A Reader's Gut Reaction: DJ Quik - The Book Of David (April 19, 2011)

(I know a lot of you two were excited when I wrote up West Coast producer-slash-rapper DJ Quik's debut album, Quik Is The Name. Although I want to continue with his back catalog soon, sadly, there is no scheduled date on the horizon. So today I present the next best thing: Justa came through with his take on Quik's latest effort, The Book of David. Leave your comments for Justa below.)

West Coast hip hop was the backbone of early/mid-1990’s rap. Before both the Bad Boy gloss and the Dirty South came to dominate airwaves, the City of Angels was carrying the torch for the movement, with its G-Funk and its tales from the streets. One of the unheralded pioneers of this sub-genre was producer/rapper David Blake, better known to most as DJ Quik.

If I were to sit here and list some of his solo work as an artist, most of you wouldn't know what I was talking about. And if I listed some of his production work, odds are that most of you still wouldn't know much about the man. For some reason, DJ Quik has lived in the shadow of another West Coast-based producer/rapper named Dr. Dre (who, surprisingly, actually has less production credits under his belt, even though his name is held in higher esteem). Despite not having the same level of public acclaim, Quik has consistently delivered quality music over the last two decades: in 2009, he even produced a critical favorite with his collaboration with fellow West Coast-based rapper Kurupt (of Tha Dogg Pound), Blaqout.

With this newly found momentum, Quik decided that this year was the perfect time to release his first solo album in six years, The Book of David, conveniently named after himself. To help him with his comeback, he recruited the relatively unknown Gift Reynolds, the usual suspects BlaKKazz K.K. (one of his boys from 2nd II None) and Suga Free (good to see these two working together again), rap legends such as Ice Cube and Bun B (who has yet to turn down a request for a guest appearance), and some curious choices such as former Babyface protege and late 1990s R&B star Jon B. and Bizzy Bone from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Anyway, let me get into this review.

1. FIRE AND BRIMSTONE

Look Max, no intro! How about that. We go straight into a seriously dope beat and a proclamation that our host “don’t give a fuck about you, you, him, her”. The drums are fierce and bang even with their off-kilter programming and industrial-type sound. His lyrics for this are on point, too.

2. DO TODAY (FEAT. BLAKKAZZ K.K. & JON B.)

Yeah... Jon B. is on this one. He actually fits quite nicely on this 1980’s R&B-ish throwback joint, too. The beat is nice, on some summertime feel-good vibe. You could easily drop the top in the ride for this one.

3. GHETTO RENDEZVOUS

So after the feel-good track we're presented with a darker selection. “Ghetto Rendezvous” is a dis track aimed at Quik's sister and a few other close relatives (which makes this different from your average rap battle), on which he airs them out and puts their misdeeds on blast (a note to those of you with more popular relatives: don’t ever do them wrong). The beat, once again, is dope (I'm noticing a trend), and Quik delivers some killer verses, letting those who have betrayed him get catch his lyrical wrath. Quik has never been one to shy away from beef; throughout his career, the man has thrown shots at such big names as Everlast, MC Eiht, and Dr. Dre, among others. As John Madden used to say about Brett Farve, “He’s a gunslinger”. A good track.

4. LUV OF MY LIFE (FEAT. GIFT REYNOLDS)

Never been a fan of the “ballin'” talk that has dominated the airwaves, but even I have to commend the beautiful sound that Quik has created with this track. The lyrics aren't all that great on here, though: newcomer Gift Reynolds, who must have sold his soul to the devil in order to score his guest appearances on The Book Of David, delivers a verse that I couldn’t recall even after multiple listens. He sounds just as good as that guy at the gas station selling you his “hot, creative, five-dollar” mixtape, and that's just me being nice. Besides that, this wasn't bad for a first single: Quik sounds good, and the beat is smooth. It's just the guest star that struggles.  

5. BABYLON (FEAT. BIZZY BONE & BLAKKAZZ K.K.)

I was never really a huge Bone Thugs-N-Harmony fan back in the day. Some of their early songs were alright at first (and I did spend money on Krayzie Bone's solo debut, as well as the first Mo Thugs compilation project for some reason), but for the most part, their double-disc effort The Art of War was the last straw for me. However, on “Babylon” Quik supplies a backdrop that fits Bizzy Bone, who I have long thought to be one of the more talented members of the group, perfectly. I'm not sure what any of the verses have to do with the chorus (which goes, “Ring the alarm, the alarm the alarm, Babylon fallin'”), but it sounds pretty good. I could see this easily playing behind a highlight segment on SportsCenter.

6. KILLER DOPE

The best track on The Book Of David, and that is saying a lot. This beat is glorious. Have you ever heard a rapper brag about “playing his own piano for a session”? Yeah, me neither: that's some cocky Little Richard/Rick James-type shit right there. DJ Quik has never sounded better than he does on here. The combination of the horns and the strings sound simply victorious, like a king's anthem: this is the perfect song for a hip hop veteran who, after many years, feels confident and secure in his position.

7. REAL WOMEN (FEAT. JON B.)

Jon B. returns to deliver another great hook (he's now two for two) over this more laid-back, grown-folks affair, on which Quik praises the women who aren’t out there trying to imitate Snookie or creating drama, better known as “Real Women” (the type that about seventy-five percent of the guys I know don't go for). This one may be a bit too R&B for most audiences, but it was still a dope track. Quik even kicks things off on here with a shout-out to MC Hammer: that's some true West Coast love right there. (Side note: I like how Eminem, Ice Cube, and (insert rapper name here) have all dissed Hammer for crossing over for pop audiences, when they have all sold out much more than he ever did. Still can't condone that bizarre Jay-Z dis/sermon Hammer released last year, though.)

8. POPPIN' (FEAT. BLAKKAZZ K.K.)

The beat is cool, but after feeling the laid-back vibe on “Real Women”, I didn’t really want to hear Quik and K.K. throw out disses and threats right away. This isn't exactly skippable, but after a couple of spins, you may find yourself naturally inclined to do so anyway.

9. HYDROMATIC (FEAT. JON B. & GIFT REYNOLDS)

The instrumental is great, but absolutely everything involving the vocals was not. Once again, Gift receives an opportunity that most artists would kill for, and his fouled-up contribution will not have you looking forward to his eventual solo release. I don’t remember anything dope about the lyrics at all, and the Jon B. hook grows old very quickly. “Hydromatic” and “Poppin'” are definitely the low point of The Book Of David.

10. ACROSS THE MAP (FEAT. BIZZY BONE & BUN B)

Although I like the guy overall, once again Bizzy Bone surprises me with a standout two-verse performance. DJ Quik has proven to me that he really is one of the greatest producers to ever work within the hip hop genre, coaxing the greatness that most thought was long gone from the Bone Thugs member. Also, the beat on here is sinister: it's essentially John Carpenter-type chords (as he performed all of the music for his earlier films, including Halloween), but with more bounce. Bun B, a man who would apparently rather contribute a guest verse than sleep or eat, also delivers a great verse, and afterward, West Coast legend Rodney O ends the track with a proclamation that isn’t important in the least bit, but it sounds good, so why not? Another dope track.

11. NOBODY (FEAT. SUGA FREE)

Suga Free never reached the heights of fame as his peer Snoop Dogg did, most likely because, unlike Snoop, he was actually a real-life pimp (and would never allow himself to be seen selling three-wheeled scooters on late night infomericals). Anyway, this track leaked dropped last year with one stellar verse courtesy of Pomona’s favorite pimp/rapper, and a great hook. I love the hilarious Tiger Woods advice, as well as the bridge that commences while he spits his verse. The album version treats listeners to an additional verse from Quik, as well. The beat on this funky track (one of my favorite songs off The Book Of David) makes for some classic West Coast fun.

12. BOOGIE TILL YOU CONK OUT (FEAT. ICE CUBE)

Many of the reviews I've seen for The Book Of David refer to this song as “unimpressive”. But why is that? Do we really want to hear rappers in their forties making songs like they did back in their early twenties (like Busta Rhymes still attempts to do today)? I, for one, don't, so I found this grown-folks two-step club jam cool. You know exactly what kind of club I'm referring to: the one you used to make fun of back in high school/college because that's where the older folks went, but you now find yourself considering checking it out because you know there aren't as many “knuckleheads” there. Yeah, it was made for that place. I don’t expect much from Cube these days anyway (especially after his sitcom on TBS), but his verse was alright. Nothing like The Predator or AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, but alright. I have no real complaints about this song.

13. FLOW FOR SALE (FEAT. KURUPT)

Quik and Kurupt waste no time getting to the music with this dope track. Although I'll be waiting for a long time for another “New York, New York”-esque performance from Kurupt Young Gotti (even though The Streetz Iz A Mutha is a classic album, in my opinion), he still sounds pretty good on here: I like the way he has to switch up his style whenever he works with our host, as Quik keeps him on his toes. Just like it did on Blaqout, Kurupt's flow sounds great even though he's hardly saying anything memorable, but this isn't a bad thing.

14. SO COMPTON (FEAT. BLAKKAZZ K.K.)

This nighttime summer anthem contains some of those classic synths that you associate most West Coast beats with. Good stuff.

15. TIME STANDS STILL (FEAT. DWELE)

Max, I know you don’t like most R&B tracks, but this one should be the exception. Dwele (who, sadly, is only really known for his contributions to Kanye West songs at this point in his career) provides a performance that is better and more genuine than anything he has ever done. This is in the running for my second favorite track on The Book Of David.

16. THE END? (FEAT. GARRY SHIDER)

This great tribute to P-Funk features Quik and Garry Shider (from Parliament-Funkadelic fame) collaborating for a few minutes on bass and background vocals, before segueing into...

17. QUIK'S GROOVE 9  

...this track. For some reason the version of The Book Of David I have doesn't separate out “Quik's Groove 9” from the “The End”, choosing instead to run it all together on the same audio track. Regardless, this instrumental ending to the album sounds terrific.

THE LAST WORD:  As a long time DJ Quik supporter, I feel that The Book Of David definitely stands out as far as his solo work goes. Though it never truly reaches classic status (there are a few tracks on here that are only alright), the album successfully showcases just how musically gifted he is overall. Quik the producer brings out the best in those we would never expect (except for Gift Reynolds, although I suppose it could be argued that his two contributions on The Book Of David are the best he can do) over one of the most creative musical soundtracks of the year, and as a rapper, he delivers some pretty amazing lyrical performances himself. I rarely advise people to buy anything that isn’t absolutely essential, but if you consider yourself a fan of hip hop, The Book Of David is a must-own. It is one of the best representations of our genre (or for music in general) in 2011, and it absolutely shouldn't be neglected in a time when most heads complain about the loss of “real” hip hop.

-Justa

(Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave your thoughts below.)

DJ Quik - Quik Is The Name (January 15, 1991)

David Blake, or DJ Quik, as it says on the birthday cake I just bought for him, is a Compton, California-based producer and rapper who doesn't receive as much shine as he should.  It's possible that he prefers being in the background, making his moves in silence and actually working while his higher-profile peers simply sit around and promise a new album every year for over a decade without ever putting out anything to show for it.  More than likely, though, Quik's lack of presence on the scene is because of a fickle hip hop audience who is quick to forget someone who doesn't put out consistent hit songs.

David has been working with music ever since the tenth grade, when he used to deejay parties with a turntable he received as a gift for graduating junior high school.  He adopted his DJ Quik moniker because he feels it describes just how fast he can put together a song; the 'c' was dropped due to the fact that he was not a member of the Crips and, as such, was legally prohibited from using that letter in his everyday vernacular, which made things interesting whenever he had to fill out applications with his mailing address.  In 1990, he signed a deal with Profile Records that was worth a rumored six figures: his debut album, Quik Is The Name, reached stores about one year later.

Quik Is The Name, which is generally considered to be Quik's finest hour, was fully produced by David, with only a little bit of help from his friends in the vocal booth.  It sold over one million units on the strength of its two hit singles, "Born and Raised In Compton" and "Tonite", the latter of which brings back fond memories of me sitting around at a friend's house trying to figure out what to do with our day while Quik Is The Name played in the background, with "Tonite" stuck on repeat for some reason.  (That same friend was ecstatic when 2Pac's Me Against The World dropped, as "If I Die 2Nite" samples from Quik's joint.  Maybe he just loves songs that reference all things nocturnal.)   The fact that the scheduled release for the album was early 1991 wasn't a big deal to Quik: he used the colder months to build up his debut album into the compact disc to spin at a lazy summer barbecue or a hyper house party, which helped him stand out when compared to other West Coast rap acts, especially a certain band of outsiders from Compton with attitude problems and a hatred of authority.

Okay, enough with this shit; I've been putting off David Blake's debut album for far too long.

1. SWEET BLACK PUSSY

And with his very first song title, DJ Quik has alienated the female audience of my blog. Not that I have the ability to criticize the man's personal preference, although I feel that sweet pussy comes in many colors and shades. (He was only nineteen when he recorded this song, as he mentions at one point, so I would assume that he's since broadened his horizons since 1991.) To be fair, the female gender may not care for this song anyway, as Quik spends over four minutes talking about fucking in a fashion that benefits him and nobody else. At least the beat is catchy. Also, the part midway through where Quik switches his verse (because he was reading from the wrong sheet) was kind of funny, so there's that.

2. TONITE

This ode to partying sounds a lot more subdued than I remembered. Quik spends most of the track planning to have a good time, focusing on the little details such as actually getting dressed and pre-selecting what to drink. (I assume that made it much easier for the director to plot out the video clip for this track.) The beat is alright, especially when he lets it ride before his spits his third verse (which describes the aftermath), but the real draw of this song is Quik's everyman delivery, promoting the party in such a manner that you wish you were having a drink with him. Sure, it may be slower than what I recall, but it was still pretty good.

3. BORN AND RAISED IN COMPTON

Quik uses a sample from Issac Hayes's “Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic”, among others, to his advantage, sliding all over the beat as though he were born and raised in Compton or something. He quickly (ha!) comes across as much more accessible and less prone to wanton acts of violence than those other guys from Compton, but manages not to lose any street cred in doing so. This wasn't bad at all, which helps explain why it was a minor hit.

4. DEEP (FEAT. 2ND II NONE & AMG)

This posse cut was filled with some of Quik's friends, who hide behind names that some of you two may recognize if you've been following West Coast hip hop since the late 1980s. The instrumental was pretty fucking catchy, even if it wouldn't have been my first choice for a massive collaboration piece. Our host spits his verse and graciously allows his guests to take center stage, with AMG impressing me the most. Man, I really have to listen to gangsta rap more often.

5. THE BOMBUDD

Or maybe not. Most rappers record an ode to marijuana at some point in their careers, but there aren't many of them who would deliberately craft a beat intended to remind listeners of Musical Youth's “Pass The Dutchie”, and almost none of them would elect to sing about the wacky weed (instead of just rapping about it, you see). I guess the shit Quik smokes makes him feel so mellow that the mere act of spitting a verse is too energetic to entertain. An interesting curiosity, but you won't ever need to listen to it a second time, even while high.

6. DEDICATION

An interlude dedicated to fallen comrades. You probably knew that going in, though.

7. QUIK IS THE NAME

Quik delivers his rhymes on this title track as if he's coked out of his mind, rushing through his lines just so he can get back to his lines. Which seems to counter the laid-back feel that most West Coast rap goes for (save for the gangsta stuff, I suppose), but those of you two who are accustomed to the rapid-fire cadence of Twista or Bone Thugs 'N Harmony will have no problem following our host on what he probably intended to be his anthem.

8. LOKED OUT HOOD

Everyone looks to Dr. Dre and Above the Law's Cold 187um (and to a lesser extent, Warren G.) as the godfathers of G-Funk, but with this track DJ Quik deserves to stand alongside them, setting his story to a track that switches moods as often as your bipolar mother. It also turns violent at the end (after Quik and his associates discuss what kind of guns to carry), which isn't surprising when you go back and read the song's title again.

9. 8 BALL

DJ Quik does his best Eazy-E impression on this ode to malt liquor (excluding St. Ides, as he refuses to drink that shit). Lots of underage drinking taking place on Quik Is The Name, but honestly, we've all done it. David won me over with his first verse, where he mentions that he gets “discouraged” if he doesn't have any Olde English: how many rappers would ever think of saying that shit? (And yes, I realize he probably only used that word in order to make the next bar rhyme, and “discouraged” probably doesn't mean what he was trying to actually say, but it was still a memorable line.)

10. QUIK'S GROOVE

A pleasant enough instrumental. Yeah, I couldn't come up with anything else to write.

11. TEAR IT OFF (FEAT. SPIN & AMG)

Quik's beat has much more energy than most anything on Quik Is The Name. The pace is unrelenting, and the only reprieve listeners get is when AMG takes to the mic for his guest appearance. It contains a nice musical breakdown, too, but otherwise this was a skippable excursion. It's just not essential to the DJ Quik canon. Moving on...

12. I GOT THAT FEELIN'

Quik gives listeners his “song for the ladies”, although all he does is explain how he's interested in just one thing. So this devolves into a sex rap in record time. I found the beat to be kind of annoying, but Quik is rather earnest in his love for vagina (please refer to the track “Sweet Black Pussy” for further discussion), so while I won't ever listen to this shit again, it isn't the worst song ever made or anything.

13. SKANLESS (FEAT. AMG, 2ND II NONE, & HI-C)

This combination final song-slash-outro is an exercise in how much profanity DJ Quik and company can stuff into three minutes worth of time. Needless to say, there isn't much here to check for. And with that, Quik Is The Name is over.

FINAL THOUGHTS: For a debut album, Quik Is The Name holds up much better than some other discs I've reviewed, although it certainly helps if you're in the correct state of mind when you press 'play'. DJ Quik has always been one of the most underrated producers from the West Coast (well, in the entire hip hop genre, to be honest), so I was expecting the music to sound good (which it mostly does), but I had forgotten how nimble he can be with his bars. Quik is no master lyricist: his verses mainly consist of describing recent events with a keen eye for detail. But the way he twists his words is fairly fucking effortless, and when combined with the actual music, Quik Is The Name turns into the feel-good album you'll want to listen to while on your way to your next barbecue (although you may not want to actually play it while at your destination, as it is a bit too boisterous to relax anybody). I like some of his latter output more, but I can see how this ended up being the most popular album in DJ Quik's career.

BUY OR BURN? You should pick this one up. You probably need some more West Coast rap in your life anyway: may as well start with some of the good stuff.

BEST TRACKS: “Born and Raised In Compton”; “Tonite”; “8 Ball”; “Loked Out Hood”; “Deep”

-Max