David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
DJ Quik, is an MC and
Record ProducerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
..
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 RecordsProfile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop.-Origins:In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be a partner. They each...
at the time had suggested to add it to his background to appear mysterious. He began selling homemade mixtapes (notably
The Red Tape, 1987) after he received a turntable for his 9th grade graduation and then began doing shows DJing around
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California, or SoCal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers around three major metropolitan areas, each of which have over 3 million people; the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area with over 12 million inhabitants, the San Bernardino-Riverside...
.
David Marvin Blake (born January 18, 1970), better known by his
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
DJ Quik, is an MC and
Record ProducerIn the music industry, a record producer has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes...
..
Biography
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 RecordsProfile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop.-Origins:In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be a partner. They each...
at the time had suggested to add it to his background to appear mysterious. He began selling homemade mixtapes (notably
The Red Tape, 1987) after he received a turntable for his 9th grade graduation and then began doing shows DJing around
Southern CaliforniaSouthern California, or SoCal, is defined as the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its population centers around three major metropolitan areas, each of which have over 3 million people; the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area with over 12 million inhabitants, the San Bernardino-Riverside...
. He signed to
Profile RecordsProfile Records was a record label that specialized in many types of urban-oriented music, such as hip hop.-Origins:In 1980, at 23 years old, after working briefly for MCA, Cory Robbins was looking to start a record label. He invited his songwriter friend Steve Plotnicki to be a partner. They each...
in the summer of 1990, reportedly as the label's first six figure signee.
His debut album,
Quik Is the NameQuik Is the Name is the debut album from Compton rapper/producer DJ Quik, released on January 1, 1991 on Profile Records. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 sales chart. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 26, 1995. It is his best selling album to date. Singles featured on...
, which was released in 1991, 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, and being certified Platinum by the RIAA. None of his successive albums reached the success of his debut, though they have been well received. He later released his second album entitled
Way 2 FonkyWay 2 Fonky is the second album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. The song Way 2 Fonky responded to Tim Dog's West Coast diss "Fuck Compton". It was released on January 1, 1992 on Profile Records. The album peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 music chart on August 8, 1992. It was certified Gold by the...
in 1992. It was certified Gold by October 9. It included the smash hits "Way 2 Fonky" and "Jus Lyke Compton" The album later reached the 24th spot on Chris Rocks' list of the 25 Greatest Hip-Hop Albums Ever.. His third album
Safe & SoundSafe & Sound is the third album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on February 21, 1995 on Profile Records. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 on March 11, 1995 and was certified gold by the RIAA exactly four months later on July 11, 1995. The album was executive produced by Suge...
, released in 1995, made number 14 on the Billboard 200. It included the tracks "Dollaz & Sense" and Safe & Sound" The tracks "Dollaz & Sense" and "Let You Havit" were diss tracks to Compton rapper and member of the rival Tragnew Park Compton Crips,
MC EihtAaron Tyler , better known by his stage name MC Eiht, is an American gangsta rapper. In an interview he stated that his stage name was partly inspired by the numeral in KRS-One's name. He chose Eiht for its links to "hood culture", including 8Ball and .38 caliber firearms. He is a member of the rap...
. The two would make several threats and diss tracks to each other in the mid 1990's. Today, Quik is on good terms with MC Eiht.
He was chiefly inspired by funk and soul artists, such as
Roger TroutmanRoger Troutman was the lead singer of the band Zapp who helped to pave the way for West Coast hip hop after the scene's rappers heavily sampled his music over the years. Troutman was well known for his use of the talkbox, a device that is connected to an instrument to create different vocal effects...
(who even taught him the use of the talkbox, which became a trademark for Quik's sound throughout his career) and
George ClintonGeorge Clinton is an American singer, songwriter and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and began his work as a solo artist in 1981. He has been called one of the most prominent...
.
Though he is only credited for producing "Heartz of Men" on 2Pac's acclaimed
All Eyez on MeAll Eyez on Me is the Grammy-nominated fourth studio album by West Coast rapper 2Pac. It was released on February 13, 1996, and sold 566,000 copies in the first week of release...
(in the credits he used his real name, David Blake, because he was under contract to Profile) he also did additional production and mixed half the album. He also made an uncredited appearance on a song with 2Pac named "Thug Passion". In 2002, he produced
Truth HurtsShari Watson , known as Truth Hurts, is an American R&B singer. She is noted for her funky and powerful vocal style.-Biography:...
' Top 10 pop hit "Addictive". Quik used an uncleared
HindiStandard Hindi, also known as High Hindi, Nagari Hindi or Literary Hindi is a standardised register of Hindi. It is one of the 22 languages with official status in India, and is used, along with English, for administration of the central government.Standard Hindi is a sanskritised register derived...
sample on the record, and the copyright holders eventually filed a $500 million dollar
lawsuitA lawsuit is a civil action brought before a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have received damages from a defendant's actions, seeks a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
against Truth Hurts' label,
Aftermath EntertainmentAftermath Entertainment is an American record label founded by Dr. Dre. It operates as a subsidiary of, and is distributed through, Universal Music Group's Interscope Records.-History:...
that was amicably resolved by Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. Quik also produced and appeared on another track on Truth Hurts' debut LP,
Truthfully SpeakingThe debut album of the St. Louis R&B singer; Shari Watson , which was executively produced by Dr. Dre. Although it included the lead single Addictive the album massively undersold, possibly partly due to the fact of a lawsuit against her and Aftermath Entertainment over the Hindi sample , which is...
, entitled
I'm Not Really Lookin. Quik also produced the 2Pac song "Late Night" on the 2002
Better DayzBetter Dayz is the fourth posthumous album by late American rapper Tupac Shakur, and the last so far to be a double-album.It was released in November 2002, debuting at number 5 on the Billboard 200...
, which was originally done in the mid 1990's featuring AMG instead of the Outlawz.
Quik faced personal and professional tragedy when his close friend and protegé Darryl Cortez Reed was murdered on January 20, 1998. This was compounded by the death of his friend and rapper Johnny Burns, III a.k.a. Mausberg, subsequently murdered on 4th of July 2000.
After the lackluster sales of only 400,000 units of His fifth album,
Balance & OptionsBalance & Options is the fifth album by West Coast rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on May 16, 2000 on Arista Records . The album reached 18 on the Billboard 200 music chart and was his first album not to be certified by the RIAA. It features the single "Pitch In On A Party".-Track listing:...
released in 2000, he was dropped by
Arista RecordsArista Records is an American record label. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment and operates under the RCA Music Group. The label was founded in 1974 by Clive Davis, who formerly worked for CBS Records...
which in 1998 had bought Profile Records. In 2002 he released
Under tha InfluenceUnder tha Influence is the sixth album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on June 4, 2002 on Ark 21 and was his first album to be released on an independent record label. The album included the single "Trouble" featuring AMG. The album peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 music chart...
under
Ark 21 RecordsArk 21 Records is a record label established by Miles Copeland . The record company no longer operates...
which also sold only 200,000 units. In September 2005, DJ Quik released his first independent album on his own new label,
Mad Science Recordings. The album is titled
TraumaTrauma is the seventh album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on September 13, 2005 and sold 100,000 copies through his own independent label Mad Science Records. The album peaked at #43 on the Billboard 200 music chart on October 1, 2005...
and reflects the turmoil in the producer's 'musical' life over the past few years. 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 StateHead of State is a 2003 comedy movie directed, written by, and starring Chris Rock and also co-starring Bernie Mac.-Plot:Mays Gilliam is an alderman of the 9th Ward in the Washington D.C. area...
".
On June 21, 2006, DJ Quik began a five-month stint in jail for assaulting his sister. The incident occurred in 2003 when he allegedly "pistol-whipped" her for extorting him, according to police reports. DJ Quik was released early in October 2006 and began working on
The FixxersThe Fixxers is a hip hop supergroup formed in late 2006 by two Compton-based West Coast rap veterans Quik and AMG.Quik and AMG had worked together some years earlier when Quik produced some records that AMG appeared on. When Quik was released from a prison sentence for parole violation, he decided...
collaboration album (Midnight Life).
In preparation for the upcoming collaboration, which was expected for release in late 2007, DJ Quik and
AMGJason Lewis better known by his stage name AMG, is a rapper from Cleveland, Ohio who later moved to Inglewood, California...
formed the group:
The FixxersThe Fixxers is a hip hop supergroup formed in late 2006 by two Compton-based West Coast rap veterans Quik and AMG.Quik and AMG had worked together some years earlier when Quik produced some records that AMG appeared on. When Quik was released from a prison sentence for parole violation, he decided...
. Along with the formation of the duo, he dropped the "DJ" from his name for the upcoming album and rapped as "Quik".
In March 2007 they had signed a single deal with
Interscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
for the release of their album "Midnight Life" and promoted it with "Can You Werk Wit Dat?" However, the album was scrapped due to unauthorized actions by Hudson Melvin Baxter II also known as "Hud", who illegally put it up for sale on the internet in December 2007. The album was then spread across the internet as a bootleg. In February 2008, Quik finished up mixing and producing for
Snoop DoggCordazar Calvin Broadus , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is a Grammy Award-nominated American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as an MC in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of producer Dr. Dre's most notable protégés...
's new record
Ego Trippin. In the process of working with Snoop Dogg, a production group called QDT was formed. It stands for Quik-Dogg-Teddy and consists of DJ Quik, Snoop Dogg and Teddy Riley. A collaboration album with
Tha Dogg PoundTha Dogg Pound, also known as D.P.G. , is a rap duo made up of Daz Dillinger and Kurupt. They were signed to Death Row Records in their early careers and were key to the label's success. The group made their 1992 rap debut on Dr. Dre's The Chronic, on various songs...
member,
KuruptRicardo Emmanuel Brown , better known as Kurupt, is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
, entitled
BlaQKoutBlaQKout is a collaboration album by rapper/record producer DJ Quik and rapper Kurupt. It is completely produced by DJ Quik. The album debuted at #61 on the Billboard 200, selling 8,800 copies its first week.-Background:...
was released June 9 2009..
Discography
| Solo |
Year |
| Quik Is The Name Quik Is the Name is the debut album from Compton rapper/producer DJ Quik, released on January 1, 1991 on Profile Records. It peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 sales chart. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA on July 26, 1995. It is his best selling album to date. Singles featured on...
|
1991 See also:* 1991 in music Record labels established in 1991-Summary:The year 1991 is the year that grunge music made its popular breakthrough. Nirvana's Nevermind, led by the surprise hit single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", becomes the most popular U.S. album of the year...
|
| Way 2 Fonky Way 2 Fonky is the second album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. The song Way 2 Fonky responded to Tim Dog's West Coast diss "Fuck Compton". It was released on January 1, 1992 on Profile Records. The album peaked at #20 on the Billboard 200 music chart on August 8, 1992. It was certified Gold by the...
|
1992
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January-February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.**Paul Simon is the first major artist to...
|
| Safe & Sound |
1995 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1995.- Events :*January 18 – Jerry Garcia crashes his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California, USA, but is not injured in the accident....
|
| Rhythm-al-ism Rhythm-al-ism is the fourth album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on Profile Records on November 10, 1998 and was certified gold by the RIAA on July 7, 1999. It peaked at number 63 on the Billboard 200 on December 12, 1998. The album features the singles "You'z a Ganxta", "Hand in...
|
1998
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1998.-Events:
*January 28 - "Weird Al" Yankovic gets LASIK surgery to cure his myopia...
|
| Balance & Options Balance & Options is the fifth album by West Coast rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on May 16, 2000 on Arista Records . The album reached 18 on the Billboard 200 music chart and was his first album not to be certified by the RIAA. It features the single "Pitch In On A Party".-Track listing:...
|
2000 See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January - Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List....
|
| Under Tha Influence Under tha Influence is the sixth album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on June 4, 2002 on Ark 21 and was his first album to be released on an independent record label. The album included the single "Trouble" featuring AMG. The album peaked at number 27 on the Billboard 200 music chart...
|
2002 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2002.-Events:*January 9 - Max Lilja leaves Apocalyptica.*January 18 - Rayna Foss leaves Coal Chamber...
|
| Trauma Trauma is the seventh album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on September 13, 2005 and sold 100,000 copies through his own independent label Mad Science Records. The album peaked at #43 on the Billboard 200 music chart on October 1, 2005...
|
2005 -Events:*During the year 2005, 12 rock music albums scored number 1 in the USA. This was the first time even ten albums have scored number 1 since 1996....
|
| Rhythm-al-ism Red |
2009 The following is a list of notable events and releases that have occurred or are expected to happen in 2009 in music.-January:*"Single Ladies " begins the year of 2009 at number one as Beyoncé's 5th solo number one hit and her ninth in total.*January 8 - Lady Gaga's debut single "Just Dance" hit...
|
| With The Fixxers The Fixxers is a hip hop supergroup formed in late 2006 by two Compton-based West Coast rap veterans Quik and AMG.Quik and AMG had worked together some years earlier when Quik produced some records that AMG appeared on. When Quik was released from a prison sentence for parole violation, he decided...
|
Year |
| Midnight Life |
2007 This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:**George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
|
| With Kurupt Ricardo Emmanuel Brown , better known as Kurupt, is an American rapper and former Executive Vice President of Death Row Records...
|
Year |
| BlaQKout BlaQKout is a collaboration album by rapper/record producer DJ Quik and rapper Kurupt. It is completely produced by DJ Quik. The album debuted at #61 on the Billboard 200, selling 8,800 copies its first week.-Background:...
|
2009 The following is a list of notable events and releases that have occurred or are expected to happen in 2009 in music.-January:*"Single Ladies " begins the year of 2009 at number one as Beyoncé's 5th solo number one hit and her ninth in total.*January 8 - Lady Gaga's debut single "Just Dance" hit...
|
Filmography
DJ Quik: Visualism as
Himself (2003)
Everybody Hates ChrisEverybody Hates Chris is the American comedy-drama inspired on the teenager experiences of the comedian Chris Rock , while growing up in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York in the early-mid 1980s. The title of the show parodies the CBS show Everybody Loves Raymond...
as
Hitlon "Hilly Hill" Reed (2007)
External links