How a Tracklib Sample Opens DJ Khaled's New Album

With the exception of rapper and singer 070 Shake, the track "Holy Mountain" boasts an all-Jamaican lineup with Buju Banton, Sizzla & Mavado. Even the album cover relates to the intro track, with DJ Khaled and his son Asahd pictured on a holy mountain in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

“I was intentionally searching for a rare sample that was influenced by my Jamaican culture,” explains Major Seven who produced the track together with Khaled, and who previously made beats for the likes of Rick Ross, Jay Z, Rihanna and Future. “The first thing I thought was that this is the perfect theme for hip hop culture right now, especially with marijuana being legalized everywhere."

The sample is a track by Jamaican child emcee Billy Boyo. In 1982, at the age of twelve, Billy was discovered by legendary reggae/dancehall producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes, who was dating Billy’s sister at that time. The Junjo-produced “One Spliff A Day” (sampled for DJ Khaled’s “Holy Mountain”) was his most notable hit, later sampled for music by rapper Wiz Khalifa, TDE-singer SiR, British electronic producer Zomby, among others.

“Honestly, originally when I made [the beat] I had Rihanna and Wiz Khalifa in mind,” says Major Seven. “I had a few people show interest in that beat but I knew it was something special so I just kept being patient and waited for the right opportunity. When I met DJ Khaled and he heard the original idea, I knew that he was the best person to collaborate with.”

J. Cole’s Middle Child with a Tracklib sample went on to become a multi-platinum hit. With Major Seven’s platinum production for Future’s HNDRXX, let’s see to which heights this holy mountain will take DJ Khaled…. As far as Major Seven is concerned, finding the Billy Boyo sample kept him in the right production flow: “There are many producers that are against sampling because they had bad experiences when it came down to getting the clearances. Many of them even say that they will never sample again. With Tracklib, all of the clearances are already negotiated so you can focus your energy on just creating something amazing.”