DJ QUIK: ‘I DESERVE TO BE WHERE [DR.] DRE IS’

[jaytee]

It reminds me what Scoop DeVille said a few years back...



In regards to Scoop, a few of his biggest records were mixed by Dre.

I love DJ Quik and he truly is one of the best to ever do it in Hip-Hop. However, I don't like when people say that they deserve to have what somebody else has or be where somebody else is.  There are so many factors that determine one's success.  Talent is only one component. Sometimes people have things you don't because they are willing to do things that you aren't willing to do. 

When Quik says that he deserves to be where Dre is...does that mean the money, the fame, the accolades, recognition, adoration?

Quik has had a more than respectable career and has worked with some of the biggest names to ever do it in the industry. He just hasn't had the huge crossover hits. He's had 5 top-40 records so far.  That's impressive. 

Tony! Toni! Tone! - Let's Get Down (30)
Hand in Hand (38)
Truth Hurts - Addictive (9)
Nate Dogg - Get Up (39)
Can U Werk Wid Dat (32)

Dre's Top-40 Hits (Billboard Hot 100)

JJ Fad - Supersonic (31)
Straight Outta Compton (38)
Michel'le - No More Lies (7)
Michel'le - Nicety (27)
Michel'le - Something in My Heart (31)
West Coast Rap Allstars - We're All in the Same Gang (35)
Nuthin' But A G Thang (2)
Fuck Wit Dre Day ( 8 )
Let Me Ride (34)
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Who Am I? ( 8 )
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Gin & Juice ( 8 )
Keep Their Heads Ringin' (10)
2Pac - California Love (1)
Blackstreet - No Diggity (1)
Eminem - My Name Is (36)
Still D.R.E. (23)
Forgot About Dre (25)
Next Episode (23)
Eminem - Real Slim Shady (4)
Eve - Let Me Blow Ya Mind (2)
Busta Rhymes - Break Ya Neck (36)
Mary J. Blige - Family Affair (1)
50 Cent - In Da Club (1)
Eve - Satisfaction (27)
Gwen Stefani - Rich Girl (7)
Emimen - Just Lose It (6)
Eminem - Encore (25)
Game - How We Do (4)
50 Cent - Outta Control Remix (6)
50 Cent - Straight to the Bank (32)
Eminem - Crack A Bottle (1)
Eminem - We Made You (9)
Eminem - 3AM (32)
Eminem - Old Time's Sake (25)
Eminem - Hell Breaks Loose (29)
Kush (34)
I Need A Doctor (4)

A hit is not always indicative of a good song, but it is indicative of your reach and popularity. Watch an NBA game, any team across the country, you're more than likely going to hear at least 1 Dre song during the game and probably quite a few more. Even if they are 20 or 30 years old, they're still getting regularly played. You don't have to go out of your way to hear or listen to something that Dre was involved with. You don't have to go searching for his music. It will find you. It's easy to know who Quik is on the West Coast, but maybe not as much in other parts of the country. You either have to already know about him or somebody is going to have to school you on him. You're likely not just going to stumble onto his music.

The people that Dre helped put into the game became some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, not just music.  Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent. Those are household names whether you listen to Hip-Hop or not and their success gets tied to him just by association.

There's a reason why he's rubbed shoulders with the likes of Quincy Jones or Burt Bacharach. There's a reason why he's in the Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame and a movie about his life was able to make $200M+. Then there's the headphones.

Production goes beyond the beat. How many times have we heard that Dre has made an artist redo 1 line an insane amount of times? He had Gwen Stefani crying in the studio.  I don't remember if it was Xzibit or Game, said they felt they just wrote their best verse and he'd walk by and give them a thumbs down and keep walking.  It pissed them off, but made them step up their game.  Everybody wants to get Dre's attention, even Quik. How many people have made accusations about Dre that are downright disrespectful if true, but in the same breath will turn around and give him all the credit for teaching them what they know or bringing the best out of them.  He may frustrate them, but they appreciate his influence on their career.



I'm not trying to put Quik down. I know he is amazing. I would love to see him get more shine and the respect and appreciation that I believe he deserves as both an artist and a producer.  I think he was content with where he was back in the day, but realizes that it could have been bigger. There's an interview where he is called a legend by the host, but he doesn't like that term. He is clearly thinking about his legacy in recent years. He knows that he's dope, but he wants others to know that as well.  He comes out and says that he should be where Dre is. People are like wtf? Let me go check this dude out.  I'm not mad at him. I hope that it causes people to look into his work and that it brings him more fans.

[Young Old Head]

 

They'll never learn...

[abusive]

your stance is an assumption rooted in ignorance brodie

dre is the only producer to have a beat credited to him on a dj quik album

quik has always looked up to dre

those are the facts

Shut up pork chop heart!

[Sccit]

Shut up pork chop heart!

 


clown shit

[Lucifuge]

Quik si dope, but not a close to Dre.
Quik best mixed albums are 2pacs, and  Trauma and under the influence. Those albums aint even close of mixing levels of chronic or 2001, or MMLP, or GRODT. I thinks, the "worst" mixed dr dre albus was doggystyle. Quik mixing is on that level. If quik takes time with the music shit would be different for him. On every album hes got 4 bangers rest of fillers.

[Dee Tha AK]

Quik si dope, but not a close to Dre.
Quik best mixed albums are 2pacs, and  Trauma and under the influence. Those albums aint even close of mixing levels of chronic or 2001, or MMLP, or GRODT. I thinks, the "worst" mixed dr dre albus was doggystyle. Quik mixing is on that level. If quik takes time with the music shit would be different for him. On every album hes got 4 bangers rest of fillers.

Mixing is arranged the right sound level to each part/instrument & balance it right?

[abusive]

A hit is not always indicative of a good song, but it is indicative of your reach and popularity.

Nah. There's marketing, promotion, industry relationships, payola etc. Were Murda Inc, Rocafella and Ruff Ryders just so much better than everyone else on the East Coast or was their success in large part due to Def Jam's power in the industry? Alot of people clown Swizz Beats for his production to this day. Yet, him being blood related to one of the Ruff Ryders founders put him in the 'super producer' conversation. I feel talent wise Quik is up there with Dre. I think we all do. Even if you want to say they both use other musicians that point still stands. Quik was never the industry darling that Dre was/is tho. So the industry angle of "hits", sales, chart position etc. (which are all controlled music industry systems that can be and are manipulated) shouldn't be the measuring stick.

I just thought of a dope concept in the process of writing this post concerning a collab between the two of them. Who wants to buy it? I'll have my people draw up a NDA and i'll send it to you. You can cut the chizneck if you decide to use it. 

[jman91331]

Quik has all the talent in the world, dope ass ability and ear for production but his style is kind of regional/underground but like a high quality version of it (if that makes sense). When he does try to step out of that box, it sounds very experimental (like Jay-Z's Justify My Thug or a lot of the Blaqkout album) like there's no in between. I also believe either he's hard to work with or the people around him weren't handling his business properly because I'm sure when Quik had his run, it had to be damn near every rapper in the game wanted some Quik production (especially on the westcoast). I find it hard to believe that out of all the heat he was coming with, all he could land is a few album cuts here and there on cats like Kurupt, Xzibit, and people like that but no big smash singles really. His closest was Let's Get Down (which was a hit here in LA but not sure how big it was outside of that) Suga Free first album (same thing) Truth Hurts Addictive  (mixed by Dre and everything but didn't clear the sample and that fucked it all off). It seems like every rapper that wanted a Dre beats and couldn't get it or afford it Quik should've been all over it, no way he shouldn't have blown up more. He was around Death Row and all we got was 1 Pac album cut, mixed half the album, some unreleased shit on Jewel and Danny Boy, some soundtrack cuts and that's it. And that was on the biggest label at the time. Then he was around Afermath and all we got was a couple of Truth Hurt songs, a song off Xzibit, and a unreleased King T cut. I don't know if dude had bad luck or it's self inflicted, but he definitely should be bigger than what he is, not Dre's spot but definitely bigger than he is now. Even now, it's artist that would sound perfect over Quik's production, Ty Dolla $ign and Jay Rock come to mind off the top of my head, even Mount Westmore, something's fishy

[abusive]

^Quik was one of the artist going against the East Coast back in the day when the East Coast was talking slick about out Compton, not playing West Coast rap and flat out dissing artist who weren't from the East. He also had ties to DR. Crooked I, Spider Loc and others have talked about how being affiliated with DR has hindered their careers. The gang affiliation I'm sure was an issue as well. Didn't his name come up in the El Ray Theater incident? Factor in the Biggie killing where his name came up and you have a perfect storm of people in the industry not wanting to deal with him. No matter how talented he is. It's pretty obvious that the industry doesn't give a f about Eazy and have damn near written him out of history. Quik being tied to him, I assume from their standpoint, was a factor as well. If he's hard to work with or has issues would play a role to. I can't say he wasn't taking care of his business but I don't think he had a team to propel him to the next level. We had this discussion before. It takes alot to get to that level, not just talent. Even if you don't have the talent but that sort of team you can still get to that level. Dre had Introscope and was more diplomatic in regards to the industry.

[Soopafly DPGC]

Maybe Quik should actually release some music. I know Dre has a reputation of not releasing anything but i think even he’s released more stuff than Quik has in the last few years. Quik’s become very insecure and unsure of himself the last few years. Scared to put anything out there for fear it might tarnish his perceived legacy.

[b.laden]

Mixing is arranged the right sound level to each part/instrument & balance it right?

yeah but  people in the hip hop community overrestimate the mixing  because of Dre..
beat making, producing,arrangment are far more important than mixing..  and mixing is usually part of producing.   

[heisenberg]

when you start crying about "i deserve to be there, this or that" thats the first point of you dont deserve anything. i love quik but he makes 0 sense. Level of Dre ? after snoop, eminem, 50 cent, kendrick ? these 4 names are enough.

[doggfather]

when you start crying about "i deserve to be there, this or that" thats the first point of you dont deserve anything.

word!
that was my point!

[Sccit]

yeah but  people in the hip hop community overrestimate the mixing  because of Dre..
beat making, producing,arrangment are far more important than mixing..  and mixing is usually part of producing.

they’re all equally important

[abusive]

Yall don't think that certain people in the industry may have held Quik back just so Dre could shine more? Like maybe saw him as a threat/competitor to Dre? Just an idea.

I just want to know what yall think about if Dre and Quik both had the same tools, who's music would be better? Even if you want to throw in the same session players. Same instruments, same beat machines, mixed by the same person etc. I'm not even saying what you would necessarily like better, Just literally from a technical stand point.