Balance & Options
DJ Quik may not be hip-hop's most enlightened rapper, but credit the man for consistently dropping some of the slickest, funkiest tracks out there. In a world that's gotten more choppy and frenetic thanks to Mannie Fresh,Timbaland, and Swizz Beatz, it's nice to know that you can still get your gangsta groove on with DJ Quik. On his latest, he hits you with nearly 20 tracks of the wettest bass lines and smoked-out synthesizer melodies, even dedicating a track ("Roger's Groove") to one of his musical mentors, the late Roger Troutman ofZappfame. And yeah, he's talking a lot of trash about pimpin', smoking indo, and the whole nine, but just close your eyes and ease into his vibe.--Oliver Wang