Khaled, released in 1992, is Khaled's self-titled debut solo studio album for a major music label. The album was produced by Michael Brook and Don Was.
The album was primarily sung in Khaled's native Algerian Arabic dialect with the exception of "Ne m'en voulez pas", which was sung in French. According to some estimates, the album sold over 7 million copies and became the biggest selling Arabic album.
Production
Khaled signed with French record label Barclay Records, then brought in American record producer Don Was to "incorporate American R&B—to Americanize the music", which Don Was achieved by combining Khaled's live musicians with loops and beats from his Macintosh computer and a keyboard. The result of these sessions in the studio that combined Khaled's rai with Was' R&B, was, according to Was, "pretty wild music." Others saw this as new, cool, and revolutionary, and he attracted a new audience.