When it comes to killa Cali, alongside Chuck Taylors, 100 spoke rims, palm trees and khaki suits, a few producers come to mind immediately. Of course there’s Dr. Dre and Daz Dillenger, but you can’t throw your dubs high in the sky without also mentioning DJ Quik.
Born and raised in Compton, the west coast OG has left his fingerprints all over the game, working with everyone from 2pac and Suga Free to Tony Toni Tone. Quik helped pioneer the essence of G-Funk, and whether he’s permed out or rocking braids, rocking the microphone or the two turntables, the G-Oh-D has definitely earned his way into the pantheon of hip hop legends.
And that’s what everything was all about at the True Sounds Producer Showcase on September 9th, paying homage to someone who has paved the way for others to follow. The new jack swing was in full effect at Busby’s East that night as LNS Ent. & Project Live gave it up to Quik by presenting a crash course and a who’s who guide of everyone currently making noise in the city of Angels.
Aaron Harris jumped things off as the people started to pitch in on the party. Thurz was in the house parlaying in honor of the Quikster and showing love to all of the fresh talent currently scoring the streets of LA. TDE’s Willie B was in the crowd putting his 3’s up for the cameras and your third eye.Kaleem Sincere Wasif was on deck playing beats next, followed shortly by Skhye Hutch, who produced bangers like “ILLuminate”, “empathy” and “beautiful death” on Ab-Soul’s latest release, Control System.
Batez rolled up to bat next and kept knocking beats out the park. After that, J. Bizness played clean up with party rocking crowd favorites like his production work on Freddie Gibbs‘ “Menace II Society”, E-40 & Problem’s “Function” and Dom Kennedy’s “My Type of Party”. Quik was in the VIP area by this time, laying low, popping champagne and posted up with some of his real ones.
Jansport J stepped up to play his sound selections next and kept things rugged kicking more boom bap than overworked tape cassettes in ’91. Then Focus was greeted by whistles from Quik as the former producer for Aftermath’s inner circle dropped heavy d with beat work that sounded like Focus could have ghost produced all kinds of gems on The Chronic 2001. Rick Rock came and “Changed The Game” after that, dropping the instrumentals for hit records he had produced for the likes of Jay-Z, Fabulous and Nate Dogg. He left the sound system “Dripping Like Water” as Battlecat hit the stage next, accompanied by DJ Quik himself.
Battlecat knew exactly what to do, and turned the volume up as he threw on the instrumental for Kurupt’s smash, “We Can Freak It.” He followed that up with several other joints, including the DPG single, “Cali Iz Active”. And that ain’t nothing but the truth in a room full of cats earning their stripes, eagerly awaiting for DJ Quik to bless them with the classics which made him famous.
And as the man of honor took to the mic, he dropped a simple little beat box that would even make Rahzel pause for a second and say damn… Quik did that? Yeah… then Battlecat blew out some weed smoke on to the turntables and baptized them with some of Cali’s finest as Quik started playing never heard before brand new shit, including a Marvin Gaye sampled track that was produced for Stalley of Maybach Music Group.
If you wanna make music that the world can party to, Quik says you gotta get some Yamaha book shelf speakers. He must have those in the lab back at the tilt, I should have asked him about that, but anyways… Quik kept dropping fire with production work that has spanned for generations in this hip hop culture, from 2nd II None back to Suga Free and then on to Dom Kennedy, Quik has put in a lot of work cold crafting his funk. And while I’m sure the *N’Sync karaoke was cracking in the other room at the bar in Busby’s, Quik chauffeured the crowd through his catalogue of classics like “Addictive” with Truth Hurts and Rakim, and then proceeded to get his champagne campaign on to the likes of his Tony Toni Tone collaboration, “Let’s Get Down.”
Really tho… that’s just another day in the life for a player named Quik. And after he closed the evening out with hits like “Tonight” and “Can You Work With That?”, I gotta chance to chop it up with him and ask a couple poignant questions…
ISM: I’m here with Quik real quick, i just wanna know…
DJ Quik: One question
ISM: How did you get so quick?
DJ Quik: Man… quick like what? Quick like in fast, or quick like in you whip somebody’s ass?
ISM: Quick like you whip the ass.
DJ Quik: Look man… you know what made me quick, is because I get hungry quick. I’m hungry man, I’m always hungry.
ISM: That leads to my 2nd question… how do you stay hungry?
DJ Quik: How do you stay hungry? You don’t eat, man. C’mon now, what are these questions man? Now what’s your third question?
ISM: Last question is… what was the hardest sample you had to clear?
DJ Quik: The hardest sample I had to clear… it’s still not even cleared. Ay yo.. I got sued for it.
ISM: I believe you.
DJ Quik: It’s still not cleared. It was by Bridgeport. Bridgeport Music. They put my balls in a sling, they bust my balls! What’s your next question? I like that one…
ISM: That was it. I only wanted 3.
DJ Quik: That’s the only questions you have? C’mon man, you got the zig zag beard, you better give me 2 more questions.
ISM: 2 more questions? That’s it… I gotta think.
DJ Quik: Ask me what it was like to hang out with Janet Jackson.
ISM: ‘Ey Quik… what was it like to hang out with Janet Jackson?
DJ Quik: I don’t remember because she bought so much expensive champagne… it was all a blur.
ISM: You ain’t buying no champagne… what kinda 40 ounce were you drinking back in the day?
DJ Quik: I was drinking Olde English 800, man, that’s my brand! Take it in a bottle, 40, quart or a can, Eazy E is in the set and that’s a… you remember that shit?
ISM: I do remember, and I was young… like 1st grade.
DJ Quik: I don’t drink brass monkey, like to be funky, nickname Eazy E yo, 8-ball junkie.
—
We dapped it up over an RIP for the fallen soldier and then I kept it pushing. Quik had pictures to pose for and moves to make, you know what I’m saying tho? Next time I’ll ask him who braids his hair and what would he have done if he and his mama had come home a little earlier and walked in on that crackhead stealing his drum machines back in the day. For real tho, you can’t stop someone who is true to the game, and Quik has paid enough dues to last a lifetime.
It was a beautiful night, all the up and coming producers in the city got to show one of LA’s finest just how much he’s influenced the culture. And then he gotta celebrate with the people, who rejoiced while he bumped everything that he had worked so hard to create. Mad respect to the OG. So next time you get a chance, throw in your copy of Quik Is the Name, Rhythm-al-ism, or even The Book of David, whatever your favorite DJ Quik album is, and then kick back and appreciate just how much he’s helped to make Californication is what it is today.
– you know ya man’s Drop Jewelz.
All photos by Cali Grindz
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