Before he was known for consistently dropping major keys, DJ Khaled was a ball boy for the Orlando Magic, who sold his mixtape to players on the team. “I used to live in Orlando, and I actually was a ball boy for the Magic, and I used to sell my mixtapes back in the locker rooms to the players,” Khaled recalls. “Every time an NBA player pulled up to the parking lot, they were bumping that DJ Khaled mixtape.”
Khaled also reflected on the trajectory of these NBA players’ lives, seemingly starting out from nothing to becoming household names, adding that he took a similar career path through the music industry. “It was a great experience for me because I got to see these guys come from the bottom, like when Shaq first got signed to Orlando,” Khaled remembers. “And then still be his friend, and when I see him and show love and salute, he know where I come from, meaning from the bottom, hustling this music.”
Back in 2014, Khaled sent out a shout out to Shaquille O’Neal on Twitter, adding that the former 15-time All-Star has “seen me start from the bottom.”
My brother @shaq stay down wit me form day 1 ! He seen me start from the bottom ! @wethebestmusichttp://wethebestgram.com/7Zs
One day, they don’t want you to succeed by selling your mixtape as a ball boy, so you gotta succeed by selling your mixtape as a ball boy.
Story Via: Complex