DJ QUIK - Balance & Options | Review By: Incognito


 

1. Change Da Game - (featuring Mausberg, James Debarge, Will Hudspeth) - A tight track to get shit poppin, I think the beat Quik laced is very dope. His right hand man, Mausberg comes hittin the hardest lyrically, "Dog we the realest, hit the game wit a twist now labeled us the illest". He's a true MC. This song is one of my favorites on the album. 4.5 out of 5 dubs.

2. Did Y'all Feel Dat? - (featuring Skaboobie, Mausberg) - Dj Quik does a good job utilizing the talk box for the hook. His sidekick Mausberg returns who is accompanied along with a cat named Skaboobie. I like this track also, but not as much as "Change da game", the lyrics were better. Though the beat is still pretty dope. 3.5 dubs out of 5.

3. We Came 2 Play - (featuring AMG, James Debarge) - Hell yeah this is a club banger, straight up, funky as the funkiest shit on the whole LP. AMG is pretty sick here as well a Quik, the beat is just signature Dj Quik , and the chorus is catchy. Nothin' else to say, it's just a good track. 4/5 dubs.

4. Pitch In On A Party - This was the second single off the record and I think it ranks among the best off the album. Quik rolls solo for a mellowed out song, with a smooth beat and a tight hook. You might of caught the video on BET this summer, it's a party type mood. It wasn't a big hit though like it should of been. Quik shows off some funny ass rhymes like when the fuckin' cord gets unplugged in the middle of the track. Overall a classic Dj Quik track. 4.5 out of 5 dubs.

5. I Don't Wanna Party Wit U - Alright this song aint that bad, but not the best. Another laid back track with a nice classical beat. Quik's just rappin' about some bitch he aint wanna party with, it's pretty funny. "See lyrics aint nothin' if the beat aint crackin" Quik states, but sadly it goes reversed on this particular track. 3 dubs out of 5.

6. Motek Records (Interlude) - A little skit about some record company shit, to tell ya the truth I dont know what the fuck is goin' on here.

7. Sexuality - Is it me or does the beat Quik laid down have a 1980s edge to it? I like this track it's a pretty funny hoe anthem. Again Quiksta orchestrates a tight instrumental, but he still needs to work on his spittin' game. 3 dubs out of 5.

8. How Come? - Quik sends out a dedication to the LA police in the begining of the song, the beat is tight again and the hook is pretty dope. 3.5 dubs out 5.

9. U Ain't Fresh! - (featuring Erick Sermon And Kam) - When this track hit the streets as the first single mad rumors were goin' around that Quik was dissin' Dre. He later cleared shit up on the radio that it wasn't intended towards him. Anyway this track is the best lyrically, Quik does the best here and a resurgent KAM blows the fuck up! I love him on this track, "KAM got git backs, get up off my dick rat, nigga that shit wack, you want a hit track where Quik at ?" Yeah definitely a bangin' song. 4 out of 5 dubs.

10. Roger's Groove - Man I feel Quik here, he composes a short melody with the talk box dedicated to the late Roger Troutman. Troutman was one of Quik's major influences, and you can see it in his music. 4 out of 5 dubs.

11. Motek Records 2 (Interlude) - Part 2 of the first skit and I'm still trying to figure out what's going on?

12. Quikker Said Than Dunn - Quik did this 1988 cover of Eazy-E's "Eazier said than dunn". He does a good job of flippin' some of the lyrics around. At the end he sends out a dedication to "The creator of gangsta rap music, Mr. Eric "Eazy-E" Wright". I skip over this track a lot for some reason. 3/5 dubs.

13. Straight from the Streets (Interlude) - A short skit about some bum from the streets.

14. Speak On It - (featuring Mausberg and AMG) - Mausberg and AMG return for the second time around. This my least favorite track on the record, the beat aint all that and the lyrics blow. I like AMG though on this song. 2.5 dubs out of 5.

15. Do Wutcha Want - (featuring Digital Underground and AMG) - This song is off the wall, it's a remake of Digital Underground's "Lets have some fun". The fuckin' beat is just fuckin' nuts, I like how Quik breaks it down at the end too. Play this track when at parties. 4 dubs out of 5.

16. Well - (featuring Mausberg and Raphael Saadiq) - This is also one of the best tracks on the LP, I think this has a lot of meaning. If you listen to the chorus "Things I used to do, I don't do no more, places I use to go, dont move it like before". The song is just sayin' how Quik aint what he use to be, and thats a gangsta, straight up. Quik experimented with an orchestra here, resulting into a cool beat. Mausberg makes another dope appearance too. 4.5 dubs out of 5.

17. Quik's Groove V - Well we have reached a trademark in all of Quik's records, and that's displaying his dimensions as a musician. For those of you who have no idea what this is its just an instrumental. I dont get too exited when I reached this track, though the beat shows maturity in Quik. 3 out of 5 dubs.

18. Do I Love Her? - (featuring Suga Free) - Quik and Suga Free return for a nice duo about bitches and shit like that. Suga Free shines here, I like the hook. Not a bad song. 3.5 out of 5 dubs.

19. The Divorce Song - James Debarge - Quik lets James Debarge go solo here, I gotta admit I do like this track, I took a liking to it after givin it listen. It's about goin' through a divorce and shit. A kinda strange the way Quik ends the record. Maybe this track really means like Quik's divorce from gangsta rap? Who knows. 4 dubs out of 5.

20. Balance & Options (Outro) - We've come to a conclusion, and Quik just says that this record was about life, and balance and options.

DJ Quik emerged from the Compton streets labeled as another N.W.A. wannabe with his jhery curl and all. But he showed us that he had a style different from the funk of Dr. Dre and the smooth feel of Warren G. Quik distinguished himself from other cats in rap with his ability to play many instruments and compose tight rhythms. He has matured since his days of "Sweet Black Pussy", and has out grown his gangsta image. On his latest effort "Balance + Options", Quik is wiser and is able to admit that he aint no gangsta. There is nothin wrong wit that, Quik can still rock the parties and get respect from peeps on the streets. I really like this record, songs like "Change The Game", "Pitch In On A Party" and "Well" really mean a lot. The Beats really make the record, though I still love it, I think it deserves a 4/5 because of incredible production and deep meaning. With this album, Quik has again shown us how he has established himself as a key factor in the West coast.

 

4.5/5 Dubs!



 

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