DJ Quik finds beauty in the Midnight Life

There's very, very few Hip Hop MC's that you can say were relevant in 1990 that are still relevant today. The list of relevant producers is even shorter, but DJ Quik is both relevant as an MC and a producer. More than relevant, he excels at both.

Midnight Life is his 9th studio album, and it's one of his best, which is saying something.

"Beauty is the promise of happiness" - Stendhal, 19th-century French writer 

"My music is flawless" - DJ Quik, Pet Sematary 

The live instrumentation that Quik raps over bears the signs of a restless producer who's been searching for the perfect sound for more than half his life. If beauty is truly the promise of happiness then Quik is trying make a lot of people extremely happy. 

Although this album revels in perfecting old school styles (G-Funk, Jazz, Vocoders) there are signs that Quik has one ear to the mainstream. With a little Ratchet here, and a little Trap there, Quik can co-sign the latest fads without giving over to them. That he is able to mesh more contemporary beats with the sounds that have cemented his legacy since Quik is the name, is all the more impressive. 

In taking the best of all genres, Quik constructs a well-designed piece of art, a package of sound that acts as a reminder to us of the values we wish to see in ourselves - clarity, attention to detail, integrity, depth, dexterity and perfection. 

However, Quik doesn't let perfection get in the way of a good time. A party starter from the get-go, the music of the Midnight Life reflects the attitudes of the easy-going Quik. The Jazzy late-night groove of 'Pet Sematary' lulls you into Quik's world, one that is simultaneously partying like its 1989 and 2014. 'Puffin the Dragon' even sounds like a TV theme song from the 1970's. 

It's not all gin and juice though. Anyone who heard the more scathing tracks on Quik's 2011 album The Book of David will know his real life has not been easy, and this every present fear pervades every verse of this album. Hailing from the notoriously violent suburb of Compton, and entering the game with the likes of NWA, Quik knows the gangsta life. 

His hood side is present on bangers like 'Trapped on the Tracks' and 'That Getter', although the paranoia explicit in those tracks is also sprinkled right through his album. Like the mafioso in the diner, Quik never has his back to the door. 

 Where does this perceived fear stem from? Maybe Quik feels that his comparative lack of success is unwarranted? 

 I suspect that he is keenly aware that his take on West Coast Hip Hop long ago ceased to appeal to the casual rap fan, and I believe he doesn't mind being the odd one out. 

If Quik is truly aiming for beauty in his art, and if art really is the "criticism of life", then Quiks art comes at a price, which may be in the form of decreasing radio spins and albums sales. 

That may be all be true, but in any case, the world is better off when Quik's trying to rupture the status quo.

Play now at Spotify 
Buy now at Itunes