Debut album for David "DJ Quik" Blake, which in 1991 also produced the debut of Hi-C and the debut of 2nd II None: it was to be a mixtape sold in the streets, in the ghettos, originally, however, after listening to it, a Profile manager convinces the artist to sign a contract with its label, giving him a substantial budget that allows DJ Quik to refine the sound of his project and, to give a trivial example, add those scratches dope on the hooks.
The boy, like most cats launched into the stratosphere from the West Coast, comes from Compton, but unlike his fellow citizens he doesn't go through those gangsta themes that were so popular at the time: he doesn't go too far from it, his arguments still deal with parties, girls, police and braggadocio, but he's more relaxed than the others, he doesn't stands out particularly for some of his technical peculiarities or for his specific qualities, but he manages to entertain the listener in some way, his delivery is regular and quiet, flowing and clean, sometimes disinterested in rhythm and he doesn't feel properly gangsta, the label would not be appropriate for this effort.
DJ Quik is known as one of the most important producers on the West Coast scene, and part of his name has earned it starting from this debut: he excels in designing a funky production as fluid as possible, which still manages to reflect the Los Angeles sun and the West Coast vibes in its funky grooves, in its smooth basses, in its eccentric keyboards, soon becoming the strong point of this album with its fresh beats and samples. The boy has fun here and offers us a deeply flowing album with a high replay value: in general, it doesn't present classics or bangers, it's not excellent, but it's accessible, good.
Released by Profile Records, promoted by three singles, the album is received enthusiastically by critics, and in retrospect is hailed as one of the best hip-hop LPs ever. It's a success even in sales, entering the top ten among rnb records, being one of the best-selling hip-hop albums of the year, gold certified in few months and platinum in 1995.
Highlights: "Sweet Black Pussy", "Tonite", "Born and Raised in Compton", "Quik's Groove".
Rating: 7.5/10.
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