DJ Quik has been on a roll. He just got done doing the signing at my job up in Amoeba. He also performed at the Key Club. Here is the interview were he goes in depth about his life and about his Death Row days.  Rest of Interview down below..

HipHopDX: I know you’ve worked with Will Smith before, [on “Block Party”], so I’m not trying to get you to take shots at the Fresh Prince, but just between me and you … and the 50,000 people who are gonna read this, “Summer Breeze” is really the true #1 summertime Hip Hop song of all time, ain’t it?  

DJ Quik: That’s big. I love what [Hula & Fingers] did with the Kool & the Gang sample [of “Summer Madness” for DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “Summertime”], and how crazy [they] made it, and how funky. But, “Summer Breeze” was just coming from a real honest place. And, Jermaine Jackson was cool enough to actually give me some correspondence and let me use the sample, [of “You Like Me Don’t You”]. So, in hindsight, that’s a real special record because I was coming from a place too where I was missing some of my homies that had passed away. … I just did it thinking about them, and thinking about how dope the summer was in Compton growing up, in ’86, ’85 and ’84. It was bananas. We had the [1984] Olympics here, you couldn’t tell us nothing. The Olympics was at the L.A. Coliseum, the torch was lit. We seen that shit off the freeway. It was like, L.A. was on fire!        

DX: Switching gears here, I love how on the new album, [The Book of David], you’re taking it back to your more musical compositions. This album feels like it coulda dropped in between Rhythm-Al-Ism and -  

DJ Quik: Rhythm-Al-Ism and Balance & Options. Say that. It’s funny, when I went into doing this album I went into it as – themed it as Rhythm-Al-Ism 2. Like, where would I continue that thought? And that’s kinda where it’s coming from. As you can see, Jon B stood in for the El DeBarge [guest vocalist role]. … So, this feels like an amalgamation of Hip Hop and R&B, but [blended] in such a way to where it just becomes rhythm-al-ism. … And plus, it’s SSL, [Solid State Logic]. So it’s back to our sound from the “Let’s Get Down” days, Tony! Toni! Tone! It’s that sound again.   

DX: Am I hatin’ for sayin’ that in the years between “Pitch In On A Party” [from Balance & Options] and “Do You Know” from the BlaQKout album that it just didn’t feel like the same Quik that we came to know and love in the ‘90s?

DJ Quik: Nah, that ain’t hate at all. That’s actually a correct and very focused observation. So I commend you on knowing. Yeah, at that point, I didn’t really care about the music. I can’t front. I was having just personal stuff going on: fighting with my family, ‘cause they’re trying to rob me for stuff that belongs to me, stealing cars and motorcycles and playing like I owe ‘em that. It’s like, “I paid for this. I could call the police on you. Give me my toys back.” They like, “Nah nigga, we family, you can’t say nothing.” I’m like, “I will sue you muthafuckas.” So I’m fighting with these weirdos. And, it had nothing to do with the music. … I was pretty much going through the motions at that point. I was finding myself, where my place was in the business, where my place was with my mother. Like, just reestablishing relationships that doing music would of taken away from. So I was kinda just a shell of myself, and I had other people helping me. G-One was coming in and helping do some of that shit. I was pretty absent, from my own music. But, that’s reality though. And that’s when I took a real self-imposed break. Like you said, after “Pitch In On A Party,” and all the way up to BlaQKout  it was like – Trauma , don’t sleep on Trauma. Trauma has brilliant, brilliant moments. That’s a brilliant record. ‘Cause I did it from a place where … I was in New York. I was really hangin’ out with Wyclef [Jean], and Dave Chappelle, and Nas. I was just trying to learn my way around New York City. And Trauma afforded me the luxury of being able to live in New York …. I took an apartment in Manhattan, and you couldn’t tell me nothing. I’m going to the [Chappelle Show] tapings. … And hangin’ out with T.I. Like, really just on some New York shit.                 

DX: Now, I love the sleek synths, grown and sexy sound of “Luv Of My Life”

DJ Quik: Man, real grown up, right?               

DX: Yeah. But I gotta admit that as someone who loved how you incorporated a live flute into “Jus Lyke Compton,” “Quik’s Groove II” and “III,” and maybe most impressively on the immaculate “Somethin’ 4 Tha Mood,” not hearing any flute on the new album was disappointing.

DJ Quik: Well, it’s funny ‘cause my flute players aren’t around. I can’t access ‘em. And before I do fake flute, I’ll just do none.  

DX: Charles “Chaz” Greene, he’s not around anymore?    

DJ Quik: Chaz is doing freelance stuff now. He’s a saxophone player too. But he’s got a family now. He hasn’t been touring that much. I still run into real dope other cats though, but no flautist that has really rocked my boat right now; that really impressed me. But, it’ll come. That’ll be on my next record. I’m sorry you disappointed, ‘cause I love this record. This record is really about the drums, and the bass lines. This record is funky. … This album, the sound of it and the feel of it, it’s classic. It’s a classic. And it’s gon’ work. And it’s not pretentious; it’s not like … gimmicky. It’s just solid, emotive Hip Hop and R&B mixed together.            

DX: Well, like I said, I want the DJ Quik that’s full of flute. Pause. [Laughs]  

DJ Quik: [Laughs]      

DX: [Laughs] I also wanna hear you use the talk box. After Roger [Troutman], you really became the definitive user of that for “Safe And Sound,” “I Useta Know Her” -   

DJ Quik: Yeah. I [only] use it live, because there were a lot of people that were doing it [after he died in 1999] and I just didn’t like – it just seemed like they were making a mockery of my man Mr. [Roger] Troutman. And [after] working closely with that man, and knowing that man, I didn’t want to bastardize something that he made popular. I didn’t wanna be like I’m using it just because. He showed me that shit from an honest place, and I gotta use my discretion when I use it. … I’m glad that you like one of my classic [sounds], and don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m really trying to – I’m looking for the younger fan base too, so I’m giving them the music they like as well. ‘Cause I’m still a deejay; I still rock parties, and I gotta play what they like: Young Money and Drake and all them, I gotta play those records. And I think the flutes and that stuff … it’s a trickle-down theory. They’re taking music programs out of the schools. And we’re out fighting trying to keep ‘em in the schools. I’m doing philanthropy in that world, just trying to do what I can to help raise money for these schools so they can keep their music programs. Music and math are synonymous.  

DX: That’s true. Now, taking it back to Roger real quick, is it true – a little bit of Hip Hop folklore here – that you are the reason there was a “California Love,” because it was you who brought Roger to Dr. Dre?

DJ Quik: [Laughs softly] No comment.     

DX: Wow. [Laughs] Is that no comment just because of the current situation, or just you don’t ever wanna reveal anything about that?

DJ Quik: Uh … no comment.

DX: [Laughs] Let me ask you this, did Dre ever tell you if the Safe and Sound sound is what inspired him to make “California Love”?

DJ Quik: Uh … I didn’t hear that. I mean, [Dr.] Dre shows me his appreciation for me like when we hang out. So, I get it. And actually, I don’t even know if Dre knows, [on] Safe and Sound, some of those songs – like “Somethin’ 4 Tha Mood,” that was just me imitating what he did on Snoop [Doggy Dogg’s] album, [Doggystyle], like “Ain’t No Fun.” We throw the G-Funk ball back and forth. And it’s great to play in tandem with sharp thinkers like that. Dr. Dre is a producer who’s … He’s the bomb. And every time I leave the studio I learn something else from him. It’s like, he’s never gonna be the kind of dude that’ll shut down and not show you a secret. He’s nurturing in that way. That’s why Eminem is successful. Like, he nurtured Em. … [Dr. Dre is] always gonna be one of my top three producers in the world.    

DX: Just out of curiosity, I’ve always wanted to know this, did you guys work more together than the credits would suggest …?

DJ Quik: Yeah, I did a lot of ghost stuff over there [at Aftermath Entertainmenr]. I helped with [50 Cent’s] Get Rich or Die Tryin’ . I helped with [Eminem’s] Encore . I did little … I stood in on some [songs] – you know, when they needed me. And, when they had it all together I left. … You’ll feel me, I’m in that mix. You can [tell]. Some of the snares and kicks, and little tabs and shit, I had something to do with. But we really showed off on [Truth Hurts’] “Addictive” though. That was the smartest record ever.

DX: What about during your mid-‘90s tenure as basically an in-house producer at Death Row [Records]; were you and Dre [working] in tandem then?

DJ Quik: Well, at Can-Am [Studios] he had Studio A, and I had Studio B. I had the smaller room. He had the Rock & Roll room. So he was doing the big Rock records. But like if there was something that he had left, that he didn’t wanna finish or … if he didn’t wanna mix it, he passed on something, I would try to make it sound – I would take a shot at it and put it in the vault. So there were some things that went in the vault that was like a pass [to me]. But, again, I ain’t got nothing but respect for the man. I can’t do nothing but laud his business. He’s a sharp dude; he’s a sharp cat.

And those [Death Row days] were some of the funner times of my life too. ‘Cause, with them dudes I was – we was actin’ a ass. … Just doin’ whatever we wanted to do! [We were driving] big white Lexus’ on big 18, 19-inch wheels. That was big back then: 18’s. We was doin’ it! [Laughs] … One of the better times in my life, I don’t regret that.  

DX: Speaking of that era, I was just listening to all the leaked demo recordings from [2Pac’s] All Eyez on Me. And man, I can’t believe how much you polished up that album.   

DJ Quik: Yeah, man! I did it in two days. I put a spit shine on them records. When the tapes went up, I went right to work. I dialed them bitches in like Pop records. And you know what else? In the UAD stuff – I don’t know if you’re into Universal Audio, but if you go on their website they are talking about All Eyez on Me on the SSL.‘Cause they just recreated the SSL plug-ins. And they did ‘em with SSL, so they’re licensed to UAD – Universal Audio Digital. And, they talk about a Guns N Roses record, they talk about another big record, and they put All Eyez on Me up there, and said that these were the records that defined the SSL sound. They said some big journalist word about 2Pac’s record that was just crazy. And they gave me a credit. They gave me a credit as David Blake. I was blown away.

DX: I just know “Skandalouz” wouldn’t be the classic it is without the talk box [you added to it].

DJ Quik: Yeah, I touched [that record]. I had my boy, Cornelius Mims, play bass on it. That was Daz Dillinger’s beat. Daz shot it to me and I really made it a record that they wouldn’t have to clear a sample with. I played Rhodes [electric piano] on there too. I was coming.

DX: How did it happen that you even came to be adding those extra synths to “Heaven Ain’t Hard 2 Find,” and basically remaking “Thug Passion” into the fully funked out track it became?

DJ Quik: It was because they gave me freedom in there. Suge [Knight] was like, “Do you.” I was like, “Okay. Put the tapes up. Get me an engineer that’ll run for me, patch wires for me, go back to the wall. Get me coffee and I’m good.” That’s what the engineers back then did for me. Some of ‘em really worked their asses off. But, some of ‘em were … subservient. It is what it is. He gave me a little power and let me rock out.  

[Second part of interview, conducted Friday, April 15, 2011]

DX: When we ended on Monday we were discussing the demo recordings for All Eyez on Me. I was just curious if ‘Pac knew it was you who basically made his album sound the way the public heard it?

DJ Quik: He was the one that helped compile the cassette demos so I could take ‘em home and listen to ‘em. I got ‘em maybe four days in advance [of the album deadline]. So, he helped compile it. And I guess there were some songs he even took off of there. So when I got it I took it home, listened to it. And I was warm at that point; I was already done with Safe and Sound, so I was still like – my engine was revving for production. So, I listened to it and then went to the studio and asked for the tapes. The engineers ran in there and got me the tapes out of the vault, and I started rockin’ out wit’ it. I was remixing those records and putting ‘em on tape. Like, mixing ‘em and dropping ‘em down to transfer in less than two hours. That’s the fastest I ever worked. I did 14 songs in like two days.

DX: And I just gotta ask, why was your Donald Byrd-sampling classic creation, “Late Night,” cut from All Eyez on Me?

DJ Quik: It wasn’t cut; we couldn’t clear the sample at that time. But it woulda made it. It’s just Donald Byrd is … let’s just say he’s not too keen on clearing Hip Hop samples. I don’t think he really cares about the genre. And I guess he made enough money to where a 10 million record seller was – I’ma say Donald Byrd might have been a dumb ass … ‘cause he let that slip through his fingers.

DX: “Heartz Of Men” and “Late Night,” were those the only songs you and ‘Pac did?

DJ Quik: No, we did a couple others: “Message 2 My Unborn” and this other one I don’t remember the name of it. But yeah, we were trying to mash it out, but he got really busy at that point. All Eyez on Me came out and soared to the top of the charts and rocked out.

DX: It’s hard to believe in a couple months ‘Pac would’ve been turning 40. He would’ve been like the Governor of California by now or something.

DJ Quik: You think?

DX: I think he was going in that direction, maybe eventually.

DJ Quik: Yeah, I think he woulda been something way more important than a rapper. ‘Cause he was so political. He had so much going on, and sometimes he would be conflicted because he was trying to save the hood and the world as well. That’s too big. That’s too big for people.

DX: I wanna go back to the Death Row era for just one more question -

DJ Quik: That’s cool. You can stay there, I don’t care.

DX: Well you made some amazing music during that time, stuff some people even forget about like “Crack ‘Em” for O.F.T.B., “Come When I Call” for Danny Boy, so many classic joints. But I’ve always been curious to know why David Blake’s name didn’t appear in the credits for [Tha Dogg Pound’s] Dogg Food or [Snoop Dogg’s] Tha Doggfather?

DJ Quik: Um … you know, sometimes Suge could be an asshole. Or maybe some of the engineers, ‘cause everybody thought they were gangsters over there, including the little white engineers.