Playing Catch-Up With DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah Pt. II

Patreon subscribers already know about the ridiculous side project I've taken on on top of everything else I do on these damn sites (what can I say, being buried in work sometimes makes me feel comfortable - I know, my brain is broken): track-by-track, essay-length analysis of each album released by DJ Khaled and Statik Selektah. With these dueling series I intend to draw parallels between the two "disc jockeys" (I put that in quotes because only Statik actually works as a DJ these days) and their shared mission of delivering entertaining, engaging music while exposing as many of their famous friends to their respective audiences as humanly possible. Also, the catalogs of both men act as a who's who of their respective versions of our chosen genre for whatever year their projects were released, fascinating time capsules into what each believed hip hop sounded like in that moment.

Reading through a single essay for every single track on both men's sophomore projects, DJ Khaled's We The Best and Statik Selektah's Stick 2 The Script, may sound like a daunting task, but I believe that isolating the tracks allows for each song to receive the maximum amount of attention, especially as it's isn't as though these compilations were ever supposed to act as cohesive albums. I mean, neither of these guys is DJ Muggs, and only Statik actually produces every fucking song on his projects, so a coherent narrative has been off the table for some time now. Why not treat each song as the individual piece it is?

Catch up with Season Two of both The DJ Khaled Chronicles and The Spectacular Stories of Statik Selektah, also known as my collections of write-ups for each of their respective debuts, by clicking through each song title. If you can't read these after clicking through, you may not have subscribed to the Patreon as of yet, and I hope you consider it, not just because you'd be directly supporting me and the continued existence of the blogs and the podcast thing - you'll also be granted instant access to, as of this writing, over one hundred exclusive posts that simply won't ever show up in this feed. Those of you two who want, need, or crave more content can get it for only three bucks a month. Help keep independent writing alive, or if that isn't incentive for you, help me out.

DJ Khaled - We The Best (June 12, 2007)

1. Intro (We the Best) (feat. Rick Ross)
2. The Movement (Skit) (feat. K. Foxx)
3. We Takin' Over (feat. Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Lil Wayne)
4. Brown Paper Bag (feat. Dre, Young Jeezy, Juelz Santana, Fat Joe, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne)
5. I'm So Hood (feat. T-Pain, Trick Daddy, Rick Ross, and Plies)
6. Before the Solution (feat. Beanie Sigel and Pooh Bear)
7. I'm from the Ghetto (feat. Dre, The Game, Jadakiss, and Trick Daddy)
8. Hit 'Em Up (feat. Bun B and Paul Wall)
9. "S" on My Chest (feat. Birdman and Lil Wayne)
10. Bitch I'm from Dade County (feat. Dre, Trick Daddy, Trina, Rick Ross, Brisco, Flo Rida, and C-Ride)
11. The Originators (feat. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony)
12. New York is Back (feat. Ja Rule, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss)
13. The Streets (feat. Shareefa and Willy Northpole)
14. No Hook (feat. Jim Jones, Styles P, Cassidy, and Rob Cash)
15. Choppers (feat. Dre, Joe Hound, and C-Ride)
BONUS TRACK #1: I'm So Hood (Remix) (feat. T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big
Boi, Fat Joe, Birdman, Rick Ross, and Lil Wayne)
BONUS TRACK #2: We Takin' Over (Remix) (feat. R. K*lly, Akon, T-Pain, Lil' Kim, and Young Jeezy)


Statik Selektah - Stick 2 The Script (October 21, 2008)

1. Stick 2 the Script (Intro)
2. To the Top (Stick 2 the Script) (feat. Cassidy, Saigon, and Termanology)
3. For the City (feat. M.O.P. and Jadakiss)
4. Get Out the Way (feat. Bun B and Cory Mo)
5. All 2gether Now (feat. Freeway, Peedi Crakk, and Young Chris)
6. Interlude (feat. Q-Tip)
7. Church (feat. Termanology)
8. Talkin Bout You (Ladies) (feat. Skyzoo, Joell Ortiz, and Talib Kweli)
9. On the Marquee (feat. Little Brother, Joe Scudda, and Chaundon)
10. Mr. Popularity (feat. Consequence)
11. Interlude (feat. Mad Rapper)
12. This Is It (Showoff Remix) (feat. Black Rob, D-Dot, and Redman)
13. So Good (Live From The Bar) (feat. Naledge, Reks, and CL Smooth)
14. Streets of M.A. (feat. Masspike Miles, Termanology, SuperSTah Snuk, Reks, Slaine, Ea$y Money, Frankie Wainwright, and Smoke Bulga)
15. Sounds of the Street (Interlude) (feat. JFK)
16. Destined to Shine (feat. Torae, Sha Stimuli, and Jon Hope)
17. Cali Nights (feat. Glasses Malone, Mistah F.A.B., and Novel)
18. Take It All Back (feat. Reks, Ea$y Money, Royce Da 5'9", and Paula Campbell)

- Max