DJ Quik realizes that being an influential artist involves taking risks. So despite his reputation as one of the most prolific gangsta rap forces, the Compton-bred MC, producer and songwriter expands his scope on Balance And Options, his fifth CD. Balance And Options captures a more mature Quik pushing his R&B production talents to new heights, without abandoning his classic party-oriented ghetto jams.
"The album is about life and life is about balance," Quik explains. "Too much of anything will hurt you. Good or bad. Its about doing things in moderation…It's just yin and yang. It's pro-life."
For Quik, getting his life balanced meant expanding his focus to include more than gangsta rap themes. While Quik recently married and has three children, he collaborated with James DeBarge, who penned and sung the lyrics for ΓÇ£Tha Divorce Song.ΓÇ¥
"We were motivated by Marvin GayeΓÇÖs Here, My Dear because that's a really deep album," Quik says of ΓÇ£Tha Divorce Song,ΓÇ¥ "and you can hear him fighting for his sanity through it.ΓÇ¥ Quik and James could identify with the pain they heard in GayeΓÇÖs voice as he sang of the divorce proceedings and settlement ruling.
Quik and James recorded ΓÇ£The Divorce SongΓÇ¥ because they knew that sharing their experiences would be therapeutic for many. ΓÇ£You can put energy in music that calms people down,ΓÇ¥ Quik says, adding that heΓÇÖs always wanted to make introspective songs, but admits to feeling pigeonholed to hard rap topics that mirrored his 1991 platinum debut Quik Is The Name. He doesnΓÇÖt feel that way anymore.
"If you respect your peers, and you respect your fans, you owe it to them to grow personally," Quik offers. "I could do ΓÇÿToniteΓÇÖs and ΓÇÿBlack PussyΓÇÖs all night day long. It's so easy, but it's boring, especially if you don't party like that no more. Now you see me partying with my family."
While traditional collaborations from Quik's homeboys Suga Free, AMG, Hi C and Mausberg abound (the posse cut ΓÇ£Speak On ItΓÇ¥ is incredible), he opened up the gates. Quik invited Erick Sermon and KAM to appear on "U Ain't Fresh," and Digital Underground's Shock G and Money B on "Do Whutcha Want.ΓÇ¥ Quik even altered his typical misogynist ode to women with "Sexuality," a retro bubbling electronic groove that lambastes gold diggers.
But Quik's growth supersedes topical issues. HeΓÇÖs also pushed his production measures to the next level. Says Quik, "If our musical leaders in hip-hop didn't take the chances that they did musically and do music from their hearts, then there would be nothing to draw on."
Quik showcases his leadership attributes by creating a record destined to be one of the yearΓÇÖs most influential. The album's first single "Pitch In On A Party," highlighted by a chorus sung by Tamara Savage, Will Hudspeth and George Archie Jr., flows over Quik's piano punctuated knocking groove. "Change The Game" capitalizes on futuristic sound effects created by a keyboard glitch. "Quikker Said Than Dunn" interpolates the late Eazy-E's "Eazier Said Than Done." ΓÇ£RogerΓÇÖs GrooveΓÇ¥ memorializes the cherished funk legend Roger Troutman. And ΓÇ£WellΓÇ¥ will win Quik endless accolades.
The song features an infectious Tony Toni Tone-esque chorus from Raphael Saadiq, and music compliments of a 28-piece orchestra directed by famed conductor Benjamin Wright, who has worked with all the R&B legends including Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Chaka Khan. The song was recorded in the Michael Jackson room in Westlake Audio, where Jackson recorded parts of his Bad and Dangerous albums.
Quik says using the orchestra made a major statement for hip-hop. ΓÇ£It seems like somebody would have already spent a significant amount of money for a real orchestra, instead of just playing the strings themselves on keyboards. I finally said, ΓÇÿLetΓÇÖs get a competent person to write the arrangement and make a real record.ΓÇÖΓÇ¥
DJ QuikΓÇÖs 1991 debut QuikΓÇÖs The Name helped solidify Compton as a hotbed for hard-edged rap groups like NWA and ComptonΓÇÖs Most Wanted during a time when HammerΓÇÖs Please DonΓÇÖt Hurt ΓÇÿEm, and LL Cool JΓÇÖs Mama Said Knock You Out ruled the R&B charts. The following year, Quik released Way 2 Fonky that bore the instantaneous hit ΓÇ£JusΓÇÖ Lyke Compton,ΓÇ¥ and earned him a cover of The Source magazine. In the spring of 1995, QuikΓÇÖs junior effort Safe + Sound debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts, bumping then recent releases from Mary J. Blige, TLC and Boys II Men down a notch. And by the time he released rhythm-al-ism in 1998, his efforts to retire his gangsta rap lyrics were clear. QuikΓÇÖs song ΓÇ£YouΓÇÖz A GanxtaΓÇ¥ preceded the release of the album that bore hits such as ΓÇ£Hand In HandΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Down, Down, Down.ΓÇ¥ The latter remained on Los Angeles radio station play lists for nearly six months.
QuikΓÇÖs impressive discography includes production and collaboration credits with Tupac (All Eyez On Me), Raphael Saadiq ("LetΓÇÖs Get DownΓÇ¥), Deborah Cox ("One Wish"), and R. Kelly ("ItΓÇÖs Like Everyday"), not to mention several top selling soundtracks including Above The Rim, Murder Was The Case and Life. His work has helped sell nearly 30 million records.
Quik is proud of his new direction. "The bottom line is I did everything that I could do mentally and creatively to prepare for this record, and to produce it, in essence, I finally took the bull by the horns to make a record that I could be proud of and have no regrets.ΓÇ¥ So bottom line is, itΓÇÖs street baby!
