Way 2 Fonky: DJ Quik

Posted by: steve | From: May 29, 2004

The prince of west coast gangster rap is the best way to describe DJ Quik, I think. He just seems very princely, not in a very regal and dapper way (even though he can look good from time to time) but more in the George W. Bush pre presidency way, like cute and a little goofy and you can't believe he will one day be the king. He's not quite as tight of a producer as Dr. Dre, not as cool with his flow as Snoop, not as intimadating as an Xzibit, not as enigmatic and funny as Eazy E, not as tight as Kurupt, but he's almost all those things and that all makes for one really solid rapper/producer.

I'm starting to see a trend in my rap likes. I like someone who can be serious and tough but can also make fun of themselves and the whole tough-guy thing. DJ Quik comes off much more rounded and human on his albums and photos and interviews than many other rappers, and this is likable. This is not to say that Quik is the most charming chap, because there are still mounds of misogyny on Quik's records, but there are always a few tracks that make you just smile and think "this dude is a nice dude." Of course all good rappers have some sort of beef in their career and Quik had a classic one with MC Eiht, though Quik never focused too much on the gangster killing stuff, he was much more of a gangster partying sorta dudes (his best songs being party jams). He was always loyal to a few people, (AMG, Mauseberg, and Debarge) who he seemed to either be really close with or think they were really talented, and that always put them on his records giving them exposure. Bottom line = DJ Quik solid dude (except for that weird thing with beating up his sister)

Quik hit it big with his single "Tonite" and album Quik Is The Name in 1991. He came across as a more legit Eazy E. He's a skinny dude and he had the curls and he has a voice that is somehwat similar to Eazy, but his rapping was like his name implied quick (the c was omitted from his name because he was a blood and he didn't want to rep the crips by using the letter c). His first two albums sold the most of any in his career and with each album he drew more ire from fans and critics for not expanding his west coast gangster funk that always featured laid back beats, and syrupy keyboards. The knocks were that he was not growing as an artist and he wasn't changing with the industry fads. I wholeheatedly disagree because I thought he grew quite a bit as a lyricist and I found his committment to the west coast funk to be "cute" and "loyal". His albums that are most ripped (98's Rhythm-al-ism and 00's Balance & Options) I find to be his most solid and with some of his finest moments. He got dumped by his label but came back in late 02 with Under Tha Influence which did not sell well, but got a lot of his cred back for it's more varied and current sound. Now, focusing mostly on producing hits for other artists (like the great "Addictive" for Truth Hurts, "Buckbounce" for Eightball & MJG and "Justify My Thug" for Jay Z), I think DJ Quik is mostly retired from rapping, but the cute dude with the afro (nee gheri curl, nee corn rolls) will always be remembered as The Greatest Band Of All Time.

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