Fat Joe

For just about as long as DJ Khaled has been one of the foremost figures in hip-hop and pop culture, he’s had his detractors — from critics who wonder what exactly he does to outright haters who don’t believe he actually contributes anything to the ever-expanding discography of high-profile collaborations he’s been curating all along. However, one of his most frequent collaborators, Fat Joe, became a staunch defender during a recent appearance on NORE’s Drink Champs podcast, shutting down who he calls “backseat drivers” and praising his friend with a surprising comparison.

“People take away the greatness from Khaled and they say, ‘Well he just gets a bunch of big-time rappers and puts them on the same song,’” Joe reasoned. “There’s a million DJs and producers that try that, and those ain’t hit records. And it’s been a long time since we heard Nas and Jay-Z on what to me sounds like a smash hit — that can play on the radio, [and is] streaming incredibly. So DJ Khaled really is the Quincy Jones of hip-hop right now.”

Elaborating further in the comments once the episode teaser hit Instagram, Joe addressed those outspoken nitpickers. “All these back seat drivers [and] Monday morning quarterbacks always got an opinion but can’t do it themselves. Sh*t [is] crazy to me. The term ‘Quincy jones of this time’ was used in reference to the work Khaled has put in: Years and years of hits. Obviously, there’s only one Quincy but f*ck it. Tune in tonight EXPLOSIVE lol.” He also posted his own video to Instagram addressing the controversy saying, “There’s a million guys putting a bunch of rappers together… Khaled puts out No. 1 albums, No. 1 hits, the album is incredible for me. Give the man his credit.”

It’s clear that Khaled has a few supporters in his corner ready to defend him, but for now, he’s letting the singles — which include the aforementioned “Sorry Not Sorry,” “Let It Go,” “We Going Crazy,” and more — do the talking, streaming his way to another No.1 debut.