Fanmade Tribute with Some Raw Footage
Quik - Get Down Tastemaker TV LIVE!!!
Quik feat. Suga Free 92.3 Drop for Darrly Cortez!
Quik Suga Free What They Do 92.3 The Beat Drop
Radio Station Behind Scenes
Blueline Behind Scenes
VIP at Quik Concert Live
Quik We Still Party Live Hollywood
Quik Talking About Obama
Dienstag, 30. März 2010
Sonntag, 28. März 2010
Samstag, 27. März 2010
Freitag, 26. März 2010
Donnerstag, 25. März 2010
Mittwoch, 24. März 2010
Blood Walking
Quik Talking About Blood Walking on Visualism DVD :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFA7jJS4MME&feature=fvw
BlaQKout Interview 2009
Soundhustle Interview 2009 By K. Jakab
When I found out whom I would be interviewing, I almost said "No." The resumes of the two artists runs miles long, including collaborations with 2Pac, Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, etc. etc., not to mention countless shout outs in a number of rap tunes.
So, I called the west coast, overly enthused in speaking with DJ Quik and Kurupt (Young Gotti) about their new album together, The Blaqkout. The following 23-minutes proved to be the most thrilling of 2009 thus far.
Their manager, Richie answered and immediately held the receiver up to a speaker, where Quik was playing for Richie and Kurupt the original sample for "Addictive" by Truth Hurts and Rakim.
I cut a rug or two in my day to this song, up in the clubs, winding and grinding with my girls. This was an exceptional two minutes spent listening to “Thoda Resham Lagta Hai (It Looks Silky)” by Lata Mangeshkar, a.k.a. the O.G. of "Addictive."
This was just the beginning of an in-depth interview about the new album, The Blaqkout, their thoughts on the current state of hip hop, and how they intend to move the game forward.
DJ QUIK: Kinga?
Richie: Kinga, from soundhustle.com.
Quik: Sound hustle, Soudhustle.com! Sounds like the company I work for.
SH: Ya, I’m here! Is this Quik?
Quik: Ya, this is Quik right here and Kurupt is just coming into the room.
SH: Hey, whaddup, thanks for talking to me. I just got a nice behind-the-scenes of “Addictive”.
Quik: Yeah.
SH: Where did you ever find that song?
Quik: Ya, uh, I was watching a Bollywood channel on Warner, uh, Warner TV, and they let us kind of demo this channel. And I was recording — no, I was brushing my teeth! — one night, and I had it on this channel and I didn’t know what they were saying, and I went to brush my teeth, and I came back into the room because I couldn’t stop moving! There was something in there that had me and I didn’t understand it. I felt it before I heard it. And I just pushed record on my VCR like, “I gotta record this” and I watched it all the way through, and this lady was doing an Indian dance and everything and it was totally dope, and I played it back and I snapped the tape outta the vcr, took it to the studio, dumped it there, bumped the audio onto a mini-disc, put it my mini-disc recorder, sampled it to an MPC 3000, blew the bass around it, and gave the master tapes to Truth Hurts, who took it to Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre said come to the studio. I went to the studio, Dr. Dre was like, “Here’s a budget, go do what you do.” He opened up [the studio] for me, we went there we re-recorded it there, put it to analog tape, sent Dr. Dre the tape, and then he invited us to the studio about two weeks later and said, “Listen to this.” And by that time, the lyrics were done, the vocals were done, and I was… I was over the moon.
SH: You guys were also just listening to the sample, [from the new album, The BLAQKOUT] from Hey Playa Moroccan Blues?
Quik: Yes. I got that sample is from Andrew Zimmern, and his Moroccan episode of “Bizarre Foods.” I’m a fan of that show because the balls that this man must have to put some of those things in his mouth are uncanny to me. So, I’m watching it and I heard that little sound bit and I rewound it and was like “Oh my god, here we go again. Here’s another dance record!” You know, that I think will make sense. So I took it to the studio, sampled it from my DVD to my MPC, put a beat up underneath it, but this time I took a extra care and caution in getting the sample cleared. It took a long time but we got it cleared.
SH: I read that a lot of samples are taking a while to get cleared.
Quik: Ya! About three months, sometimes! And it never used to be like that!
SH: What do you think has changed?
Quik: I don’t know what’s going on but I know it’s worth the wait. Like me and Kurupt’s album would’ve came out in like February, March. It was actually gonna come out in January but we couldn’t clear “Anniversary” by Tony Toni Tone and the “Moroccan Blues.” But we kept workin’ at it until finally they said “Yes,” and we reached an agreement and the record gets to come out.
SH: You guys had the album done last summer, right?
Quik: Yeah, we started it last June and technically it was done by October. We just knocked it out and we were like, “Let’s hurry up and put out it out, and do another one.” Like, if that’s the case, if we can do this, we can turn this into a dope business. Like, we could turn out hip hop records even faster, or rap records, or whatever you want to call it. It just took a long time for the business to get the samples cleared and for everyone to be on the same page and see our vision. Now, we got the distributor behind us. This record’s coming out on my label, Mad Science, on Kurupt’s label, Pentagon, distributed by Fontana/Universal, so now we got the whole machine behind us. Now they see our vision. They see that we are ready to go out and work this eclectic record that we did — because our album is eclectic. It’s a little avant garde, a little newish. You know, we’re not doing gangster rap, we’re doing rap for all genres.
SH: Rap certainly has evolved over the years.
Quik: It has.
SH: How do you feel about that state of rap today? Are you working with it or are you working against it?
Quik: Some of them I just don’t let them in, so if that means I’m working against them, so be it. But some records I can’t let in because we spent a lot of money and time honing and crafting our skills to just let people come in and dumb down music so much. It’s like, what are we supposed to do with all those musical chops we learned and all the crazy records we had to study like Chopin and Tchaikovsky. What do we do with that if everything is just down to a synthesizer and a drum beat and a simple hook? We thought we were supposed to keep going with creativity. Like Dr. Dre always strived to get better and his sound just snowballed into something that’s unreachable. So I’m almost offended that people wanna do the ABCDEFG records again. I didn’t think it was supposed to start over and go to teeny-bopper music that fast. But if that’s what it is, so be it. I ain’t knockin’ nobody’s hustle. I hope they can make all the money in ringtones that they can sell. Because I think that real music lasts forever and I wanna continue to do real music before I sell out and do teeny-bopper music.
SH: Well, I hope you do. So, I read that the album is scheduled to come on April 28th. Then I read that it was coming out in June.
Quik: Well, it was slated for April 28th but then again we had the sample clearance issue and it took a tailspin again. So, the next available date for it to come out this year was June 9th. It’s politics now. It’s not easy to put out a record like it used to be. It takes a lot of people and a lot of time.
SH: So the new album, Blaqkout. I gotta ask about the spelling: Blaqkout. Tell me about the spelling.
Quik: Does it seem like a play on letters? Like an anagram, or, like, goofy?
SH: I think I know why there’s a Q, but I want you to tell me.
Kurupt: Well, you know, it’s Quik and Kurupt. We threw that in there… Blaqkout. B-L-A- Q for Quik, K for Kurupt, and “OUT” — just our own little fun thing there. Everything about this album, we’re having a lot of fun with this particular project.
Quik: We’re not doing it for money; we’re not trying to put a record out before we get cold. As far as I’m concerned, hip hop left us a long time ago. We got off the bus and we weren’t scared to be nomadic for a minute. So we’re like musical nomads with this record and we let the bus leave because nine times outta ten, a new sports car gonna come along and as long as she’s got survival insurance driving that Ferrari, we’re gonna get in the car with that bitch, to paraphrase that commercial. The next bus is gonna come along, but we want to be able to have our own bus and not exclude our fans, and we’re not afraid to get new fans. It’s an eclectic record.
SH: What else can we look forward to on the record?
Quik: You can expect avant garde. “Fuck Ya’ll” is just a throwback, vintage gangster rap hip hop record. It’s not cutting edge, it’s not totally over the top; it’s kind of accessible for people who know us. It’s not really directed toward nobody. My part is personal, but I got my brothers in there and they deserve to hear me say “fuck ya’ll” and hopefully they use that to get back in the game and use that as leverage. It’s tough love. But “Moroccan Blues” is more outside of the box for us. It’s more of a business move too. We can actually get Andrew Zimmern in the video and collaborate with the Travel Channel and get different viewers. And the rest of the record is eclectic in the sense that we have more native records, like “Whatcha Wan Do” is a native record. We got this song called “Do You Know” where we sampled Rafael Saadiq’s “Anniversary” and just put an 808 beat up under it. Nothing too outside of the norm, but just good for the record. We got this song called “The Appeal” that is really insightful, sort of like a record that you are just drawn to, with like “Jaws” music. And Kurupt has this song called “9 Times Outta 10” that is just innovative, like the drum pattern has never been done before in hip hop. And I’ve heard every drum pattern that has ever been done and still came up with a new one, so I’m glad that I’m still sharp as far as finding my own niche.
I got a record called “Jupiter’s Critic in the Mind of Mars,” where it’s totally electronica and techno that’s comedy. Like, I’m not urging everybody to drink Patrone and dance, I’m just clowning about the state of hip hop today, but really light-hearted. I got no axe to grind for no hip hop artists, you know? We’re just having fun together. We’re doing music for us.
Kurupt: Yeah.
SH: It seems really fun. I played “Moroccan Blues” a million times in the last 24 hours and everyone who heard it was like, “This is DOPE.”
Quik: Thank you.
SH: You mentioned before, it seems that not enough artists are producing albums for the fun of it, rather than for the monetary gain. Would you agree with that? That artists are making more commercial stuff that is sellable and will appeal to a small demographic. I feel as though you guys are pushing the boundaries with this album.
Quik: Ya, I totally agree with you. There are records that I’ve bought that I don’t know why I bought them. Do I want to hear someone bragging about their money to me all day now, if I’m a hip hop fan? Unless I want to bite their style, it sounds like decadence to me — like rubbing my face in their bling-bling. Like, is this what it is? I got successful from telling stories, and finding music to fit these stories that didn’t bore you, like, hood stories. Now you’ve got people rapping about being executives. If you’re gonna rap about being executives, it’s cool, but what happened to when the exec’s were never a part of the music? Like the executives were the business and the ARTIST was the music! Like Run-DMC, they didn’t rap about ballin’ out and running the record company, they were doing music they loved. They got coerced to do records like “Walk this way” [with Aerosmith] by the powers that be. Like, we don’t make music from the heart no more. But some people actually make music just to live out their fantasies. I’m glad that played out. I’m happy that you couldn’t rap about bling-bling when you were broke. You eventually rapped yourself into a career. [It would have been like] raping the game. Like stealing. We can rap about having fun again. We went light-hearted on the lyrics. But we’re not stressin’ about the state of hip hop on this record. We back to music.
SH: Why did you and Kurupt choose to work together? Why just you two?
Kurupt: We were working on “Ego Trippin’” at the time, with Snoop, and we were all trying to get Quik back in the game. So many people were waiting for him.
Quik: [background] I had retired!
Kurupt: Then Quik came to me with a great idea and was like, “we could do a project together.” A solo album.
Quik: Kurupt was working on three things – now, this is multi-tasking – Kurupt was on tour with Snoop, working on his album “Street Lights,” AND working on Blaqkout with me and knocked out Blaqkout in just a few months! This is retarded!
Kurupt: We finished the album in record time. I was like “Just tell me where and when to be.” And whenever I wasn’t on tour, he told me when he’d be in the studio. He got the beat, I come in, lay it on, the next time I hear the record it’s whole different thing, and that’s the good thing about working with Quik is he puts his heart into it. You lay your part and you get done and in a couple days or a week you hear a whole different record. A classic record with your lyrics involved. Quik’s just a good product manager in putting these things together. That’s how fast it was. We kept it so professional; we took extra time for the samples. And that’s how we came up with the project and finished it in record time.
SH: I really like the love you obviously have for Quik.
Kurupt: Well, you know. I grew up to Quik’s music as well, so this is very important to me because working with Quik is a privilege and you gotta take it as so. Anything with Quik enhances my game as well, helps me to be better in this music industry and in this game, as well. I learned a lot from an executive standpoint as well – how he got his albums done, how he’s working it – and he brought people who was gonna be working on my albums as well to the table, so we got more than just music together. And that’s part of our magic, is our respect for each other and our respect for the game that we are both involved in, and each of our attributes.
SH: Quik said in an interview that you, Kurupt, have grown as an artist. Would you agree with that?
Kurupt: Well, I’ve been in the game since ’92 and I’ve made a lot of mistakes that were well-deserved because it taught me to be the person I am today. I’ve learned a lot, a great deal in this business, and I never stop learning. Like I said, Quik taught me so much and I’m still learning as I go.
K: Well, I gotta tell you that your flow is bananas so far on the tracks I’ve heard and I can’t wait for this album to finally drop. Is there anything else you want to say about BLAQKOUT?
Kurupt: Get ready for a real treat. This isn’t your average record and hopefully fans will enjoy it and it will gain some new fans. Everybody just have a ball with it. We worked really hard on it. It took a lot of concentration dedication and we made this for our enjoyment and to step away from the clichés in the regular records you be hearing –
Quik: It’s hard to do!
Kurupt: — and to step outta the box, which is difficult because once you have a fan base it’s hard to step out of it. Some people will enjoy some records and some might not enjoy some records but hopefully they’ll enjoy the whole project as we did.
SH: They will. And I can’t wait to enjoy the rest of the album. Thank you guys so much.
Quik: Thanks, Kinga.
SH: Thank you guys so much. Good luck.
Quik: Thank you. Enjoy.
Darkside
Darkside - Phunk Planet / Heat Misers / Nothin to Loose (1999/2000)
Produced by Quik, G-One, Walter Dawson
Features AMG, Suga Free, Playa Hamm, Ra Capone, Rob Fonksta Bacon
Tobias, Mr.Tic, Lucky, Raphael Saadiq, Waynee Wayne, Miss Mocha, DOA Allen...
TRACKLIST:
Mr Tic's Intro Produced By Quik
Heat Miser
Another Sumer Day
National D-Day
Phunk Planet
Mr Tic's Groove Produced By Quik
Interluder: Good Business
Run
Real Playas
Nothin' To Lose
Ride 2 This
Come With Me
Pin & Pad
Baby Talk
Mr Tic's Outro
Produced by Quik, G-One, Walter Dawson
Features AMG, Suga Free, Playa Hamm, Ra Capone, Rob Fonksta Bacon
Tobias, Mr.Tic, Lucky, Raphael Saadiq, Waynee Wayne, Miss Mocha, DOA Allen...
TRACKLIST:
Mr Tic's Intro Produced By Quik
Heat Miser
Another Sumer Day
National D-Day
Phunk Planet
Mr Tic's Groove Produced By Quik
Interluder: Good Business
Run
Real Playas
Nothin' To Lose
Ride 2 This
Come With Me
Pin & Pad
Baby Talk
Mr Tic's Outro
Maybe Unknown Quik Stuff
Michael Patches Stewart - Blow (2005)
Tracie Spencer - The Rain (1998)
Down in the Delta OST / Quik & G-One
Christopher Williams - Dance Feat. Quik & Hi-C
Top Dogg - Cindafella / We dont Love em
Hot Karl - Sumpn Change Feat. Will i Am (2005)
Watch here :
http://cnettv.cnet.com/hot-karl-sumpn-changed/9742-1_53-5342.html
Coming More Stay Tuned..
Tracie Spencer - The Rain (1998)
Down in the Delta OST / Quik & G-One
Christopher Williams - Dance Feat. Quik & Hi-C
Top Dogg - Cindafella / We dont Love em
Hot Karl - Sumpn Change Feat. Will i Am (2005)
Watch here :
http://cnettv.cnet.com/hot-karl-sumpn-changed/9742-1_53-5342.html
Coming More Stay Tuned..
Dienstag, 23. März 2010
Quik Interview 50mm L.A
DJ Quik Interview Wednesday Dec 1 2004
I scooped up Gabe the Saint to go meet with DJ Quik on a winter Wednesday in Hollywood... When I heard the meeting place was across from Crazy Girls... dreamy visions entered my brain - kush blunts, dumpin champagne, the entourage of hot biatches at DJ QUIK's beck and call - crawling at his feet... What I found was a little unexpected but dope to witness... He was hard at work mixing and engineering his latest album. A lot of people don't realize that when it comes to studio work, DJ Quik does EVERYTHING. Watching him slide faders and hit keys in the room you get the sense that the man could jump into the cockpit of a 747 and roll out...
Unit: How are you?
DJ Quik: Pretty good actually
Unit: Just heard a little bit of what you got going on downstairs...
DJ Quik: Yeah, that was a track I did with Wycleff in NY
Unit: Tell me about your new album, I heard you've got Nate Dogg on there and some heads from the south.
DJ Quik: Yeah Chingy's on there, Cleff... I went to NY and cut most of it just to kinda get a different feel, different... whatever it's called. [chuckles] You know, just different elements. I wanted another inspiration and NY is definitely inspiring. I set out to do something different than I've ever done, you know, listening to everybody else's stuff trying to stay current and at the same time take the extra steps to be a little bit ahead. Specially with technology in sound just using a lot of tubes to warm things up. Using a lot of different collaborations with people that I would have never worked with in the past, or didn't have the opportunity to work with. It's more fun club music but at the same time, getting some shit off my chest without dissin too many people or what not.
Unit: Take me through the process of writing a song...
DJ Quik: It depends on how I feel that day or what kind of song we're planning on writing, like it's funny... negative things that have happened to me always inspired my best songs. Not that I look for negative... but when bad things happen to me, the best songs come out of me.
Unit: What would you say are the most useful, pieces of equipment that you rely on, that you always come back to?
DJ Quik: MPC3000, VP9000 Variphrase Processing Sampler, Pro Tools obviously, Studio Electronics ATC X & ATC 1 and my turn tables for mixing.
Unit: I'm guessing when you first started making beats, there probably weren't computer programs like Pro Tools... how do you feel programs and technology like that have affected your music, do you think it's been positive?
DJ Quik: Pro Tools made it a lot easier to edit and be creative, I mean it's a creative tool and at the same time it increased the sound quality, improved it, so I get some real warm sounds out of Pro Tools which is kind of an oxymoron, they weren't always warm but they're getting better with the sample quality these days.
I thank God I did a lot more listening and looking than talking. I took a lot more in than I put out, until it was time to start putting out. -DJ QUIK
Unit: What's it like to party these days with DJ Quik?
DJ Quik: You know it ain't safe to party no more, everybody's fuckin scared of sex and shit. Scared of STDs and or bitches talking about 'em... I don't know it's just not... the party scene ain't what it use to be, it's way different now.
Unit: Are you kind of over it?
DJ Quik: Yeah, actually, I am. I'm fucking way over it.
Unit: That's too bad. [frowns]
DJ Quik: I want to be a composer now. I still drink and party and kick it... It's just not as fun as it was when, you know, when you're young and you didn't have all the opportunity to do all the partying, when it was new to you. The novelty is wearing off a lil bit now, I party because I have to go and be sociable, have meetings and talk to people it's like it's a job now almost.
Unit: Have you settled down on a personal level? It seems like that's kind of the vibe you're kicking.
DJ Quik: Oh, I'm not settling down, I guess I'm just maturing a lil bit, it's like I've had a lot of fucking tragedy in my life and it sucks you know, reflecting and seeing my favorite people to party with... some of them are dead. So it's not as much fun now to party because the people that made the parties aren't here anymore. I'm a little more bored than settled.
Unit: Who were your favorite people to party with back in the day?
DJ Quik: My boy Darwik, Top Dog, Bundy, Gerard, Wayde, Martin, you know... even Masburg.
Unit: I want to talk about the era that you came up in. You came up in an era when the West Coast sound basically revolutionized Hip Hop. What is it about songs like "Tonight" that capture the strength of the Compton/Long Beach sound and made it so tight?
DJ Quik: Probably because the idea back then was such that, the West Coast was prominent, it was the sound, it was the trend, we just tried to capture what was going on right around us immediately because it was pretty much the only thing going. Now there's so many different styles...things have changed a whole lot. People don't even talk the same as they use to back then, I mean, what was hot and new and innovative back then, now it's kind of trite, it's crazy.
Unit: What do you think propelled you to this point in your life, you're basically one of the icons of West Coast Hip Hop. What propelled you to this spot where you're at right now?
DJ Quik: Wow. I don't know... I thank God I did a lot more listening and looking than talking. I took a lot more in than I put out, until it was time to start putting out. I think it's because I processed well like a good computer. I just tried to give it back like I got it you know, without alienating people. I still let people into my world. I just try to be a spokesman for people like me you know what I'm saying? So when it comes to being personal with the music I just try to do shit that I like and i know that other people will like. If it don't turn me on, I'm sure it ain't gonna turn anybody else on, I just try to stay current.
Unit: Name some current favorites... Who do you consider to be the dopest MC's out right now...
DJ Quik: Well that's easy,
Unit: Besides yourself of course...
DJ Quik: Hey man, thank you dog. Emus... Emus is super great, he's an enigma... he's real special, Jay Z... super quick thinker. Obviously M and Jay and actually there's others too... I like Trick Daddy for some strange reason. I like TI. I'm digging the South shit right now. Not just because it's in, but because they really have something to say, that shit's hot.
Unit: What's the best place in LA to shop for gear?
DJ Quik: Music gear?
Unit: Clothing, music gear, whatever.
DJ Quik: Clothes, actually I got a stylist and she does all my shopping for me so, I don't get out too much anymore [laughter]. But you know If I did, I would go do a little clothes shopping at the mall... walk through Topanga Plaza or what not. And for gear, Guitar Center and Good Guys got the hot shit too, on a consumer level.
The best parties I ever had were in a house as opposed to the club. It's just so intimate so personal... You can sneak away and fuck a girl in the bathroom real quick and just like that come out with your dick wet, wash up and go finish partying. -DJ QUIK
Unit: What advice do you have to give to someone who's trying to get into Hip Hop these days?
DJ Quik: These days? It's crowded as it is? Understand how complex the game is, how much it's changed. The negatives and the positives are even now. Even though there's a lot of competition, the play field is even. So, as long as you're different and innovative you can find a niche and when you find your niche run with it because it's fleeting.
Unit: Where does the name DJ DJ Quik come from?
DJ Quik: Back in the day everybody in the DJ scene used names to describe their speed so there wasn't any DJ Quiks out. I just wanted to be something that epitomized what I did when It came to cueing up records and just engage in the audience. I got a lot of my experience from DJ-ing house parties. The best parties I ever had were in a house as opposed to the club. It's just so intimate so personal... You can sneak away and fuck a girl in the bathroom real quick and just like that come out with your dick wet, wash up and go finish partying.
Unit: [laughter]
DJ Quik: I didn't mean to seem so drab, I'm just in strain mode I'm down there composing right now.
Unit: Yeah, you were focused.
DJ Quik: Oh, it's done now.
Unit: What were you doing with the tissues on the keyboard? What was that all about?
DJ Quik: Ah man, I broke my keyboard... I got a Kurzweil, I dropped it... Actually I didn't drop it I got mad and flung that fucker across the room one time. Sometimes when creativity don't come you can't force it, but it's frustrating I just had one of my temper tantrums and threw that bitch.
Unit: Sometimes it might make it sound better, or?
DJ Quik: You never know, I mean it sill works so kudos to Kurzweil for making good shit!
We thanked DJ DJ Quik for his time and we headed down to the mixing room to take some photos... He paused for a moment to pull out the cover of Eminem's latest CD package (which depicts Eminem committing a mass murder at an Opera hall.) We all ageed the artwork was dope as fuck...
DJ Quik: You know that only E could come out with some shit like this. Black rappers couldn't get away with this shit...
Quiks Groove
Quik’s Muse explored the entire Spectrum of ’70s Black music: Latin-flavored Fusion, greasy Memphis Funk, Blaxpliotation Soundtracks, sweet Philly Soul, and dusty Reggae and Dub, to name but a few. To further Showcase his Composition and arranging Skills, each of Quik’s Albums has featured an instrumental titled “Quik’s Groove” (or some Variation), a Tradition which has become a Trademark of Sorts for the Producer. It just wouldn’t be a Quik album without a “Quik’s Groove” nestled in the Track Sequence somewhere.
“Quik’s Groove” – DJ Quik 1:48 (Quik Is the Name)
To date, none of Quik’s Albums have sold as well as his Platinum Debut Quik Is the Name (1991), and listening back now, it’s hard to believe that such a solid, well-rounded Release could come from a skinny 20-year-old with a Jheri curl :) The first installment in the “Quik’s Groove” Series appears in the middle of the Record’s second Side, yet by then the Song has already been heard, as it’s questionably used as the backing track to “Dedication,” which concludes Side A. Regardless, it’s a nice little Slice of Quiet Storm Funk, a Basic Two-Chord Pattern with Two Separate Guitar Sections (provided by Stan Jones) providing Variation. Its brevity is perhaps its greatest Virtue; just as the track begins to feel Repetitious, it succinctly wraps itself up. The Back of the Liner Insert shows a Photo of Quik (along with members of his 304 Posse) cruising down Crenshaw at Sunset, Drop-Top Style, which perfectly matches the Vibe of this Instrumental.
“Quik’z Groove II (For U 2 Rip 2)” – DJ Quik 2:33 (Way 2 Fonky)
For Way 2 Fonky (1992), Quik simply built on the same formula that made his debut such a success, yet the most significant sonic difference here was the use of live instrumentation, which would subsequently become the backbone of his production style for the remainder of the decade. The title of “Quik’z Groove II” contains the parenthetical “For U 2 Rip 2,” but the mood is more late-afternoon chillout with the homies than midnight love with the girl. The track opens with a sample of an ascending flute line (appropriated from the intro to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Africano”), which then becomes the basis for a swirling, fantasy-like groove layered with finger-picked guitar, warm string pads, and a thumping drum pattern. Part of the track’s success can be attributed to Rob Bacon, who not only provides guitar work, but thumbs out a tasteful and snaky bassline as well. Absolutely lovely and undoubtedly a highlight of the record.
“Quik’s Groove III” – DJ Quik 2:37 (Safe & Sound)
While Safe & Sound (1995) is the Quik album with the heaviest dose of P-Funk, the “Quik’s Groove” here is anything but. Buried into a collection of rugged gangsta posturing, explicit dirty talkin’, city repping, and numerous MC Eiht disses is this gorgeous instrumental that wouldn’t sound out of place on a contemporary jazz fusion release. Here Quik takes full advantage of the live band, with drummer George Archie establishing a nimble 4/4 pattern for Rob Bacon’s guitar and the icy flute of Charles Greene. Again, Bacon overdubs his bassline, which brilliantly incorporates the root notes in addition to the bell-like natural harmonics of the instrument, adding to the shimmering, crystalline nature of the track.
“EL’s Interlude” – DJ Quik feat. EL DeBarge 4:05 (Rhythm-al-ism)
“What, no more ‘Quik’s Groove’?” Officially, there was never a fourth installment in the series, but the general consensus among Quik devotees is that “EL’s Interlude” serves as the unofficial “Quik’s Groove IV.” Over a flaccid, plodding groove, El DeBarge does his best Marvin Gaye impersonation to his own detriment and everyone else’s embarrassment.
“Quik’s Groove V” – DJ Quik 4:59 (Balance & Options)
The return of “Quik’s Groove” appeared on the underrated Balance & Options (2000) two years later, and stands in contrast to the new direction of futuristic funk that Quik had moved into. Perhaps the most subtle and understated of the group, “Quik’s Groove V” mostly suffers from being unmemorable, not to mention incredibly repetitious at a near-agonizing five minutes in length. Here Quik sets up a basic bass-and-drum groove for pianist Warren Campbell, Jr. to solo over, but with next to no variation at all, it becomes almost maddening when one begins to focus on the insistent guitar in the right channel.
“Quik’s Groove 6” – DJ Quik 4:12 (Under tha Influence)
Compared to the two that proceed it, “Quik’s Groove 6″ is actually quite refreshing. Appearing in the middle of the record, Quik does little here but set up a chunky, mid-tempo drum track for an uncredited (?) sax player to blow over while guitarist Dave Foreman injects snappy little licks into the groove. Admittedly, there isn’t much to it, but there’s an infectious simplicity to the track that prevents it from getting stale, as well as a loose, improvisatory quality that the other “Quik’s Groove”s lack. It’s interesting to compare this to, say, “Quik’z Groove II” ten years earlier and view the producer’s transition from mellow sentimentality to a more direct, no-frills funkiness.
“Quikstrumental (Quik’s Groove 7)” – DJ Quik 3:11 (Trauma, Mad Science)
Quik’s most recent release, Trauma (2005), was little more than an album of guest appearances that happened to have his name on it, which was even the case for “Quik’s Groove 7.” An instrumental this is not, with a chorus by Jodeci and a few party-rhyme verses by Quik – so why bother calling it “Quik’s Groove”? Well, to be fair, the music is actually quite good, which is why I’ve cheated somewhat and featured the instrumental of the track here instead of the vocal album version. Built on a rock-solid foundation of dry ’80s drums and hand claps, Quik peppers the track with guitar slides, a synth bass, and a bizarre chirping sound in the left channel that makes an appearance every now and then. It’s not really a “Quik’s Groove” in spirit but it’s still a trunk-rattling banger.
My Alltime Favourite Groove is "Quiks Groove V" Daaammmmnn....
Montag, 22. März 2010
Rob Fonksta Bacon
Rob "Fonksta" Bacon has been creating Funky Guitar and Bass magic with a multitude of Artists since the early 90's. His collaborations with legendary Artist/Producer D.J. Quik have gone down as Funk Classics in Hip-Hop Music History. Rob has since gone on to Record and/or perform with such eclectic Artists as Raphael Saadiq, Joi and Amp Fiddler among others. Rob's musical Roots go back to his Hometown of Detroit, where in his early teens he was immersed in the deep, rich Sounds of Motown, Funk and Classic Rock. Of his many musical influences, one Product of the Detroit Music Scene, Parliament/Funkadelic, struck a chord in Rob's soul. The Funkadelic vibe is evident in every sweaty, sticky, stanky note Rob plays. Inspired by the late, great Funkadelic Guitarist Eddie Hazel's classic "Maggot Brain", Rob has recorded this Seven Minute Freak-a-Delic Guitar Opus, entitled "Let It Go" (Mental Enema). "Let It Go" is simply Rob Bacon playing his guts out, crying through his Fingers in a burst of pure Emotion. The things Rob Bacon's eyes witnessed and his ears heard growing up in inner city Detroit...these are the Sights and Sounds that inspired the instrumental...One memorable career highlight for Rob was touring with George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic in 2005 as opening Act with the Original Line Up of Children Of Production, an All-Star Unit that featured Joi, Raphael Saadiq, Amp Fiddler, Keisha Jackson, Preston Crump, Cat Daddy & Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction. Rob also Co-Wrote & Co-Produced with Joi on the Songs "Dance With Yesterday" and "Gravity", featured on the Singer's most current release, "Tennesse Slim Is The Bomb". Rob was also featured on many Quik Songs and gave them a special Touch of P-Funk...
Smokee & Davizz asking Rob..
As we all know you worked a lot with DJ Quik, how did you meet?
Rob Bacon: Yeah, back in 1990-91, I was introduced to Quik thru my friends and music producers Courtney Branch and Tracy Kendrick, of Total Trak Productions. I had been doing some session work with some of their other projects, and they had just discovered Quik, who at the time was making a name for himself as a D.J. releasing a string of underground mixtapes. I came down to do a session for him, and he wanted me to replay a bass line over a sample or something. Well, we ended up creating something completely different, which ended up being "8 Ball", and it was based on elements of "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock.
That was the very first thing we ever did together, and after that we were in the studio together nearly every day for almost three years! I understood where Quik was coming from musically, because we had both grown up listening to a lot of the same music. I was able to help him keep the live element in his tracks, but still keep a Hip Hop edge. Quik is a very gifted, brilliant artist and he always knew how to get the best of what I brought to the table musically.
In February '06 we have seen you making a fantastic guitar solo at Quik's House of Blues show with a live band, what can you tell us about that experience?
Rob Bacon: Thank you!! That was really a lot of fun. It was not really planned or rehearsed much, because we were all just hanging out, supporting Quik at his first real concert with a full live band. He asked me if I wanted to do something, so we decided on that tune because it had a nice Funkadelic vibe in the guitar solo. That is the same solo I played on "Medley for a V (Reprise)", the last track on "Rhythmalizm". People in the crowd were really excited because most of them had only read my name on the album credits, so it was the first time they saw me!! Fonky!!
Beyond you and Quik, the third element of the magic trio is G-One. When did you meet each other? Any news about him?
Rob Bacon: G-One and I met even before I met or worked with Quik. He was actually an excellent drummer, and we had played together with several artists. I introduced him to Quik when we needed a drummer to do the "Arsenio Hall Show", when we performed "Just Lyke Compton" with a live band. Around 1994, when I went to New York for a while, Quik and G-One began producing some things together. G-One is working on several projects at the moment. He is also a very talented brother, and a good friend.
I would like to talk about "Quik's Groove III", produced by you three guys. That track is bigger than Hip Hop to me, how was the recording process?
Rob Bacon: Thanks. "Quik's Groove III" was actually composed from a little piece of an instrumental track I had written before, called "Goodnite, Jazsmin", which was kind of like a Jaco Pastorious "Portrait" type of vibe.
Quik heard me playing it on bass, and fell in love with it, so he asked if he could have it for the next Quik's Groove, and I said yes, so we had G-One play live drums, I did the bass and guitars, my friend Chaz Green played the flute solo, and Quik did his usual magic to make it all work together. You are right, that track could be on a smooth Jazz record!!
Another one produced by you it's Suga Free's "If U Stay Ready". Classic track, the guitar melody is simply amazing, especially the outro. Can you tell us how that song was born?
Rob Bacon: Thanks! The story of "If U Stay Ready" is funny! Quik had just bought a house about an hour away from where I lived in L.A. I had just got back in town, and G-One and I went and spend the weekend at Quik's, to help him write/produce some things for Suga Free's record.
Suga Free was a real trip, man! A true pimp to the bone, and a lyrical genius!! That cat had so much energy.. it was crazy! Anyway, about the second day I woke up with an idea in the very early hours of the morning.. it was the main guitar riff for the song. I got a basic drum track going on the MPC 60, and started laying down the guitar parts. Playa Hamm (of Penthouse Playas) was also there for the weekend, and he woke up about 7 or 8 in the AM, and I remember him writing his verse while he was ironing a shirt! He told me right then: "Man, that's the single". I think the noise woke up Quik, and I can remember him running down the stairs, yelling: "That's IT!! what's that, man? keep playing that!!". He then went over to the MPC, and re-programmed the drums, adding a sick breakbeat
loop underneath..(I think something by Brass Construction). I played the bass line and Roger Troutman-ish synth parts on a little cheap Yamaha synthesizer.
G-One and I came up with the idea for the hook: "If u stay rea-daaay.. u ain't got to get rea-daa-ay". That's actually me singing the chorus in the Curtis Mayfield like falsetto! I just intended that vocal to be a guide for the girl vocalist who was supposed to sing the hook, but we ended up mixing the track with my original vocal.
We also wrote and recorded "Dip Da", "No Suckaz Live Here" and "Tip Toe"(reprise.. guitar solo) up at the house. That was a very fonky weekend!
WAY 2 FONKY...
Rob "Fonksta" Bacon has been creating Funky Guitar and Bass magic with a multitude of Artists since the early 90's. His collaborations with legendary Artist/Producer D.J. Quik have gone down as Funk Classics in Hip-Hop Music History. Rob has since gone on to Record and/or perform with such eclectic Artists as Raphael Saadiq, Joi and Amp Fiddler among others. Rob's musical Roots go back to his Hometown of Detroit, where in his early teens he was immersed in the deep, rich Sounds of Motown, Funk and Classic Rock. Of his many musical influences, one Product of the Detroit Music Scene, Parliament/Funkadelic, struck a chord in Rob's soul. The Funkadelic vibe is evident in every sweaty, sticky, stanky note Rob plays. Inspired by the late, great Funkadelic Guitarist Eddie Hazel's classic "Maggot Brain", Rob has recorded this Seven Minute Freak-a-Delic Guitar Opus, entitled "Let It Go" (Mental Enema). "Let It Go" is simply Rob Bacon playing his guts out, crying through his Fingers in a burst of pure Emotion. The things Rob Bacon's eyes witnessed and his ears heard growing up in inner city Detroit...these are the Sights and Sounds that inspired the instrumental...One memorable career highlight for Rob was touring with George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic in 2005 as opening Act with the Original Line Up of Children Of Production, an All-Star Unit that featured Joi, Raphael Saadiq, Amp Fiddler, Keisha Jackson, Preston Crump, Cat Daddy & Stephen Perkins of Jane's Addiction. Rob also Co-Wrote & Co-Produced with Joi on the Songs "Dance With Yesterday" and "Gravity", featured on the Singer's most current release, "Tennesse Slim Is The Bomb". Rob was also featured on many Quik Songs and gave them a special Touch of P-Funk...
Smokee & Davizz asking Rob..
As we all know you worked a lot with DJ Quik, how did you meet?
Rob Bacon: Yeah, back in 1990-91, I was introduced to Quik thru my friends and music producers Courtney Branch and Tracy Kendrick, of Total Trak Productions. I had been doing some session work with some of their other projects, and they had just discovered Quik, who at the time was making a name for himself as a D.J. releasing a string of underground mixtapes. I came down to do a session for him, and he wanted me to replay a bass line over a sample or something. Well, we ended up creating something completely different, which ended up being "8 Ball", and it was based on elements of "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock.
That was the very first thing we ever did together, and after that we were in the studio together nearly every day for almost three years! I understood where Quik was coming from musically, because we had both grown up listening to a lot of the same music. I was able to help him keep the live element in his tracks, but still keep a Hip Hop edge. Quik is a very gifted, brilliant artist and he always knew how to get the best of what I brought to the table musically.
In February '06 we have seen you making a fantastic guitar solo at Quik's House of Blues show with a live band, what can you tell us about that experience?
Rob Bacon: Thank you!! That was really a lot of fun. It was not really planned or rehearsed much, because we were all just hanging out, supporting Quik at his first real concert with a full live band. He asked me if I wanted to do something, so we decided on that tune because it had a nice Funkadelic vibe in the guitar solo. That is the same solo I played on "Medley for a V (Reprise)", the last track on "Rhythmalizm". People in the crowd were really excited because most of them had only read my name on the album credits, so it was the first time they saw me!! Fonky!!
Beyond you and Quik, the third element of the magic trio is G-One. When did you meet each other? Any news about him?
Rob Bacon: G-One and I met even before I met or worked with Quik. He was actually an excellent drummer, and we had played together with several artists. I introduced him to Quik when we needed a drummer to do the "Arsenio Hall Show", when we performed "Just Lyke Compton" with a live band. Around 1994, when I went to New York for a while, Quik and G-One began producing some things together. G-One is working on several projects at the moment. He is also a very talented brother, and a good friend.
I would like to talk about "Quik's Groove III", produced by you three guys. That track is bigger than Hip Hop to me, how was the recording process?
Rob Bacon: Thanks. "Quik's Groove III" was actually composed from a little piece of an instrumental track I had written before, called "Goodnite, Jazsmin", which was kind of like a Jaco Pastorious "Portrait" type of vibe.
Quik heard me playing it on bass, and fell in love with it, so he asked if he could have it for the next Quik's Groove, and I said yes, so we had G-One play live drums, I did the bass and guitars, my friend Chaz Green played the flute solo, and Quik did his usual magic to make it all work together. You are right, that track could be on a smooth Jazz record!!
Another one produced by you it's Suga Free's "If U Stay Ready". Classic track, the guitar melody is simply amazing, especially the outro. Can you tell us how that song was born?
Rob Bacon: Thanks! The story of "If U Stay Ready" is funny! Quik had just bought a house about an hour away from where I lived in L.A. I had just got back in town, and G-One and I went and spend the weekend at Quik's, to help him write/produce some things for Suga Free's record.
Suga Free was a real trip, man! A true pimp to the bone, and a lyrical genius!! That cat had so much energy.. it was crazy! Anyway, about the second day I woke up with an idea in the very early hours of the morning.. it was the main guitar riff for the song. I got a basic drum track going on the MPC 60, and started laying down the guitar parts. Playa Hamm (of Penthouse Playas) was also there for the weekend, and he woke up about 7 or 8 in the AM, and I remember him writing his verse while he was ironing a shirt! He told me right then: "Man, that's the single". I think the noise woke up Quik, and I can remember him running down the stairs, yelling: "That's IT!! what's that, man? keep playing that!!". He then went over to the MPC, and re-programmed the drums, adding a sick breakbeat
loop underneath..(I think something by Brass Construction). I played the bass line and Roger Troutman-ish synth parts on a little cheap Yamaha synthesizer.
G-One and I came up with the idea for the hook: "If u stay rea-daaay.. u ain't got to get rea-daa-ay". That's actually me singing the chorus in the Curtis Mayfield like falsetto! I just intended that vocal to be a guide for the girl vocalist who was supposed to sing the hook, but we ended up mixing the track with my original vocal.
We also wrote and recorded "Dip Da", "No Suckaz Live Here" and "Tip Toe"(reprise.. guitar solo) up at the house. That was a very fonky weekend!
WAY 2 FONKY...
Sonntag, 21. März 2010
Compton Style
Watch Quik rush this Guy COMPTON style! Looks like they exchanged a few Words and whatever this Dude said, Quik took flight!
WorldStarHipHop reported that the guy Quik punched was Suga Free’s Hype Man.The Performance was a Quik and Suga Free Reunion.
Freitag, 19. März 2010
Donnerstag, 18. März 2010
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