Search - DJ Quik :: Safe & Sound

Dre Who?

G Funkin | Land of Sunshine | 01/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Man oh man, how I lived in ignorance. I got suckered in, plain and simple. Like many other casual rap fans, I was tricked into believing that Dr. Dre was the best west coast producer. Luckily, I started to see the light after hearing a lot of Daz's songs. And then Quik came into the picture with his funky, confident "Safe + Sound" single. This song is amazing. I've blazed this at least 200 times, and each time is as good as the last. It has infinite replay value. So multi-layered. Each time you hear it, you notice another quirk. His lyrics actually have coherence, and tell a funny story, beginning to end. After a while I decided to check out the rest of his album, and found in it two other classics. "Somethin 4 the Mood" is nearly as astounding. The thing about Quik is that his lyrics fit perfectly to the beat. Most of Quik's beats are original, and you can tell because he shows off his musical sound with as much enthusiasm as he does his rapping ability. In the last 2 minutes of Somethin 4 the Mood, Quik stops rapping, and hits us with a brilliant musical solo, filled with light pipes. This is the best part of the song. There's nothing in rap that sounds quite like this. The next classic is "Tha Ho In You," a pimp anthem. It's vulgar, even for rap, but is also extremely melodic. With his high-pitched voice, not "hard" at all, and Motown feel, Quik challenges the listener to reconcile his potentially offensive lyrics with his ingenious rhythm. You just have to bob your head, even as you're calling the FCC.



The rest of the album is solid as well. A near classic is "Keep tha P in It," where the parliament influence is very obvious. At the end of the song, he asserts that "we represent that p funk." And he sure did, both in this album and in his others throughout the 1990s. Other memorable songs are "Bonus Track 1," "Dollaz + Sense" (which is a bit overrated in my opinion, but still good). What sets this album apart even more goes back to what I was describing with "Somethin 4 the Mood," where Quik lets the beat become the star. "Quik's Groove III" is a funky original track with no lyrics, perfect for sampling. How many rap albums have even attempted to do something like this? 50 cent is just a rapper, Quik is a musician. If you are a fan of funk, g funk or original, groundbreaking MUSIC, pick this one up now!

"

A third straight classic from DJ Quik

ctrx | 'bout to show you how the EAST COAST rocks... | 03/19/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"DJ Quik is probably the most underrated talented producer in hip hop. For fifteen years, he's quietly been making some of the best beats and dropping great verses to not enough fanfare. He helped put west coast rap on the map and also ushered in g-funk to the mainstream. "Safe + Sound" is his third album, from 1995, and along with "Quik is the Name", I think it's his best, a little better than 1998's "Rhythmalism". "Safe + Sound" marks two big changes for Quik. His beats move away from the fast, bass heavy loops of his first two albums and more inclined to the low, slow and bouncing g-funk beats that would later define his sound. His lyrics also show progression, instead of the young rags-to-riches Blood from Compton we see a more mature, cocky, and even angry pimp. "Safe + Sound" was Quik's most ambitious album to that point and possibly the pinnacle of his long and successful career.



The album begins with a powerful intro over a good beat, where Quik talks of what he feels is wrong in 95 rap and his career to that point. "Get at Me" is a faster, bass carried beat similar to "Tonite" or "Sweet Black P**sy" with nice horn throws. "Diggin' U Out" contains a slowed down bass and keyboard loop with a scratch from his debut. "Safe + Sound" is a funky, guitar and keyboard beat where Quik chronicles his earlier days and talks of his philosophy. "Somethin' 4 Tha Mood" is a laid back classic with a good hook, and the best part is the instrumentals. You can hear a flute, synth, and the pipes in the last two minutes are excellent. "Can I Eat It" has a good beat with his signature synthed voices, and he raps all about a certain sexual practice he despises. "Itz Your Fantasy" is a very chilled out tune for the ladies. "Tha Ho in You" has a great guitar beat, and you can guess the subject matter. "Dollaz + Sense" is a highlight. It's one of the best diss tracks ever, Quik drops his laidback ladies style to lash out at MC Eiht, and this track ended Eiht's credibility, it's very convincing. The disses continue on "Let You Havit", and "Summer Breeze" is a great summer anthem. This album contains my favorite of the "Quik's Groove" series, and the bonus track is a great, funky party groove.



"Safe + Sound" is a very complete masterpiece. It has a whole range of different songs dealing with different topics and moods. Quik's style really shifts here and it's fresh and new, and his production is untouchable as always. You'll find your head bobbing the whole time. This is one of the best and underrated g-funk albums out there."

A West Coast Classic (Rating: 10 out of 10- -5.0 stars)

Chandler | Atlanta (College Park), Georgia | 06/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've said it time and time again that west coast rap is one of my favorites. A lot of the albums that dropped in '94 and '95 were some of the best I've heard since I've been listening to rap music. Why? Because the west has came out with some of the most creative music at times. DJ Quik's third album "Safe & Sound" can be added to the classics that dropped back in '95, especially after the brilliant album Way 2 Fonky back in '92. I personally enjoy his west coast production, as it is something you can just groove with. Every song on this album is very unique in it's own way with it's outstanding production. As with a lot of songs he has made in the past, he talks a lot about getting some females in songs like "Diggin' U Out". Then there is a funny song about not going down on females on the song "Can I Eat It?". A personal favorite of mine is "Summer Breeze" as it's just a chill back type of song. Quik gets at his Compton rival MC Eiht on a couple of songs "Dollaz + Sense" and "Let You Havit". The fomer song also appeared on the soundtrack Murder Was the Case as Quik really showed Eiht what was up (hey I love Eiht as well, but Quik had the upper hand on that song). There are a few party tracks on here like "Tha Ho In You" and "Keep Tha 'P' In It" featuring various members like Hi-C, 2nd II None, Kam, Playa Hamm, and others. The bonus track is "Tanquray" as Quik rhymes about getting drunk at a party. And "Quik's Groove III" is part 3 of Quik's instrumentals series, another chill back track.



Anyting bad? None. I serouslly believe that there is not one wack track on this album.



Safe & Sound is a masterpiece in my opinion, and I rarely use the word "masterpiece". Filled with G-funk production and great rhymes can easily make it a summer soundtrack to bounce to. I personally recommend you listen to this, especially if you're a fan of west coast rap music like I do. Personally, It's albums like this that make me wish I lived in Cali. Peace!!



Lyrics: A+

Production: A++

Guest Appearances: A

Musical Vibes: A+



Top 5 Tracks:

1. Summer Breeze (personal favorite)

2. Dollaz + Sense

3. Keep Tha 'P' In It (featuring Hi-C, Playa Hamm, Kam, 2nd II None, and 2-Tone)

4. It'z Your Fantasy

5. Tha Ho In You (feautring Hi-C, 2nd II None, Sexy Leroy & The Chocolate Lovelites )



Honorable Mention Tracks:

1. Quik's Groove III (only because it's an instrumental)

2. Get At Me"