DJ Quik Quick Info | |
---|---|
Height | 5 ft 11 in |
Weight | 78 kg |
Date of Birth | January 18, 1970 |
Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
DJ Quik is an American rapper, DJ, record producer, and songwriter, best known for his top songs Tonite, Born and Raised in Compton, and Jus Lyke Compton, as well as plenty others that charted highly during his career as a hip hop artist that started in 1987. However, his prominence started in 1991, with the release of his debut studio album Quik Is the Name, quickly followed by Way 2 Fonky (1992), Safe + Sound (1995), Rhythm-al-ism (1998), Balance & Options (2000), and Under tha Influence (2002). In 2005, DJ Quik was signed to Mad Science Recordings and released his 7th album titled Trauma, and in 2007, formed a hip hop group The Fixxers with the rapper AMG, on which he rapped as “Quik” instead of “DJ Quik.”
In late 2008, he also joined forces with Snoop Dogg, Teddy Riley and formed a production group QDT. DJ Quik released a collaborative album with the rapper Kurupt, titled Blaqkout in 2009. On April 19, 2011, he released his 8th studio album titled The Book of David, on which he worked with Bun B, Jon B, Dwele, Ice Cube, and others. His 9th studio album, The Midnight Life, was released in 2014 to critical acclaim. DJ Quik also collaborated with the rapper Problem on his 2nd collaborative album titled Rosecrans in 2017. He has garnered a loyal fanbase on social media, with more than 500k followers on Instagram, more than 500k followers on Facebook, and more than 300k followers on Twitter.
Born Name
David Marvin Blake
Nick Name
Mr. Quik, DJ Quik, Q
Sun Sign
Capricorn
Born Place
Compton, California, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
DJ Quik dropped out of high school in the 11th grade and was homeless for 3 years because his mother lost her home due to foreclosure.
Occupation
Rapper, Record Producer, DJ, Songwriter
Family
- Father – David Blake Jr.
- Mother – Delma Armstrong
- Siblings – Stacy Hagood (Sister)
Manager
DJ Quik is represented by –
- Adler Entertainment (Talent Agent) in Los Angeles, California, United States
- Foundation (Manager) in Los Angeles, California, United States
- The Mass Appeal (Publicist) in North Hollywood, California, United States
- Cashmere Agency (Publicist) in Los Angeles, California, United States
Genre
Hip Hop
Instruments
Vocals, Guitar, Bass Guitar, Drum Machine, Sampler, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Turntables, Drums
Labels
- Profile Records
- Arista Records
- Death Row Records
- Mad Science / Fontana Records
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 11 in or 180.5 cm
Weight
78 kg or 172 lbs
Race / Ethnicity
Black
He is of African-American descent.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Unknown
Distinctive Features
- Tall physique
- Long afro dreads
- Goatee facial hair
- Fuller Lips
Brand Endorsements
DJ Quik has promoted brands such as –
- Supreme Clothing (2017)
- Rehab Salon by Christina “Tina” Trammell (2017)
- Fresh Artisan (2019)
- Crustacean Restaurant (2019)
- Chips Ahoy! (2019)
- Ciroc (2019)
- Hennessy (2019)
- Casamigos (2019)
Religion
Christianity (Baptized)
Best Known For
- His debut studio album Quik Is the Name (1991), and 8 solo albums between 1992 and 2014 – Way 2 Fonky (1992), Safe + Sound (1995), Rhythm-al-ism (1998), Balance & Options (2000), Under tha Influence (2002), Trauma (2005), The Book of David (2011), and The Midnight Life (2014)
- His collaborative albums – Blaqkout (2009) with rapper Kurupt, and Rosecrans (2017) with record producer Problem, and his collaborations with artists such as AMG, 2nd II None, 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Bizzy Bone, Suga Free, James DeBarge, and others
First Album
DJ Quik released his debut studio album titled Quik Is The Name on January 15, 1991, under Profile Records label. The album debuted and peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and sold more than 50k copies in its 1st week. 4 months after its release, on May 30, 1991, it was certified ‘Gold’, and 4 years later, on July 26, 1995, it achieved certified ‘Platinum’ status. By 2005, the album sold 1.07 million copies.
First Film
DJ Quik made his theatrical film debut as himself in the comedy movie Keeping Up with the Steins in 2006.
First TV Show
DJ Quik made his first TV show appearance as a musical guest in an episode titled DJ Quik Featuring El DeBarge 2nd II None and Suga Free/Sparkle/Dave Hollister of the music talk-show Soul Train in 1999.
DJ Quik Favorite Things
- People – 2 Chainz, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Vaughan Mason, Trippie Redd, Bruno Mars, Tupac Shakur, Nate Dogg, Darius McCrary, Tiger Woods, Mike Tyson, Barack Obama, LeBron James
- Sport – Basketball
- Basketball Club – Cleveland Cavaliers
- Animal – Dog
- Personal Quote – “Live life like tomorrow won’t come.
(But you know it will, and you’ll be hungover.)”
Source – Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram, Instagram
DJ Quik Facts
- His interest in music began when he was only 2 years old because his mother had a massive record collection at home that she played often.
- Before he turned 12, he was already playing multiple instruments.
- DJ Quik cited being inspired by George Clinton and Roger Troutman, the latter of which taught him how to use a talkbox, which later became a trademark of his sound. He later stopped using the talkbox out of respect for Roger.
- After he got a turntable as a gift for his 8th-grade promotion, he sold homemade mixtapes in his neighborhood. One of those was The Red Tape, recorded in 1987.
- He was a member of the Westside Tree Top Piru, a Bloods street gang in Compton, California.
- DJ Quik named his production company ToTal Production so that the capital letters were initials of his gang Tree Top Piru.
- There was an expensive fight over the rights to his 1st album, even though he was only a street hip hop artist at the time. DJ Quik was the 1st artist to sign a 6-figure deal with Profile Records, but rapper Eazy-E‘s Ruthless Records also offered him upwards of $1 million.
- He worked on his 3rd studio album, Safe + Sound with Suge Knight, and released it in 1995.
- DJ Quik had another complete album planned for the 1995 release but scraped it completely because it was horrible, according to him.
- His relationship with Suge Knight, one of his best friends, dates back to 1988 when he was signed to Suge’s Funky Enough Records.
- DJ Quik produced 2Pac’s song Heartz of Men from his well-known All Eyez On Me (1996) album. He also produced half the album in 2 days but wasn’t credited for it.
- He discovered Suga Free, who was a pimp that turned rapper and produced his debut album Street Gospel in 1997.
- DJ Quik was dropped by Arista Records, the company that bought Profile Records after he only sold 400k copies of his album, Trauma (2005).
- DJ Quik spent a few months in prison after he was convinced for an assault on his sister that occurred back in 2003. He got out in October 2006 and claimed the time there changed his perspective on life.
- He produced and mixed Snoop Dogg’s well-known album Ego Trippin in February 2008.
- DJ Quik had a “beef” with a fellow Compton rapper MC Eiht, and the music group he belonged to, Compton’s Most Wanted. Snoop Dogg, Daz Dillinger, and other West Coast rappers helped them stop the massive dispute that lasted between 1987 and 2002.
- He developed a unique relationship with Dr. Dre, who would often send him alcoholic drinks such as tequila, wine, vodka, and whiskey that were often rare brands.
- Following their popularity in 2017 and 2018, DJ Quik also became obsessed with fidget spinners and would use them to calm himself down occasionally.
- Follow him on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, SoundCloud, iTunes, Spotify, Discogs, and Last.fm.
Featured Image by DJ Quik / Instagram