North Miami Beach proclaims May 8 as "DJ Khaled Day"
NORTH MIAMI BEACH — May 8 is no longer an ordinary day in North Miami Beach. It's officially DJ Khaled Day.
During the North Miami Beach Small Business Summit and Expo on Wednesday, as many attendees awaited entrepreneurial programming, they were surprised when the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum music producer took the stage at the Julius Littman Performing Arts Theater, CBS News Miami's news partners at the Miami Herald reported.
"God did," DJ Khaled exclaimed to the audience, a reference to his 2022 hit song and a popular affirmation that has become almost a catchphrase to him.
North Miami Beach Mayor Evan S. Piper and city commissioners joined him on the stage as he received his proclamation, honoring May 8, 2024, as "DJ Khaled Day" in the city, the Herald reported.
The 48-year-old artist, whose real name is Khaled Mohammed Khaled, got a little emotional on stage as he began to reminisce about producing most of his discography in a North Miami Beach studio.
"This is very beautiful and means a lot to me and my family," Khaled said. "Big ups to all the mothers and fathers in the building today. This makes me inspired to keep going."
"We're locked and loaded with We The Best Foundation to give back to our people, our community and to also inspire the young world to be on this stage so they can have their day and their honor," he continued.
According to the Herald, Khaled's "entrepreneurial journey" was meant to inspire attendees, most of whom are small business owners from the Miami-Dade community. Now in its third year, the North Miami Beach Small Business Summit and Expo is designed to support entrepreneurs in the city through information sessions, career coaching and networking with sponsors such as Comcast and the Miami Foundation.
Khaled rose to popularity for his hit records with artists like Jay-Z and viral social media videos sharing positive affirmations. He also collaborates with Nike and has a We The Best sneaker store on South Beach, the Herald reported. His We The Best Foundation, which North Miami Beach city leaders acknowledge during his proclamation, often gives back to the community and allows him to pay his success forward.