aerospace engineering major. “But I found his Snapchats on YouTube and they’re awesome. That’s one of the main reasons I think he’s gained so much popularity so quickly.”
During one specific Snapchat episode, Khaled, who had been on Snapchat for a few months, was visiting his friend Rick Ross and jet skiing in the channel outside the rapper’s home.
Nightfall was approaching so he was speeding to get home, he was going too fast, and the cops stopped him to give him a warning.
Then suddenly, it was pitch black.
Khaled had a harrowing experience, or so it seems, trying to find his way back home in the middle of the night. Eventually he got home safely and by the next morning, his “lost at sea” snapstory had drawn in hundreds of thousands of views and new followers.
Ever since, we’ve gotten daily snaps of Khaled just living his life.
Jack Stelianou, a sophomore finance major, said that’s what makes it so enjoyable.
“I like the snap when he walks into his kitchen in the morning and then eats about the same meal every day because he's a very routine guy and so am I, so I can connect to it,” he said.
Khaled snaps out himself doing almost everything.
His “major keys” to life are by far his most well known catchphrase.
Whether it’s watering his garden, getting a massage or showering, Khaled maintains his viewership by keeping two values true to his snaps.
He’s authentic – Khaled doesn’t boast.
We almost never see him bragging about big houses or fancy cars. He shows us his daily routine, literally every day. By being an authentic person, his audience has really gotten to know the real Khaled, not a fake Hollywood personality.
And most importantly, he’s thankful.
As Khaled repeats constantly, “Bless up.”
Khaled is constantly thanking God and his fans for allowing him to have the life he lives.
He never misses a chance to stop and take a snap with some of his fans, especially if they’re wearing his clothing brand “We The Best” or if they’re eating at his Miami-based restaurant Fingalicking.
Most of the time, his Snapchat seems to service a larger marketing scheme – from plugging his clothing brand to his entrepreneurial projects, Khaled wants to make his views buy into his lifestyle.
“I liked his headphones and thought about buying them, but they were way too expensive,” said Johnny Miranda, a freshman political science major who has been a fan since his early days.
Despite all of Khaled’s fame from Snapchat, he’s still a musician.
Upon asking numerous students who DJ Khaled was, the majority said they only knew him from Snapchat and couldn’t name a song he produced.
“He’s a crazy artist, I know he’s friends with tons of famous rappers like Kendrick Lamar,” said Kody Fintak, a junior computer science major. “But he doesn't really do anything. I’ve never listened to him but I know he just says his name in the middle of songs. It's kind of stupid. I'd like to know how he got to be friends with them and why he's famous.”
Whether you have been a DJ Khaled fan from the start or just recently found his hilarious snaps, you have to admit the level of fame he has through social media is admirable.
His Snapchat handle is djkhaled305. Univision’s crowd-sourced voting for “Snapchat King” ended this past Thursday, so we’ll know soon if Khaled truly is the King of Snapchat.
Max Kalnitz is a staff writer and can be reached at arts@ubspectrum.com
