DJ Khaled dropped his eleventh studio album, Father of Asahd, on Friday (May 17) and it’s full of bangers. One of its standout tracks is Khaled’s record with Big Sean, “Thank You,” and it’s not so much the fire beat that gives it its replay value. Within the tune, Sean references his ex-girlfriend and singer Ariana Grande’s hit song, “Thank U, Next.”
“Plus I gotta thank my exes on some ‘thank u, next’ sh*t/And all the old times that gave me new perspectives.”
This is the first time, since the November release of Grande’s song that Sean has publicly addressed her mentioning his name in the song. The meaning behind the bar is as clear as day and falls in line with the theme of the melody, which is about thanking the people who helped Sean get to where he is today. Grande wasn’t the only one to receive appreciation from the 31-year-old on the track. Sean also thanked Khaled for helping him get a Chris Brown feature for his single “My Last,” that effectively put him on the scene.
In his final bars on the song, the TWENTY88 artist teased a potential creation of his own record label, that would help put Detroit artists on the map. Sean is currently a member of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, under Def Jam Records.
“Speaking of new, I’m about to ink a new deal, Don Life Records/and put anyone on in the city who needs connections.”
Stream DJ Khaled’s Father of Asahd below.