Songfacts®:

• This anthem for achievement features two verses from Jay-Z while Future croons the hook. The title is a reference to DJ Khaled's keys to success, the inspirational and motivational platitudes that he shares on Instagram.
• Jay-Z starts off his first verse by referencing owning his recording masters, at the same time taking a subtle jab at Drake.
  
  N---a as always asking me the key
  Till you own your own, you can't be free
  Till you're on your own you can't be me
  How we still slaves in 2016?
  
  This appears to be a response to a rhyme on Drake's January 2016 single "Summer Sixteen," where he rapped. "I used to wanna be on Roc-A-Fella, then I turned into Jay."
• The black and white prison-set video stars Khaled, Jay Z, Future. It also features a long list of cameos as we see the likes of Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Pusha T, ASAP Ferg, T.I., Swizz Beatz, Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, Yo Gotti, Bryson Tiller and Zoey Dollaz facing off against prison guards.
• Though Khaled has always had a good relationship with Jay Z, it's hard to get him on one guest verse, let alone two. "I play him the record and I'm vibing, you know, I got that eye so I'm looking to the side, I don't want him to know I'm looking, and I see him vibing," Khaled told Rap Radar. "The first part is an instrumental so that's when I'm really looking because, the great ones, that's when they really just start going so I look and I just see him start rhyming in his head and mumbling…when the beat stopped, he's just like, 'Leave that for me.'"
  
  The next day Khaled got a message from Jay saying that the verse was done and when he arrived, Hova spat the verse live for him. "And then he laid the verse down, I'm ready, I'm good," Khaled recalled. "But he's not done, second verse. I said 'What's going on here, man?' He's like 'I'm getting a second verse. Now, second verse coming out.'"
• Throughout Major Key, Khaled's guests drop "key" references. In total, the word "key" is repeated 110 times throughout the album.