DJ Quik has long been a producer’s producer. Stories of a diaper-aged Quik able to play sound-association memory with his mother’s record collection help explain his early-developed and practiced ear. In a genre that so often applauds beatmakers for channeling musicality in sample form, Quik is as capable of ushering it into life on his own. His hallmark as a solo artist and Hip Hop producer, both as a sampler as well as a self-appointed session musician, has been a perpetual knack for funkiness, proving like his forebearers that it can be found nearly anywhere. On this album’s first song, Quik loops a banjo riff after a tongue-in-cheek, dare-me-not-to intro that alludes to the instrument perhaps as Hip Hop’s next big thing. The intro/track duo is a bit of a playful red herring though, and while there’s a comedic element to the banjo’s placement and Quik’s own satire about it, he makes it work, gliding over top with crass sex jokes and slick threats. Come at Quik? He’ll cast a spell and “you’ll be stuck.” “That’s the voodoo that Pirus do / That fly crews do / That fire on tired niggas that block cock like you do,” he raps, more fly shit-talk than actual menace.
As a solo artist and rapper, Quik’s quirkiness and off-kilter, conversational delivery has kept him outside the realm of commercial palatability. Now on his ninth album, the previous eight built him up as regional hero, leader of a cult of savvy groove-seekers, and slept-on super producer in one. The last several years have allowed Quik some deserved critical acceptance though, thanks in part to the release that preceded Midnight Life. The Book of David was smart and sporadically morose, the producer/rapper confronting the most recent of his life’s many griefs, specifically an outright hatred for a sister that he admits to slapping up after she apparently plotted to kidnap his children. By contrast, on Midnight Life, Quik sounds happily and productively surrounded by family and friends instead of glancing at them sideways, even if new and public family tragedies have popped up between the records. Quik still waxes plenty on some of his life’s hardships with “Puffin the Dragon” as the album’s stand-out moment of grave reflection. As ever, he wills some self-gratifying comedy into a verse that also glosses over random twists of catastrophe—“Before my face got stubble / My house burned to rubble”—and smacks of his begrudging attitude towards being underappreciated. The song is the third in a string of five (or potentially six) unskippable tracks that anchor the middle of the record, starting with a soulful, conga-laced interlude that would make Marvin Gaye proud.
“Pet Sematary,” which follows immediately after, is Quik’s most deliberate bit of R&B-infused-Gangsta Rap ambassadorship. The track is a reminder that despite a renewed spotlight on the West, something has been missing. There’s a down-to-earth localism in Quik’s gangster alongside the G-Funk: “I hit the liquor depot, on Crenshaw / Where all the working class G’s go / Around the corner from Greg house,” he raps to open the album’s first single. Here again, he also leaves behind abbreviated moments of bitterness, like, “Anything I do for music’s never celebrated.” Few people will laud Quik for building such a vibe out of an unconventional five-bar arrangement, but when he mentions the stuff in interviews, you can tell he geeks out over his own tinkering. His rapping has never been particularly innovative or showstopping, but his talking-over-tracks approach makes his Gangsta R&B supremely affable and his character enduring. Nevermind that Quik might steal your girl, partying with him sounds irresistible.
Quik is a fantastic melodic writer, but the actual shape of the basslines and synth riffs are equal characters in his arrangements. After lacing beats with gear like Moog and Roland keyboards for much of his career, Quik abandoned analog sounds for several albums before returning to them for Book of David. Here again he sounds organic as ever, and even the most contemporary tracks—“That Getter” is a timely West Coast banger—inflect with sounds like a synth stab that’s worth marvelling at all its own: crunchy, sharp, jarring. “That Getter” is also one of four songs that feature Quik’s son, David Blake II, as a rapper. Before he appears, Quik seems to whisper advice in his ear: “Remember, if people don’t like you, that means they see you as competition.” Blake II is an entirely different type of rapper than his father, certainly timelier and agreeably stylish but not as distinct.
Particularly as the type of absorbed fan to read album credits himself, Quik has been grievously robbed of the public acknowledgement he deserves, both in the absence of his name on song and album credits—his lending kicks and snares to Dre for 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” is probably the most open secret of his ghost-in-the-mix moments—as well as his underappreciated role in the narrative of the rise of G-Funk in West Coast Hip Hop. Midnight Life again refocuses Quik’s gaze inward; well into the third decade of his career, he’s still turning over new sounds, breaking little bits of ground in the process. It’s also a reminder that if Quik sticks to his word and quits after his next and tenth album, we’ll all miss moments like these. He’ll likely slip back into the shadows either way, but it’s always been a different type of fun partying with him instead of mysteriously because of him.
Quik never disapoints and he delivers a real decent record once again. Production wise it’s on another level especially on songs like “Puffin The Dragon” or “That N*****’s Crazy”.
Meh. He has some classic songs, but all of his albums have always had only a 1-3 good songs. 2.5/5
Quik’s first 5 albums are heat from front to back. Kill yourself.
Nigga said only 1-3 good songs. Stick to your Chief Keefs and Young Thugs dumbass.
Kill myself for not having the same taste in music? Fuck off. Dollaz + Sense is his best song in my opinion, it has a bangin’ beat and it’s just a damn good song. I have listened to his albums, but it’s always the same thing – only a couple of good songs and rest of the album(s) sound(s) a bit off to me. And I don’t listen to Chief Keef or Young Thug, but I love K.Dot and Your Old Droog for example. Pharoahe Monch’s ‘PTSD’ is one of the best albums released in the last few years. I also love Cunninlynguists, so I don’t really like mainstream bullshit.
If you can’t stand other opinions than yours, stay far away from comment sections.
1-3 good songs per album is an asinine opinion.
That’s just my opinion, you’re free to like all the songs Quik has ever made.
Classic Quik!
haha. 4 stars. compared to all the other crap maybe but this album is his worst yet.this and trauma and the shitty fixers album. 3/5. sounds uninspired and forced on half the tracks. a few undeniably weak tracks. get off quicks dick. beat are too stripped down and boring on most tracks.
This album is not worth 4 stars , wack ass review .
This album is pure garbage , maybe 2 or 3 good songs and the rest is filler . Not hating just being real , DJ Quik fell off with this album it’s by far his worst album . 2.5 STARS OUT OF 5 . TERRIBLE ALBUM , THE BEATS ARE WACK AND THE LYRICS ARE WACK
His worst album , beats are wack and his lyrics are wack now .
Safe and Sound and Rhythm a lism is his best. Balance & Options was good , and the rest of his albums are either garbage or average .
Good joke.
Quik is the fuckin man
If anyone can be considered a legend and underrated at the same time, it’s definitely Quik. This is fire
Quik tore up this album no matter what you yunstas say! He makes real music not that squarr ass real music not dat square tight pant wanna b auto toon bullshit trap music!
That cover is great.
The album cover is trash
So is your life.
Yours too.
Dope album from the ledgend dj quik my favorite rapper im sick of niggas not showing respect when he’s better than most of ur fav rappers
honestly, ppl don’t even see the fact on how he even recorded this record..which is all on tape. Of course I wish the album was longer and maybe more of him on it, but production wise and the younger vibe he channeled is exactly what he did…I love the album
sure 2 inch tape- reel to reel is better sounding quality wise(warmth, sonics etc) but it has little use if what is recorded onto the tape is weak.
all you dudes defending the beats o this are only revealing how little you know about production/composing.
and peace to quick – has like 6 classics!. book of david is nice. Blaqkout with kurupt is bananas. i’m critical cause i know the deal and expect more from DJ Cake mix. – only Quicks truest fans will know that reference.
This album is definitely nice.
This album felt like a venture into experimental production and veered off the West Coast path in my opinion. Aside from the production on “The Getter” a lot of the beats felt focus lacking. I was expecting a huge return to the sound of Safe and Sound or Rhythmalism or even Unda the Influence on this album after the disappointment of Book of David. You would think after a 6 yr hiatus Quik would come with a vengeance but the album felt weak from his 90’s days. A lot of Quik’s best beats are the ones he contributed to other artists, ex. choke me spank me pull my hair, Truth Hurts, my dads gone crazy, etc. I guess every now and then artists offer a mixed bag to audiences in an attempt to please the changing times.
Balance and Options stayed in my deck. I’m lovin the Pet Semetary.
Horrible album . Honest opinion , not 1 good song on the album . Quik fell off alongtime ago back in the 90’s . Beats are wack and rhymes are wack
This album is garbage , Quik fell off
BEATS = 2
LYRICS = 2
SUBSTANCE = 2
FLOW = 2
ALBUM COVER = 2
o.k. album. get it right.
First Time
at least hiphopdx didn’t do like XXL give it a bad rating because it doesn’t appeal to the newer generation which is a weak excuse the youth today don’t even appreciate the legends well most don’t. solid album though
Even though he’s a legend, it doesn’t mean all his material is good.
great album
Terrible album . Quik is wack now . His best days have passed
the beats suck ass and the lyrics are trash
I concur. Last album that had some strong production was unda the influence. Trauma had a few bangers. After a 6 year hiatus aside from the book of david I was really expecting a safe and sound type album.
If Quik did a compilation album like Dre with his Chronic album series, I think people re-acknowledge how good he actual is. 3.5/5.
this was a dope song. real west coast shit. all those hater comments are just lames.
Geaah MC Eiht’s in the mothafuckin house
Great album. The Suga Free tracks are classic. Bacon’s Groove is super mellow. One downside: wish that El’s Interlude 2 was longer.
Lotta hate in the comments for something with such a high review
As always Quik produces a multi layered sound. His raps are stylish, with his distinctive smooth flow. I think he has improved here on recent releases and deserves far more acclaim than he receives. A dope LP and a really funky slice of west coast rap. Suga Free is fly again too.