Dropping the "Cheb" from his name symbolizes the start of a new phase for
Khaled, one that signaled his quest to expand beyond his rai roots or, more accurately, to add rai as another element in the global dancefloor mix. After his big production collaboration with fellow Algerian
Safy Boutella on
Kutche, he takes the plunge to directly court Western audiences by enlisting
Don Was and
Michael Brook to split the production duties.