DJ Quik

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DJ Quik
Background information
Birth name	David Martin Blake
Also known as	Tha Quiksta
Born	January 18, 1970 (age 37)
Origin	Compton, California
Genre(s)	West Coast hip hop Gangsta rap G-funk
Occupation(s)	producer, rapper
Years active	1990 - present
Label(s)	Mad Science Recordings
Associated acts	AMG Mausberg Sugafree 2nd II None The Fixxers
Website	http://www.dj-quik.com

David Martin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known as by his stage name DJ Quik, or as of 2007 simply Quik, is a West Coast rapper and record producer from Compton, California.

Contents 1 Biography 2 Discography 2.1 Albums 2.2 Compilations and mixtapes 2.3 Singles 2.3.1 Featured singles 2.4 DVD's 3 Trivia 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Biography

As a teen he took up an affiliation with the Tree Top Piru Bloods.^[1] He grew up without a father and moved out of his mother's home when he was only 17.^{[citation needed]} He is known for being a very nice and smooth mc, with talented djing skills, ("ck" together would mean Crip Killer).^[2] It was always thought that he had 8 sisters, but in a March 2007 interview he stated that he only had one, explaining that Profile Records at the time had suggested to add it to his background.^[2] He began selling homemade mixtapes (like The Red Tape, 1987) after he received a turntable for his 9th grade graduation and then began doing shows DJing around Southern California when he moved out. He signed to Profile Records in the summer of 1990, reportedly as the label's first six figure signee.^{[citation needed]} Not only could he write his own songs, he could produce as well.

His debut album, Quik Is the Name was led by the success of two top 20 R&B singles, "Tonite" and "Born and Raised in Compton." The album ended up reaching 10th on the album charts,^[3] and being certified platinum by the RIAA.^[4] None of his successive albums reached the success of his debut, though they have been well received in California,^{[citation needed]} particularly his 1998 release "Rhythm-al-ism".^{[citation needed]} On "Safe + Sound" appears "Dollaz + Sense," which was a diss track to Compton rapper and member of the rival Tragniew Park Compton Crips, MC Eiht. The 2 would make several threats and diss tracks to each other in the mid 1990's. Today, Quik is on good terms with MC Eiht.^{[citation needed]}

Quik made a name for himself during the early-mid '90's, taking cues from Dr. Dre/Death Row Records and Above the Law with records in the g-funk style.^{[citation needed]} He was chiefly inspired by funk and soul artists,^[5] such as Roger Troutman (who even taught him the use of the talkbox, which became a trademark for Quik's sound throughout his career up to 2005, when he then stated he was retiring the talkbox out of respect to Roger)^{[citation needed]} and George Clinton.

Throughout his career, Quik has collaborated with and produced for artists including 2Pac ("Heartz of Men"), Janet Jackson ("All For You"), Snoop Dogg ("Doin' Too Much"), Talib Kweli ("Put It In The Air"), Whitney Houston ("Fine"), Adina Howard "((Freak) And U Know It)", Kurupt ("Can't Go Wrong"), E-40 ("Quarterbackin' [DJ Quik remix]"), Jay-Z ("Justify My Thug"), Jadakiss ("Shine"), Xzibit ("Sorry I'm Away So Much"), Ludacris ("Spur of the Moment"), Chingy ("Bagg Up"), Roscoe ("Get Flipped"), Dr. Dre, 2nd II None, Hi-C, Suga Free 8 Ball & MJG ("Buck Bounce"), Eazy-E and others.

Though he is only credited for producing "Heartz of Men" on 2Pac's acclaimed All Eyez on Me (in the credits he used his real name, David Blake, because Profile did not allow him to use his stage name) he also did additional production and mixed half the album. In 2002, he produced Truth Hurts' Top 10 pop hit "Addictive". Quik used an uncleared Hindi sample on the record, and the copyright holders eventually filed a $500 million dollar lawsuit against Truth Hurts' label, Aftermath Entertainment. Quik also produced and appeared on another track on Truth Hurts' debut LP, Truthfully Speaking, entitled I'm Not Really Lookin.^[6]

Quik faced personal and professional tragedy when his close friend and protegé Mausberg was murdered on the 4th of July, 2000. Mausberg was robbed in the street and left for dead with gunshots to the chest. This was compounded by the death of his best friend Daryl Reed soon after.^{[citation needed]}

After the lacklsuter sales of his fifth album, Balance & Options released in 2000, he was dropped by Arista Records which in 1998 had bought Profile Records. In 2002 he released Under tha Influence under Ark 21 Records which also did poorly sales wise. In September 2005, DJ Quik released his first independent album on his own new label, Mad Science Recordings. The album is titled Trauma and reflects the turmoil in the producer's life over the past few years.^{[citation needed]} In recent years he has worked with a 74 piece orchestra during a collaboration with Marcus Miller while working on the score to the movie "Head of State".

On June 28, 2006, DJ Quik began a five-month stint in jail for assaulting his sister. The incident occurred in 2003 when he pulled a gun on his sister during a family argument, according to police reports.^[7] DJ Quik was released early in October 2006 and began working on a DJ Quik & AMG collaboration album.

In preparation for this upcoming collaboration, which is expected for release in Summer of 2007, DJ Quik and AMG formed the group: The Fixxers. Along with the formation of the duo, DJ Quik officially dropped the "DJ" from his name, and is now known simply as "Quik".^[8] In March 2007 the duo signed a single deal with Interscope Records for the release of their album "Midnite Life"^[9].

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

• Quik Is the Name (1991) Platinum
• Way 2 Fonky (1992) Gold
• Safe + Sound (1995) Gold
• Rhythm-al-ism (1998) Gold
• Balance & Options (2000)
• Under tha Influence (2002)
• Trauma (2005)
• Midnight Life (2007)

[edit] Compilations and mixtapes

• The Red Tape (1987)
• The Best of DJ Quik: Da Finale (2002)
• The Trauma Mixtape (2005)
• Trauma Instrumentals (2006)
• Greatest Hits: Live at the House of Blues (2006)

[edit] Singles

Year	Title	Chart Positions			Album
		US Hot 100	US R&B/ Hip Hop	US Rap
1991	"Born and Raised In Compton"	-	#16	#4	Quik Is the Name
1991	"Tonite"	#49	#13	#3	Quik Is the Name
1991	"Sweet Black Pussy (xxx)"	-	-	-	Quik Is the Name
1992	"Way 2 Fonky"	-	#93	-	Way 2 Fonky
1992	"Jus Lyke Compton"	#62	#37	#4	Way 2 Fonky
1995	"Safe + Sound"	#81	#56	#21	Safe + Sound
1999	"You'z A Ganxta"	-	#59	-	Rhythm-al-ism
1999	"Hand In Hand" (feat. 2nd II None, El DeBarge)	-	-	-	Rhythm-al-ism
1999	"Down, Down, Down" (feat. AMG, Mausberg, Suga Free)	-	-	-	Rhythm-al-ism
2000	"Pitch In On a Party"	-	#68	-	Balance & Options
2002	"Trouble" (feat. AMG)	-	#55	-	Under Tha Influence
2005	"Fandango" (feat. B-Real)	-	-	-	Trauma

[edit] Featured singles

• 2nd II None - Up N Da Club
• Erick Sermon - Focus
• Eightball & MJG - Buck Bounce
• Penthouse Players Clique - P.S. Phuck U 2
• Tony! Toni! Toné! - Let's Get Down
• Xzibit (with King T) - Poppin' Off
• Jadakiss (with Snoop Dogg) - Shine

[edit] DVD's

• Visualism: The Art Of Sound Into Vision (2003)
• Greatest Hits: Live at the House of Blues (coming soon)

[edit] Trivia

• His first rap name was Devastating D, when he was just a young DJ.
• He mixed almost half of the double-disc album All Eyez on Me by 2Pac and did some uncredited work for Death Row Records.
• His 1995 album, Safe + Sound, was executive produced by Suge Knight.
• Actresses Nadine Velazquez (My Name Is Earl) as well as Shannyn Sossamon (40 Days and 40 Nights) were in the music video "Hand in Hand".
• He made cameos on sit-coms like Entourage (as himself) and Everybody Hates Chris (as DJ Hilly Hill).
• Appeared on the game show Weakest Link featuring celebrity rappers.
• He has been married for 2 years and has 4 kids (Source: Sister 2 Sister Magazine)

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official Website
• Official DJ Quik Forum
• DJ Quik's Myspace
• DJ Quik productions @ dubcc.com
• DJ Quik discography @ dubcc.com
• DJ Quik videography @ dubcc.com