When rap music first emerged in the mid 1970s, it connected with listeners immediately by addressing all aspects of urban life with its unique freedom of self-expression. As the music evolved into a global cultural force, at least one rap icon remains true to the music's heritage. That man is DJ Quik. With four gold and platinum albums and production work with 2Pac, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre to his credit, DJ Quik stands as one of hip-hop's most consistent artists and musicians. To his credit he has over 100 million soundscanned recordings! On his forthcoming seventh album, and his first for Mad Science/Fontana distribution, the Compton, California legend sets a new standard for lyrical and musical innovation.

"This record is fun," DJ Quik explains. "It has tons of air." "You won't feel claustrophobic with this record because there is not a ceiling. This record is as expansive as the universe, but yet as confined as a CD. DJ Quik's musical mastery shines as soon as the album starts with Intro For Roger. Typically a laid-back rapper, DJ Quik raps aggressively on the mid-tempo selection about the pain and loss he's suffered over the last several years. My best friend's dead, my heart is a stone, he raps. My soul ain't even mine to own. The lyrics refer to the murder of his friend and collaborator, and the song is dedicated to one of DJ Quik's musical influences, the late Roger Troutman, who was also murdered. "It's about what I've been going through for the last couple years, DJ Quik says. "I know people want to hear what kept me out of the limelight, what I was going through personally. The song is my journal. People that know me will understand it. I just had a lot of dead weight that I had to shed."

DJ Quik's new direction is evident on Ladies-N-Thugs, a sizzling cut that also features vocals from Wyclef Jean. Over a block-rocking beat that boasts an extra thick bassline and sinister strings, Quik and Jean trade lyrical haymakers. "Both Clef and myself understand what it takes to stay rhythmic and be cathartic at the same time," DJ Quik says. "People want to feel how you feel, but they want to feel it to rhythm." Then, on the sexy Nate Dogg-guested "Black Mercedes," Quik turns his focus to the ladies. But there's a twist, of course. He dedicates the first two verses to wordplay and boasting of his sexual prowess, but in the third verse he delivers several thought provoking lyrics, including "What kills more, gangbanging or the gang bang?"

For DJ Quik, it is important to address serious issues in his music, even on what seem to be lighthearted songs. "It's almost like a self-check as well because I did both," he says. "People can talk all day about what's more dangerous, but they're both dangerous. People get hurt with infidelity just as much as they get hurt because of colors in the street. If you're doing something wrong, chances are it's going to be a matter of time before you get bit in your ass."It's a lesson DJ Quik puts into practice on "Jet Set," an old fashioned West Coast sounding song, through which he raps of his new emotional freedom.

"I'm talking about not being confined by having to get a 40 out of the freezer, getting drunk, trying to have sex with the cute girl in the hood, or going to beat up these dudes around the corner just because your homeboy asked you to," he says. "It's a wake up record." In addition to featuring the best lyrics of his career, the new album also contains the type of thick, bottom-heavy warmth virtually absent from modern day music. "I think we all end up missing music when the technology gets better, and in most cases over the years, hip-hop has gotten progressively thinner and thinner in the low end because it became too expensive to do records the old-fashioned way; getting real musicians in, engineers in and some of the older equipment, because it became high maintenance after a while," he says.

"It was more cost effective to go to computers and have the speed. What you lose for speed is sound. My thing was to try to find a sound that was comparable to our old sound." DJ Quik knows of what he speaks. Since debuting in the early 1990s as a talented rapper, producer and talent scout, he has four albums that have been certified either gold or platinum, and a production resume that includes acclaimed work with Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, Tony! Toni! Tone!, Janet Jackson, Rick James, Chingy, Ludacris, and 8 Ball & MJG, among many others. But as DJ Quik became one of the West Coast rap scene's most revered figures, he was riddled with a series of personal and professional setbacks, including the passings of several friends and a number of disappointing business ventures with recent and long-time associates.

So DJ Quik made a change and removed himself from the negative situations surrounding him. He decided to expand his sound and redirect his focus into his own career. The results have been staggering. In 2003, DJ Quik produced: 'Justify My Thug' for Jay-Z's landmark The Black Album. Some of his other recent beat work includes songs for triple-platinum rapper Chingy, and multi-platinum artists Ludacris and Jadakiss. He also scored the Chris Rock film Head Of State and contributed music to the popular True Crime: Streets Of LA video game.

SOURCE: www.dj-quik.com/  

 

Last updated by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist Aug 22, 2008.

Best guide to hip hop, soul, reggae concerts & events in San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles & New York City + music, videos, radio and more

Connect

Subscribe to E-Blast

WIN TICKETS

Tower of Power
Saturday, Dec 21 @ Fox Theater, Oakland

Raheem DeVaughn
Friday-Saturday, Jan 10-11

Lalah Hathaway
Friday-Sunday, Jan 24-26

Members

Photos

  • Add Photos
  • View All

Latest Activity

Cali's Nightclub posted an event
Thumbnail

Touch Friday NYE at Club Cali

December 31, 2024 at 10pm to January 1, 2025 at 2am
Celebrate New Years inside Berkeley's Club Cali with Touch Friday's DJ Townsend and DJ Westcoast providing the soundtrack for the mature 21+. Book Bottle Service by contacting Club Cali or calling 650 - 219 - 0255.See More
17 hours ago
Cali's Nightclub updated an event
Thumbnail

Los Rakas Record Release Party at Club Cali

January 25, 2025 at 9pm to January 26, 2025 at 2am
Los Rakas wants to share their new record La Raka Zaza with the people. Come through January 25th for an official album release experience featuring Los Rakas w Live Band with support from Epicenter Sound live in the mix. The venue boasts 2 bars and a full menu plus bottle service and booths for those that want to take their night to the next level. We'll see you at Cali's.See More
23 hours ago
Editor's Pick posted discussions
yesterday
realmuzik posted a discussion

Unk Da Chef Releases New Single "Cherry Trish"

“Cherry Trish”, Unk Da Chef's most recent song, marks his return. His reputation as one of the most genuine voices in hip hop is further cemented by this record, which exemplifies his distinctive fusion of honesty and flexibility. The track highlights the resilience and struggles that make Unk's music relatable, celebrating both the grind and the triumphs. Check out Unk…See More
yesterday
Cali's Nightclub posted events
yesterday
Tampa Mystic posted blog posts
Friday
Editor's Pick posted videos
Thursday
A video by Editor's Pick was featured

Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg Share Their Journey on Drink Champs | Complex Conversations

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode they chop it up with the legendary, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg! A Drink Champs episode 30 years in the making. Hip-hop is more than music; it’s a culture, a movement, and a collection of stories…
Thursday
Editor's Pick posted discussions
Thursday
Editor's Pick updated an event
Thumbnail

THROWBACK (All Throwbacks: Soul, Funk, Hip Hop, Reggae & more) featuring Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist at Hello Stranger Bar, Oakland

December 25, 2024 at 9pm to December 26, 2024 at 1:45am
WEDNESDAY DEC 25 THROWBACK (2nd & 4th Wednesdays) All Throwbacks: Hip Hop, Soul/Funk, Reggae +more!Christmas Edition!Featuring DJ Malachi (Motown on Mondays) Resident:Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist (True…See More
Thursday
Samhoody posted a blog post

PX-TNE Drops Anticipated LP ‘Who Da F*ck Is Dat N*gga In Dat Wheelchair Pt2: The Bran Dre Story’

Get ready to turn up and feel the heat with the highly anticipated release of "Who Da F**k is Dat Nigga in Dat Wheelchair? Pt.2 - The Bran Dre Story." PX-TNE and the relentless underground movement from the West, T.N.E., join forces with the iconic Southern powerhouse P.R.E. (Paper Route Empire) from Memphis to be exact—founded by the Late Great Young Dolph.This project…See More
Thursday
Editor's Pick posted a discussion

Yasiin Bey Premieres His First New Solo Project in 5 Years

Five years after premiering his Negus album exclusively through multiple sound installations, Yasiin Bey is back with a new project.Bey premiered the new EP, titled Money Christmas, through a…See More
Tuesday

© 2024   Created by Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service