DJ Quik: Under Tha Influence

DJ Quik has quietly been perfecting his airy, party-friendly brand of West Coast funk for more than a decade. One of the pioneers of West Coast rap, Quik has often seen his formidable production prowess overshadowed by his gang connections, his beef with MC Eiht, and his shadowy affiliation with Death Row Records. But 2002 looks to be Quik's breakout year. He landed a high-profile spot on Soundbombing III, and an even higher-profile gig producing "Addictive," the hypnotic smash single from Dr. Dre protégé Truth Hurts and legendary MC Rakim. Dre repaid the favor by producing and guesting on Under Tha Influence's "Put It On Me" (not to be confused with Ja Rule's smash of the same name), and the pair's differences and similarities prove instructive. Both men are West Coast veterans with instantly recognizable, distinctive sounds, but Dre is a megastar because of his choice of collaborators. Where Dre is the Phil Jackson of rap, leading superstars like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Xzibit to unparalleled success, Quik is the talented player-coach of an expansion team filled with no-talent scrubs like Hi-C, AMG, KK of 2nd II None, and assorted DeBarges. Of course, Quik himself will never be mistaken for Rakim, but he outshines his low-wattage posse on a regular basis. Influence finds Quik adding East Coast heavy hitters Pharoahe Monch and Talib Kweli to the lineup, and if the album were filled with MCs of their stature, it would qualify as the best of his career. Unfortunately, Quik remains loyal to his crew, which leaves Influence mired in the ugly misogyny that has been his Achilles' heel from day one. A certain amount of sexism is to be expected in the misanthropic realm of gangsta rap, but Quik seems positively fixated on denigrating women. He does so most memorably during "Put It On Me," a track in every way emblematic of the album: The beat is banging, the lyrics are vicious, and the rapping is overshadowed by the production. Fans waiting for Quik to outgrow his violent tendencies will have to keep waiting, although the somber, introspective "50 Ways" is a serious step in that direction. For everyone else, Under Tha Influence marks yet another memorable batch of funk from one of the most underrated and overlooked producers in rap.