We the Best Music Group
Corporate brand
UnclaimedAn American record label founded by DJ Khaled and operating as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
We the Best Music Group is an American record label founded by DJ Khaled in 2008. The label takes its name from Khaled's recurring catchphrase, “We the Best,” which became closely associated with his public identity, music releases, and branding. Rather than functioning solely as a conventional artist roster, the label has been closely tied to Khaled's role as a DJ, producer, recording artist, executive, and curator of high-profile collaborations. The company has operated through several major-label relationships. From 2008 to 2011, it was associated with Def Jam South, the southern-oriented division of Island Def Jam. From 2011 through 2015, it operated through Cash Money Records, a division of Universal Republic. The label subsequently moved to Epic Records, part of Sony Music, where it operated from 2016 through 2022. In 2023, We the Best Music Group returned to the Def Jam ecosystem as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. The label's artist history includes DJ Khaled himself as well as performers such as Ace Hood, Mavado, Steph Lecor, Kent Jones, Flipp Dinero, and Vado. Its releases have generally occupied the intersection of hip-hop, Southern rap, contemporary R&B, dancehall, and Caribbean-influenced popular music. The label's profile has also been supported by Khaled's ability to assemble multi-artist recordings featuring established and emerging performers, although the available reference material does not provide a complete catalog of releases or a detailed account of each artist's contract period. We the Best Music Group is best understood as a founder-led artist and label brand whose identity is inseparable from DJ Khaled's personal brand. Its major strategic turning points have been changes in distribution and label affiliation rather than the creation of a publicly listed corporate group. The 2023 move to Def Jam Recordings placed the imprint within a major international recorded-music network while preserving the We the Best name and its connection to Khaled. No separate public-company listing, headquarters, revenue figure, or independent financial disclosure is established in the supplied reference material.
History
We the Best Music Group was founded by DJ Khaled in 2008. The label's name derives from Khaled's well-known “We the Best” catchphrase, which he used in his music, radio work, public appearances, and promotional identity. From its beginning, the company was closely connected to Khaled's career as a DJ, producer, recording artist, and curator of collaborative records. The label's early operating arrangement placed it within Def Jam South, the southern-focused division associated with Island Def Jam, from 2008 to 2011. This affiliation gave the new imprint a connection to an established major-label infrastructure while allowing it to retain a distinct identity centered on Khaled and his network of artists. During this period, artists associated with the label included Ace Hood and Mavado, reflecting a roster and musical direction that connected American hip-hop with Caribbean and dancehall influences. In 2011, We the Best Music Group moved to Cash Money Records, then operating within Universal Republic. The change represented a shift in major-label infrastructure while preserving the label's founder-led model. The imprint continued to be associated with releases by Khaled and other artists, including Ace Hood and additional performers linked to the label at different points. The company later moved to Epic Records, a Sony Music label, beginning in 2016. The Epic period expanded the imprint's association with a major international music company and coincided with the continued prominence of Khaled's own commercially oriented, collaboration-heavy recordings. Artists identified with We the Best during its broader history include Steph Lecor, Kent Jones, Flipp Dinero, and Vado, in addition to Khaled, Ace Hood, and Mavado. The available reference does not establish precise signing and departure dates for each artist, so the roster should not be interpreted as a single-period lineup. In 2023, We the Best Music Group began operating as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings. This brought the label back into the Def Jam family after its prior association with Def Jam South and its intervening relationships with Cash Money Records and Epic Records. The move is a significant structural milestone, but the supplied sources do not provide detailed terms, financial figures, or a separate corporate ownership structure beyond the label's imprint relationship. Across its history, We the Best Music Group has functioned primarily as an artist-centered recorded-music label rather than as a diversified entertainment conglomerate. Its distinctive asset is the combination of Khaled's personal brand, his access to prominent performers, and the ability to package collaborative hip-hop and popular-music releases through major-label distribution. The label is active according to the supplied reference, although detailed current roster, release, headquarters, and financial information is not provided.
- 2023
Return to Def Jam
[1]The label began operating as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings.
- 2016
Epic Records period begins
[1]The imprint moved to Epic Records, a Sony Music company.
- 2011
Cash Money Records period begins
[1]We the Best Music Group moved to Cash Money Records within Universal Republic.
- 2008
Label founded
[1]DJ Khaled founded We the Best Music Group, naming the label after his signature catchphrase.
- 2008
Initial Def Jam South affiliation
[1]The label began operating through Def Jam South, an Island Def Jam division.
Products and positioning
A founder-led, collaboration-oriented hip-hop and popular-music label built around DJ Khaled's “We the Best” identity and relationships with major-label distributors.
Recorded music · 2008
We the Best Music Group recorded music
The label's core output consists of recorded music released by DJ Khaled and artists associated with the imprint. Its musical identity is centered on hip-hop and commercially oriented collaborations, with links to contemporary R&B, Southern rap, and Caribbean or dancehall-influenced sounds. Distribution and label support have changed over time through Def Jam South, Cash Money Records, Epic Records, and Def Jam Recordings.
Artist releases · 2008
Artist and collaborative releases
We the Best has supported releases associated with a changing group of performers, including DJ Khaled, Ace Hood, Mavado, Steph Lecor, Kent Jones, Flipp Dinero, and Vado. The imprint's artist-centered model emphasizes individual recordings and high-profile collaborations rather than a single standardized consumer product line.
Brand decisions
2023
Return to Def Jam RecordingsStrategyBackground
Following its Epic Records period from 2016 to 2022, the imprint changed its major-label relationship again.
Action taken
We the Best Music Group began operating as an imprint of Def Jam Recordings.
Aftermath
The move returned the brand to the Def Jam network while retaining its identity as DJ Khaled's label imprint.
2016
Move to Epic RecordsStrategyBackground
The label ended its stated Cash Money Records period and adopted another major-label affiliation.
Action taken
We the Best Music Group began operating through Epic Records, part of Sony Music.
Aftermath
The change placed the imprint within Epic's major-label network; detailed commercial terms are not available in the supplied material.
2011
Move to Cash Money RecordsStrategyBackground
After operating through Def Jam South from 2008 to 2011, the imprint changed its major-label affiliation.
Action taken
We the Best Music Group began operating through Cash Money Records, a Universal Republic division.
Aftermath
The move established a new major-label distribution relationship; the supplied reference does not provide financial or contractual details.
Recent events
- 2023
We the Best Music Group returns to Def Jam Recordings[1]
Other
The imprint began operating as a Def Jam Recordings imprint, marking a return to the Def Jam network.
- 2016
We the Best Music Group moves to Epic Records[1]
Other
The label began operating through Epic Records, part of Sony Music, after its Cash Money period.
- 2011
We the Best Music Group moves to Cash Money Records[1]
Other
The imprint changed its major-label affiliation and operated through Cash Money Records, a Universal Republic division.
- 2008
We the Best Music Group founded by DJ Khaled[1]
Other
DJ Khaled established We the Best Music Group as a record-label brand named after his signature catchphrase.
- 2008
We the Best Music Group begins Def Jam South affiliation[1]
Other
The label operated through Def Jam South, an Island Def Jam division, during its initial major-label period.
Sources1 sources
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