Mittwoch, 28. April 2010
Dienstag, 27. April 2010
Montag, 26. April 2010
Donnerstag, 22. April 2010
STAN SHEPPARD
Dubcnn Article Nov 2008 by Nima Etminan
Dubcnn linked up with industry veteran Stan Sheppard, who most of you should recognize as DJ Quik's former manager with his Sheppard Lane label. However, there might be a lot you don't know about Stan Sheppard yet! He tells us about his 35 years in the music industry, starting off with the Jackson Family and Motown and later making the transition over to Rap Music, through DJ Battlecat and DJ Quik. He tells us about his time with Quik, what went wrong, and where he would have liked to take Quik's career if things had worked out.
Throughout the years, Stan Sheppard has collected over 10 Platinum and Gold plaques and is still hungry for more. He's formed a new label called Peaceful/ Tonestruck Ent and is currently working on two big projects: "Bangin': Pain, Pride & Destruction", which will raise funds for the Unity One foundation, and the "Dr. Martin Luther King Duets Album", for which he got the legendary Sly Stone to come out of retirement and record a new song with Snoop Dogg. Stan Sheppard is also putting out Battlecat's upcoming album, as well as 'Cat's artist Glocc Sinatra.
Dubcnn: We're right here with Stan Sheppard, a true veteran in the music industry. To start it off, give us a quick introduction of who you are and what you're about.
I'm origionally from the South Side of Chicago. My father, Bunky Sheppard, was a major figure with the first Black Music label in America, called Vee Jay Records. He helped launch the label and was in control of all radio promotion and marketing across the country. He eventually branched out on his own, and formed his own label, where he discovered and produced several hit records such as "The Duke Of Earl" by Gene Chandler, "Get On Up" by The Esquires, & "Raindrops" by Dee Clark.
He also launched the careers of The Chi-Lites, The Dells, Barry White, Carl Carlton, Leon Haywood, Stephanie Mills, The Commodores & The Love Unlimited Orchestra, just to name a few. I was lucky enough to be at his side when all this was taking place and he taught me how to get a hit record and what it would cost to do so. I took that information, soaked it up, and applied it to my own career.
I actually started out in the music industry as a performer. I was in a singing group back in Chicago, and was on several talent shows during this time period in my life. While doing these talent shows, I met a group of guys who were competing against my group and they won all the shows we were in. These guys turned out to be the world famous Jackson Family! When they got discovered and had a hit record, they moved out to Los Angeles and I followed right behind them. Jermaine, Jackie, Tito and I became inseperable from one another and eventually I moved in with them while their careers took off. We are all still very close and we eventually started working together many years later. I will explain more about that later in this interview.
My passion for music grew from year to year, and in 1985, I wrote and produced music on a new group out of Boston called By All Means. In 1986, I was blessed enough to land my first major label recording contract with Island Records for this group, and we went on to write and produce Island Records' first black music #1 record! We would go on to produce three gold records for the label and this obviously launched my career in a big way.
Shortly after that, I was contacted by Motown President, Jheryl Busby, and he offered me a beautiful deal at Motown where they would fund my company, make me a staff producer, and give me an A&R position as well. While at Motown, I went on to produce two Number One Singles on Gerald Alston called Slow Motion and Special on The Temptations. I also produced eight other top ten R&B singles during my time at Motown, and my two number one songs are contained on two "Motown Greatest Hits" packages.
In 1995, I was contacted by the Jackson Family and they asked me to leave Motown to join them in their family's new business venture called Jackson Communications. I was offered the Co-President position at the company working side by side with Jermaine Jackson. We would go on to produce two hit productions during my time there, which were the Jackson Family Honors television show and The Jackson Family Mini-Series. Both of these productions were on NBC Television.
Dubcnn: So how did you go from that to getting into the rap industry?
I transfered over to Rap Music in 1996 when I was introduced to DJ Battlecat and DJ Quik. I had always loved Rap Music and after I met Battlecat and Quik, from there my involvement grew into a total career change. I then branched out into working with a young group out of Watts called The Watts Carr who I tried to put out through Motown Records at the time, but their music was "too hard" for the label. From there, I went on to develop one of the guys from that group who was just in his teens, who recorded under the name Filthy Frank, and we landed a deal for him at a new company called Zoo Entertainment. Unfortunately, right when we were about to release the album, the company, which specialized in Rock music, decided that Filthy Frank's music and lyrics were "too radical for the label to promote at radio". It was a shame because he is a great artist. To this day I would love to have him on my label, but he is doing his own thing company-wise and I am involved with him launching that entity.
I then started to work with DJ Battlecat and during this time he was producing a new artist named Domino and he got his first number one single and Platinum album under his wings. His career was off to a great start and then he helped me to develop my first ever Rap Music label called G-Vine Entertainment. We recorded a new artist for the label, which was distributed by Capitol Records, and then, one month into promoting the new project, Capitol Records folded their Black Music Division. Right after that happened, I was introduced to a young man who grew up in the same neighborhood in Compton with DJ Quik, who wanted to learn the in's and out's of the recording industry and at the same time, he asked me to meet with Quik to help him get his career back on track and to try to get him out of a "terrible contract he had signed with a small label out of New York". That label was Profile Records.
DJ Quik and I met and we hit it off great right from the start. Shortly thereafter, I consented to direct Quik's career. That was in late 1996. At that point, I contacted the President of Profile Records, entered negotiations with him and after approximately one year of back and forth legal moves, I got Quik released. It was a true nightmare situation. After we got the release, I entered negotiations with Mr. Clive Davis, who was the President of Arista Records back then, and we structured a new deal that would bring Quik to the label. This deal made musical history, because Arista Records had never signed a West Coast rap artist before. During our time there, I directed Quik's marketing and promotional campaigns, and as you know, we had some real big records at Arista.
Dubcnn: What made you and Quik part ways?
While I was directing Quik's production schedule and artist career, I started my second Rap Music label called Sheppard Lane Records. I worked with Quik's friend from his neighborhood who introduced us, and for over six years, everything was going along fine. Then, he and I started to have different views on life, the direction of West Coast Music, and the direction of Quik's career in general. These disagreements eventually became serious problems, and I was not backing down from my views one bit. I had over 10 Platinum & Gold albums to my credit and I was not entertaining the thought of changing the way I did business for anyone.
Obviously, it became evident in time that we should go our seperate ways. Which we did. I then became Public Enemy #1 as far as my ex-business partner was concerned and the negative stories started to fly. I was accused of stealing money, the moon, the sun, and all the tea in China. This situation really put Quik in a weird place as far as our relationship was concerned. Up until that point, we were cool, but when me and his buddy from the neighborhood fell out, we went seperate ways. I understood that and accepted it. I was from Chicago and his friend was from his neighborhood. Case closed.
Quik and I never to this day have had any type of argument or harsh words for one another. I am a 56 year old man whose life is directed by God and it is not in my inner soul to wish negatives on anyone. I think he is one of the most talented producers in this industry and I wish him nothing but the best in life. Quik knows in his heart that for six years I did nothing but further his career and put major dollars in his pockets. The streets and the music industry know that too. That's why, to this day, I have more support than I've ever had before in the streets. I also wish nothing but the best for my ex-partner.
Dubcnn: As DJ Quik's former manager, what do you think were the reasons that DJ Quik never managed to break through on a global level the way Dr. Dre or other producers have?
When you record for a major record company like Arista Records, they have a certain way they like to do business and it is very hard for them to listen to outside input from artist's managers. Such was the case with Quik. As an artist, Arista Records simply didn't want to spend the cash to break Quik as an artist across the country. They felt he was a regional artist, just like they view music from every West Coast artist. They have the opinion that cities "outside the Western Region" don't want to hear West Coast artists. Therefore, their check books stay closed as far as promotional budgets are concerned. Period. And they won't put up the money to change that outlook. It's stupid in my opinion, but I'm not writing the checks. I had heated discussions with Arista Records concerning this issue, and they just listened politely, then went back to doing what they always did. Nothing.
As far as Quik's productions were concerned, well that's another issue. Major record companies will take a hit record from anyone who can deliver one. So, Quik is not limited in that way. That is precisely one of the reasons why I got into disagreements with my ex-partner on Quik's productions. I wanted Quik to spend just as much time producing R&B stars as he did producing rap stars. My ex-partner felt that this approach would be bad for Quik's image and was not feeling my suggestions. You see, I'm all about the money and I did not feel that it would harm Quik's image by producing R&B artists. It wouldn't make him "soft", it would have made his bank account THICK!!! He could have been as hard as he wanted to be on his own projects, but in my opinion once again, Quik is not some kind of thugged out gangsta, so we just simply disagreed on this issue. That R&B money is proper and when you get an R&B hit, your money will continue to come in from publishing long after your rapping career is over.
Dubcnn: If things would have worked out with DJ Quik, where would you have taken his career?
I wanted Quik to produce more R&B artists. I felt his sound was very compatible to a lot of the R&B artists that are on the charts today. Obviously we would have continued to produce rap artists that would want his sound. I just felt that I wanted him to go more into films, as an actor and for scoring. I didn't really want to have his music always tied to certain rap artists on the streets that may have been doing more hardcore music. I felt Quik's sound was international. Only thing that was holding him back from branching out was that he didn't get with the artists that I wanted him to get with. That's really where I wanted to take him. It's not from a fact of selling out, because Quik can do anything musically. So obviously, I felt like he could ping pong back and forth.
Quik is not a gangster and he never portrayed that. I felt that his music could lend itself to different ears. That's where there was a disagreement with my former busienss partner. Me, I'm very opinionated as to how my business is run and it's difficult for me to work with another person when I've been in the business for 35 years. Not that I don't take outside input from people, but I felt at that time that I knew a better direction.
Dubcnn: I remember at some point, when the movie "Training Day" came out, Dr. Dre and DJ Quik were supposed to do some work together. However, only one song, "Put It On Me" came out from that collaboration. Why do you think they never made more music together ?
I know Quik and Dre always had a good relationship. There were never any trips between them. All I can say is for the six years I managed Quik, there was never any friction. They both had hectic schedules, and that was the ONLY REASON they never did more work together.
Dubcnn: I have to say that this is hard to believe for the fans. So Quik and Dre just simply never found time to work together? That's it?
On the real, that's basically it. It was never a money issue or a respect issue. I know that sounds dull, but it's the truth!
Dubcnn: So after you parted ways with Quik, what happened?
After Quik and I split up,I wanted to sit back for a while because I was very disappointed with the West Coast music scene. The industry changed so much and the Black Music executives were scared to work with West Coast artist's and West Coast based labels because of the gang connections they felt were involved. They ran from that. The "street aspects" of West Coast music never bothered me one bit. I was born and raised on 79th Street on the South Side of Chicago and that life style was all I knew growing up. So when I came to L.A. and had to deal with gang members, it was like Chicago all over again. Nothing new here.
It is true, I trust men from the streets more than I trust music executives. Most of the music executives I have met during my three decades in the business specialize in telling lies and half-truth's, and on many occasions, I would confront them on that. I would tell them over and over to "stop lying to these guys", tell them the truth... They can handle that. If you don't like the music, say so! Don't lead them on with false promises and outright lies. Nobody wants that!
They're playing with peoples lives and emotions and you can get hurt doing that. All the real shot callers I know from both sides just want to make money. They don't want drama. They want to cash checks. People were saying that West Coast artists were through for years. But that's just not true. The people love the music and will buy it if it is offered. It's the record executives who are stopping the flow of the money and the music from the West Coast.
I came back and started this brand new venture because I was focused as to what I wanted to do in Rap Music. I still wanted to put out hard-edged music, but from a creative standpoint, I am not going to launch new product that talks about "Pimpin', Pushin' Keys, or Gang bangin'". Miss me with that. That shit ain't movin' units in 2009! You better come with some realism and some up-lifting music or basic party music like the South does, or you will be through! Noboby wants to hear about you gettin' high or movin' weight. Nobody wants to hear about you pimpin' young girls who are lost in life or can't spell the word cat, even if you tell them the first two letters are a "C" and "A". And you wonder why Rap music sales are down?
I wanted artists to spit intelligent hard lyrics. What I felt that was lacking on the West Coast was that. I go back and forth from Chicago and I see a different culture altogether. When you're here in Chicago, they play no West Coast music here. You may hear an occasional cut from Snoop Dogg or Ice Cube, but you'll hear nothing of West Coast music East of the Mississippi. I wanted to stop that. I wanted to talk with the different artists and tell them what is stopping them of having major sales outside of the West Coast and develop a sound and a direction like that. So I sat back for two years, surveyed the industry as a whole and that's why i came back a couple years ago and formed the label Peaceful/Tonestruck Entertainment.
That's why I am looking to do my part to change all of that. I just finished a new Rap compilation album that will raise funds for the national anti-gang organization called The Unity One Foundation, which was started by my late friend Bo Taylor. Each song on the project is hard, but it speaks of Black unity, and Black and Latino unity. The album features new music from Lil Wayne, Akon, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, Kurupt, DJ Battlecat, Filthy Frank, Kay9ine, Big Unc, Glocc Sinatra, Hot Box, Seven, Tha Sire, TQ, Tha Candyhouze Fam and G-Sleep. The album is entitled: "Bangin'... Pain, Pride & Destruction". It is being distributed nationally by the Warner Music Group.
I am also in the studio finishing the new DJ Battlecat album and the new Glocc Sinatra project, one of Battlecat's artists, entitled "The History Channel". We are also launching a new Dallas Texas based act called Rick Rooga that is already making noise on the internet. I also am very proud to announce another real special project that I am co-executive producing with the Platinum producer Kirv, who has worked with Dr. Dre for several years. This project is called "The Dr. Martin Luther King Duets Album", and it will be released in January 2009. I'm very excited to say that we have scored a major coup with this, because we were able to convince the one and only Sly Stone to come out of retirement and do his first recording in 20 years. He recorded a song called "Remember" and we just finished recording it in L.A.
It's so weird because today, I have my good friend Snoop Dogg in the studio and he's going to do the song with Sly Stone for this album. We are excited to have this historic recording, Sly did the music and the vocals and Snoop dogg will do his vocal parts. We are ready to make history! Look out for the MLK Duets album to come out in Jaunary, we are rushing to finish it right now. Again, it's so weird because today is a big day. Not only am I doing this interview with you, and Snoop Dogg is doing a song with Sly Stone, but I also have Musiq Soulchild who's doing his song for the project. We also just finshed the song with R&B legend Lenny Williams for the project. It's going to be incredible and it's coming out through Universal Music. This album will raise funds for The Dr. King Foundation. Each song on the album will feature a famous speech by Dr. King, and the artist's involved will perform their parts around those speeches.
Dubcnn: So these were several different projects you just announced, which one will be coming out first?
The "Bangin" compilation is coming first, we just finished all the clearances - which was an absolute nightmare. This is through the Warner Music Group and we got a deal for a series of albums. The three main stars on the projects were from Universal, which is Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and Akon. Obviously, they weren't too excited on doing all the clearances for me, but they found out how commited I was to this and they found out what the album was really about.
As of Friday of last week, we finally got all the clearances done to put this one out. It's gonna be one of those special order albums on TV and they are going to do big promotion behind this. It will raise funds for Unity One, and many big figures such as Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover and politicians including the attorney general of New York, who's spearheading this with me and the mayor of Los Angeles.
This is going to be a major album and we are very excited about it. Every cut on the album talks about stopping violence between Blacks and Latinos across the country. Kurupt is on it, he is my spokesman along with Snoop Dogg on it. Kurupt and Snoop have been great doing whatever I ask and I wanna let the world know about their input. I also want the fans to look out for the Glocc Sinatra album. Hopefully, when you hear these releases, you will understand where we are going musically speaking, and what we are trying to accomplish. God willing, we will be successful.
Dubcnn: Sounds like you have a lot on your plate! We will definitely be looking for all of these projects and expect some great music to come out of them. Before we go, I'd like to ask you which West Coast artists do you have alot of respect for musically and personally?
I've been pushing West Coast artist's for over 12 years now, and I have had the opportunity to do business with just about everybody who has a name in the business and many who are on the rise. I must say that Snoop Dogg, Kurupt and Daz are true to the game and are men of their words. When I was managing Quik, I had an idea to unite Quik on stage with Snoop to show that people from both sides could get along and work together. Well, Snoop Dogg was doing business with Master P at the time and was out of town doing business at the other end of the country, but when I called him and told him about the idea, he said "Stan, put the show together and I will be there!"
True to his word, he flew in and did his thing in a major way! He didn't have to, but he did ! Also, on every project I have ever been involved with from my upcoming compilation albums that will benefit Unity One, and The Dr. Martin Luther King Foundation, he has been down with me from day one. When I asked him to do a song with the late great Mausberg, he was there for that too. Snoop is just a down Black Man.
Kurupt is also a true man and I love him to death. He's so talented also. Everything he does is fire. Quik, even though we don't work together anymore, is a man I respect a great deal. He has been through a lot and stood tall through it all. Mausberg was a blessing from God as far as I am concerned and I miss him with all my heart. Flithy Frank out of Watts is a true master at the game and is true to the streets and is a man of his word. DJ Battlecat, Kay9ine, Glocc Sinatra, Hot Box, G-Sleep, Seven, Xzibit, Kam, Ice Cube, WC, Damizza, Kokane, Big Unc, Paris, AMG, 40 Glocc and Mack 10.
Mittwoch, 21. April 2010
Danny Boy - Its About Time (2010)
Tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Blow Your Mind Away
3. How Many Times
4. Think It's About Time
5. Between Me and You (feat. Roger Troutman)
6. Break U Off
7. So in Love
8. Church Interlude
9. Can I Come Over
10. Just Ride (feat. Jo Jo & Devante)
11. If U Don't Mind
12. Its All About U
13. Steppin'
14. Mama Used To Say
15. Come When I Call (Remix)
Tracks 2 ,3 ,5 , 12, 15 produced by Quiksta ! ! !
Dienstag, 20. April 2010
Freitag, 16. April 2010
Sonntag, 11. April 2010
Mittwoch, 7. April 2010
Dienstag, 6. April 2010
Montag, 5. April 2010
Sonntag, 4. April 2010
Samstag, 3. April 2010
MTV Article 2002
Gangsta rapper DJ Quik is moving from bitches and hos to crescendos and allegros.
The man behind songs like "Sweet Black Pu---" and "Born and Raised in Compton" is conducting an orchestra for the score of the upcoming Chris Rock comedy "Head of State."
"It's another avenue for me and I love it," Quik said Monday. "It's strings and brass and orchestration mixed with hip-hop. And the main vignette in the movie I did with Nate Dogg doing the singing."
Aside from scoring the movie, due in theaters March 28, DJ Quik will contribute at least one song to the soundtrack. In "Head of State," which marks Rock's directorial debut, the comedian plays a Washington, D.C., alderman unexpectedly selected by the Democratic Party as its presidential candidate.
As for Quik, in what little time he's had outside of the film "transcription of all the pieces takes most of my time", he's produced tracks for new albums by Talib Kweli, Beanie Sigel and Nate.
The latter song, titled "Get Up" and featuring Eve, will be the first single from Nate's latest star-studded, self-titled release
"It's Parliament-Funkish, but without sampling," Quik said of the track. "After hanging with George Clinton, I get it. I know how to produce these records and make them sound authentic. He showed me some things."
DJ Quik has also been in the studio with a few artists from his Bungalo Records label, including Butch Cassidy, Suga Free and newcomer Amir, a soulful 26-year-old rapper of Persian descent.
"I was in a studio with Butch, and Amir was in another session and he opened up the possibility of doing some production," Quik explained. "So we talked a little bit and he was hungry, and I listened to his projects and it was another kind of music for me, the whole Persian and Arabic thing."
After working with Amir, Quik said he began studying music from other cultures, which eventually lead to him discovering the sample for Truth Hurts' "Addictive," which he co-produced with Dr. Dre.
DJ Quik expects Amir to draw comparisons to Eminem because of his skin color, but he promised the rapper has his own unique style.
Like Slim Shady, though, Amir is both personal and controversial with his lyrics. Songs on his debut, Images of My Mind, due early next year, include "Bombs Over Saddam," "What's My Life Worth" and "Bloody Murder."
Quik is particularly fond of the Erick Sermon-produced "My Life Is Done." "It's like his autobiography, how he was getting into trouble and what he used to do to get his kicks, like sniffing gas out of go-karts."
After Amir's album is released, Bungalo Records will focus on Suga Free's follow-up to Street Gospel (1997).
"It's Richard Pryor's lyrics over some Dr. Dre-type production," Quik said of the rapper's new material. "It's real interesting. It's comedy, but really street, really vulgar, on the pimp thing. He's a real rhythmic dude. He can beat on the table and rap at the same time without missing a beat. That takes a lot of talent."
December 2002 MTV
Freitag, 2. April 2010
Roger Troutman
Roger Troutman (November 29, 1951 – April 25, 1999) was the lead singer of the band Zapp who helped spearhead the Funk movement and heavily influenced West Coast hip hop due to the scene's heavy sampling of his music over the years. Troutman was well known for his use of the talkbox, a device that is connected to an instrument (frequently a keyboard) to create different vocal effects. Roger used a custom-made talkbox--the Electro Harmonix "Golden Throat," as well as a Yamaha DX100 FM synthesizer. As both lead singer of Zapp and in his subsequent solo releases, he scored a bevy of funk and R&B hits throughout the 1980s. In his later years, he was mostly known for singing the chorus to the hip-hop classic, "California Love".
No Doubt that Roger was one of the biggest Influences for Quik and his Music! Roger even taught him the use of the talkbox, which became a trademark for Quik's sound throughout his career.
Quik once said way back in 2004:
"I left the talkbox alone out of respect for Roger. People should also stop too. Like I hear things that come up locally here on the radio with people using the talkbox, and they don't do it the way they're supposed to do it sometimes. So to me, talkbox is personal, and I put it down out of respect for Roger Troutman"
REST IN PEACE ROGER WE ALL MISS YOU!!!
IF U LIKE ROGER & ZAPP AND ALL THAT TALKBOX STUFF COME AND
JOIN WITH US AT ZAPPTOWN-FORUM.DE !
Quik & The White Girl :)
Quik rocking a Fader party, which is great and all, but the really funny part of this video is the big white girl in the front row. She's all, "ohhhh... rap? uhm.... huh.... errrrr....wtf"
What is she doing there? Why does she look like she's waiting for Madonna to hit the stage or something? ;)
Westcoast2K Interview
28.12.2004 Interview for Westcoast2k.net
Westcoast2k.Net - What's crackin Quik, its an honor we can do this interview.
DJ Quik - Thank you I appreciate it.
Westcoast2k.Net - How was the House Of Blues show the other day?
DJ Quik - Oh you missed it? It was fonky! It sounded great, it was loud & clear. We had like the best equipment and I had real musicians on stage. It was dope for real. Chingy was there too.
Westcoast2k.Net - You gonna have any more shows in the near future?
DJ Quik - Oh yeah, probably so, I'm sure.
Westcoast2k.Net - OK so, to me, my personal opinion is that the name DJ Quik should be up there with the Dre's, the Timbaland's, and all them as far as getting recognition. And what I never got is why that never really happened?
DJ Quik - Wow, thanks Jay. That is partially my fault, because I didnt know enough about the business to make sure that my first recording contract was straight, and it was a deal that I could live with. But it ended being a deal that I couldn't live with. Because I got sold like cattle when I first got my record deal. And back then contracts where kinda terrible, you know? They sucked. As far as Profile, it was so hard for me to get out of that. I couldn't so I got caught. I figured if you can't beat them join them. So now, I'm a record company now. I learned from what they taught me, and I'm not gon' pass the buck. I'ma do it the right way, the way record companys are supposed to do it.
Westcoast2k.Net - Was that maybe one of the reasons that you decided to retire 2 years ago?
DJ Quik - Yeah. That was part of the reason. I just couldn't escape that contract. Basic contracts are supposed to be like 6 or 7 years, or 1 year with like maybe 6 options. The contract I was in was like a 10 or 11 year contract. You know? I wasn't getting paid and I wasn't happy at all. And plus I was going through a bunch of shit. But I'm not there any more, I dont think like that anymore. Im an executive now.
Westcoast2k.Net - It only made sense, you love it too much to just leave it alone dont you?
DJ Quik - Thanks for knowing that. Yeah music is my motivation in most cases. And actually, the music that I do sometimes motivates other people so I gotta stay musically motivated. And when I can't make people dance anymore that's when I'm gonna quit. But long story short, it was just because of the deal that I signed when I was a kid. I didnt know any better, and it just lasted too long. Like if I could have rebounded in 97, 98, then I probably could have been there with Dre. But then I had some personal family problems happen that kept me stuck for 7 years, you know? My best friend got killed. But my music is based on longevity.
Westcoast2k.Net - What motivated you to keep doing it and come back, after going through so much like watching your homies die. But then come back with all that energy again?
DJ Quik - Wow, honestly? Just not wanting to leave a loser. Cause if I would have quit I would have lost. I would have left a loser. That's like leaving Las Vegas with all your money gone, and all your jewelry pawned and you gotta go home broke. I can't leave broke, I can't leave unhappy. So I just got back in the laboratory and I just started doing other things, started doing everything different. I respect and I miss my boys, but I use them as motivation to keep going cause I dont think they would have wanted me to stop. I think they would have wanted me to take it all, and take my rightful place. What you think next year I'm about to do?
Westcoast2k.Net - Drop a classic?
DJ Quik - Not jus that, Ima put out some Grammy-Award winning type shit. Cause this music is fly, the lyrics is...Im telling you! Listen to me on the new 2Pac "Loyal to the Game" album.
Westcoast2k.Net - Yeah I heard it man.
DJ Quik - You heard it? And you liked it?
Westcoast2k.Net - The remixes where tight. The Raphael Saadiq, the Scott Storch and yours I liked.
DJ Quik - Thank you. Yeah I liked all those too, all the remixes. And I like 2 of the ones Eminem did too, though.
Westcoast2k.Net - I wasn't feeling them too much. Not to diss Em, but it was mostly because of they shit they did with Pac's music. You heard how they made Pac say their names like he knew them before he died?
DJ Quik - Yeah... (laughs)
Westcoast2k.Net - Thats fucking up his legacy, they are changin history.
DJ Quik - I know, thats messed up huh?
Westcoast2k.Net - I remember back in 2001 or 2002 you said you're never gonna do the Greatest Hits thing, because when people put out Greatest Hits its over. What made you change your mind?
DJ Quik - Well I wasn't playing with the retiring thing, I mean I had quit. I lost a lot of things and I realized that I didn't wanna die and I didnt wanna lose no more friends for trying to keep it real, and do bad business. So I realized that I would just be better to quit. And I talked to Profile about it. Actually I tried to put out a record independently, but it didnt work. I got greedy about the money at that point. It was like 'Just give me the money, I wanna be rich and famous now.' And I just didnt care. And I was with a record company that didnt care either, "Bung hole" Records. You know, "Bunged-hoe" Rercords, whatever you wanna call them. They did a real terrible job, we all did a bad job. I went out on tour though, I went and promoted the fucking record. But it just didn't turn around like we wanted it to turn around and I realized that Bungalo couldn't do their thing like they said they would. They just never told the truth about anything, everything was done so sneakily and shitty.
Westcoast2k.Net - Kinda like Death Row was? At least thats what they say it was.
DJ Quik - Oh no. They could never be another Death Row. Death Row was smart. Death Row was brilliant. Suge was never sneaky, Suge would just tell you if he wasn't gonna pay you. He wasn't sneaky, they didnt do that kind of sneaky stuff. Bungalo was criminal shit, it was just wack dogg. But I leave that alone, I'm passed it. If I had not gone through that I wouldn't got the experience, you know? So I'm glad I got the experience, because now all is well. But for the most part I went on and put out a Greatest Hits cause I admitted that I was defeated, and I just tried to go somewhere and figure out what I would do for the rest of my life if it wasnt music.
Westcoast2k.Net - How did you heal your mind after going through so much in your life?
DJ Quik - How did I? Thats the best question in the whole world. You know how I did it? I broke all the bonds with all the negative people that I had. Every last one. I had no negative people around me no more. No haters, no people that be like 'Yo we go fuck that nigga up for you Quik'. And I'd just be like 'You aint gotta do that man. Why dont you all just kick it here and have fun man. Play this music man. Here play my X-Box. Why y'all wanna go fight, why y'all wanna go shoot? What the hell y'all gonna prove with that? Man, kick it! Refuckinlax. Read a bible, read a book! Fuckin re-cap in the head stupid! And you might learn something.' So it was like that, my thing was that I got away from all the negative people. Cause I tried to help all the negative people, and that pulled me back too. I started them to just be positive about shit, but you can't when they're all held at being negative. Now they are all gone, and I'm surrounded by...actually I'm really alone these days, because I'm a unique individual and there is not many people like me. And somebody would probably bore me to death.
Westcoast2k.Net - Yeah I was wondering about that, because we don't really see you with the Hi-C's and AMG's anymore..
DJ Quik - All gone. They are all gone. And it wasn't personal. It was like... Hi-C is like a brother to me, but we just grew apart. I grew apart. Me & AMG dont see eye to eye as much as we used to because he's got things he's gotta do. I got a family I gotta support, and I got a company I gotta run. So anybody thats not about helping me get to where I gotta go for their own selfish reasons, I can't be involved with them at all. I wanna see Mad Science at the top, Top 3 label on the West Coast within a couple years. Because I'm doing the right things, Im signing the right artists and I'm motivated by the right things. Namely one, God, homie. I mean, not to be all religious, but had I not just given all my faith to my creator and said I'ma let you lead and take control and show me what I need to be doing with my music and with my family. When I did that and just started being silent, all the answers started coming. All the answers are in silence, you know?
Westcoast2k.Net - So that was a process of months? Or even years?
DJ Quik - Yeah, ever since like 2000 is when I really got focused. When I turned 30 I was like Yeah now its time to go on with the rest of my life.
Westcoast2k.Net - So you feel and think different than a few years back?
DJ Quik - Yeah, hell yeah! 94, 95, 96, 97. When I was doing "Safe & Sound" records in 95 and being a angry little gangbanger type of dude. Man I'm not him no more, I grew out of him. I was a troubled youth, you know? I was troubled because I had a short attention span, and it was just too easy to get me in trouble. Now, my steps are guided, and I got a lot of real focused people around me. And all is well. I got a record company for gods sake. A real record company, not a Bungalo, you know?
Westcoast2k.Net - You said you broke all the bonds with people around you. Was Suga Free involved in this, or was the fall out about something else? Cause to tell the truth, this made me sad because you two clicked together like nobody else. What is the real deal?
DJ Quik - The real deal? It was really just about me taking a loss. I've spent the life money on that Suga Free project, the last one. And I figured, if I dont stop spending this money now, and I haven't seen a dime back even at this point, if I dont stop spending this money I'm gonna be affording a money pit, and I didn't wanna do it. It just became too high maintanance. Its like... I can't babysit dudes that are older than me. Thats just unethical, its retarded. So I stopped babysitting and I shook. He's gotta go raise himself, and they gotta get music the best way they can, but they're not gonna steal any tracks from me, and not pay me for them.
Westcoast2k.Net - So you been hooking up with bigger artists like Ludacris, Chingy, Jay-Z, and Beanie Sigel.
DJ Quik - Yeah I'ma keep doing stuff for the Roc, thats my family.
Westcoast2k.Net - Since you're doing stuff for bigger people, you're making the big money now?
DJ Quik - Exactly. But Jay, it has no bearing on money, it has no bearing on I'm not producing the homies no more. The point is that its time for me to expand my horizons. And just because I see people around me not grow, that dont mean that I'ma stay subjugated just to please them and not grow with them, so we can all just be one big flock of not growing people, like midgets. I can't do that, I gotta keep growing. And the more I grow, the more I see clearly the people that don't wanna grow with me, and the more space I have to just naturally put between us.
Westcoast2k.Net - But why were you so hard on yourself?
DJ Quik - You wanna know why? Because I couldn't get out of that contract of Profile Records.
Westcoast2k.Net - So it was not just messing up your music, but your whole life?
DJ Quik - Yeah it was. It was all based on that. I couldn't get free, I couldn't sign artists, I couldn't really do any collaborations because they kept me on suspension as in means of not giving me my royalty change. So I was just stuck between a rock and a hard place. My whole life was a catch 22, at that point.
Westcoast2k.Net - I still have a tape with all those sick ass radio drops that you recorded back in the day. Do you remember them?
DJ Quik - Oh yeah, hell yeah! Of course I do, and them was like my favorite songs of all time, but it was just radio drops!
Westcoast2k.Net - There was this one drop where you had a line that went "I'm no longer a supporter of East Coast rap". Its obvious that all this changed, but I was wondering what was going on through your life at that time?
DJ Quik - I was a angry gangster rapper. I was a pissed off gangster rapper, wondering why people couldn't see things our way. I was biased, I was just all banged out. I thought it was all about me and mine. Fuck everybody else, until I got out of this region and went around the world and saw that 'Uhhh, I was wrong'. And it takes a humble guy to admit that he fucked up. And I did, I fucked up royaly. I'm not proud of it, but it was all part of me growing, it was part of me growing without real good advicers around me, without a lot of good things to focus on to keep me moving forward and positive. All the shit I was saying was bullshit. I became a product of my environment.
Westcoast2k.Net - Do you listen to some of that stuff you did?
DJ Quik - Its hard to listen to some of it right now, cause that's some angry shit. And it brings back the worst memoriess. Like I had to go to a psychiatrist sometimes to reprogram my past. To be honestly told that I was wrong.
Westcoast2k.Net - So tell us a little bit about the new album?
DJ Quik - Man, expect the unexpected. It's a real good sounding album. Like we took our time with it. Its funky, its the right collaborations. I mean Wyclef, my boy Shawn [Anthony], they helped, Chingy helped. And its like new funky shit, with no real inspiration from what's going on in the market today, or not like we going to listen to old records and say 'Lets go bite this or sample that'. It's just some new good shit. I mean, if it wasn't for the keyboards and shit getting better now, and sampling rates going up higher, we probably couldn't bring any of the records that we have and know we can do. Keyboards have gotten better, samples have gotten better, so naturally as a progress my music has gotten better. But it's some funky, simple, futuristic, space age type of shit based on music that was predicated on all of our ancestors. Its like its going all the way forward equally as its going all the way reverse, so its like good ankered futuristic music. Thats the best way I can describe it to you. But the production didn't change. I'm a basic drum specialist, thats what I do and its gonna stay like that. But expect funky futuristic rock & roll music on this new shit.
Westcoast2k.Net - Are you still rockin the talkbox on the album?
DJ Quik - No no, I left the talkbox alone out of respect for Roger. People should also stop too. Like I hear things that come up locally here on the radio with people using the talkbox, and they don't do it the way they're supposed to do it sometimes. So to me, talkbox is personal, and I put it down out of respect for Roger Troutman.
Westcoast2k.Net - Alright Quik, thanks for takin the time to do this interview.
DJ Quik - Aight Jay, thanks for havin me.
Donnerstag, 1. April 2010
Terrace Martin TV
Terrace Martin Private Stuff including Quik Listen at 15:15 min
Quik Beat?Talkbox?Unreleased?Anyway Sounds pretty Tuff!!!
Look here :
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1986804
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