After DJ Khaled purchased his Florida residence five years go, the record label exec left much of the decorating to his longtime fiancée, Nicole Tuck. Now the 6-bedroom home—made up of an impressive sneaker room, soaring living room and an outside area he calls his “musical garden”—is often the backdrop for his inspirational snapchats. “When you walk in, I want you to feel the blessings,” he tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue.

“My girl used to trip on me all the time, because my sneakers were everywhere. So we decided to get them a room upstairs,” says Khaled of the space tagged with the name of his music group, We the Best. “I wanted to glorify my sneakers. I think it’s one of my best projects I put together.”

Khaled—who will release his ninth album, Major Key, on July 29—says he wears “most” of his sneakers. “The ones I super love, I try to buy as many as possible,” he says. “I love to keep a fresh pair and wear the other ones. My concept is the more you can get of the same shoe, the better.”

This pair of Reeboks was given to him from his friend, rapper Jay Z. “Special cloth alert…my brother Khaled,” reads the inscription. “Special cloth” is one of Khaled’s famous sayings, used to describe impeccable style.

“This is where I actually sit down, get on the phone and start the day,” says Khaled. “I give thanks and just embrace the high ceilings and the sun coming in through the window. I really say to myself, ‘Man, we came a long way.'”

The producer and artist chose these tiger Versace pillows because they “symbolize strength” he says. “But at the same time, it’s like art to me.”

Khaled cites his hot tub as one of his favorite places to relax. “I like to be around my bamboo trees, my beautiful angels: the flowers and the lion,” he says. “That whole area is real special to me—every part of the house is—but that’s where I catch the vibe.”

The backyard also boasts a full-size swimming pool, fire pit and hammock. “I get my massages. I have my meetings out there. I watch TV. I meditate. It’s just a spiritual vibe.”

Khaled’s “musical garden” is a real point of pride for him. “My flowers represent life for me. When I plant flowers, I actually get to see them grow, blossom. I get to see the colors come out,” he says. “The more you take care of it, the more beautiful it is. I look at it like life.”

“I feel like I’m a lion myself,” he says of his animal statue. “When I’m out on the road, I’m in the jungle and when I come home, this is my paradise. I work so hard to have this paradise so the lion is the protector of the yard.”

One of the renovations Khaled took on at the waterfront home was installing a marble patio. He calls it the “pathway of more success.”