RECIPROCAL REWARDS

Words: N. Ali Early

While putting his platinum touch on Snoop Dogg’s Ego Trippin’ a year ago, DJ Quik observed an atmosphere that reminded him of a time when the West could do no wrong. Everybody was hungry and virtually unknown. Together, The Lady of Rage, RBX, Dat Nigga Daz, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre spent weeks in the studio, their vision blurred from writing day and night – their stomachs growling from certain hunger. But it was their appetite to succeed that made The Chronic a classic album. It was their greed for success that catapulted Dre from super producer to unadulterated genius.

And it was there all over again. Right before his eyes, Quik saw the same type of unbridled fury unfolding in front of him – like magic. The music was on point, as was the energy and all that was left, was for someone to make the suggestion.

“Snoop set it up like an old school studio session,” Quik discloses, commending his longtime rap cohort for his own genius. “He made the energy the same way it was back then. He triggered it.”

‘It’ eventually materialized in the form of Blaqkout, an insane combination of arguably the West’s best lyricist and producer for a full-length album collaboration.

“Snoop just started being really sharp,” Quik continues. “He just started planting seeds. He planted a seed in us about potentially doing a record and he pretty much let Kurupt know it was in his best interest to stay here and not hit the road.”

A devout Dogg Pound Gangsta, Kurupt is known to travel with Snoop Dogg every year regardless of what may be available to him beyond Snoop’s interests. Ironically, it’s that loyalty and dedication that convinced Big Snoop that he and Quik would kreate a masterpiece together.

“The difference is to finish it,” Kurupt lends. “That’s the key. You can always come up with a great idea, but to come through; that’s the key to the game.”

Slated for a June 9th release on Quik’s Mad Science Music with distribution backing courtesy of Universal and Fontana, it’s safe to say Kurupt Young Gotti and Quik are well on their way to finishing one of the West Coast’s most anticipated albums of the year. In fact, given what they bring to the table as a duo, Blaqkout is an album ‘hip hop’ as a whole can appreciate.

“Just as an idea it was smart,” says Quik. “But then when we got in there and started making the [music], it became something else! It’s like we’re starting something in a good way. People think the West Coast can’t have fun, but we’re kreating eras in music and we’ve got some of the best recording studios in the world out here. So the sound makes sense as well as the energy.”

Decidedly more wound up than he was after the Fixxers debacle in 2007, Quik draws a fine line between the two projects, AMG and Kurupt. While he and AMG set out to ‘fix’ music as Quik emerged from a stint in jail, their longtime friendship took a hit. To make matters worse, Quik’s myspace page was hacked for an unfinished version of the album, and Midnight Life never saw the light of day.

“I was over there tryna have so much fun with G,” says Quik. “I was tryna get G out of the doldrums. He came up with a hot ass beat and I endorsed it.

We started throwing parties, trendy parties on 76th and Crenshaw. I was tryin’ to get AMG to stop being so complacent. But that’s not my call. That’s what I get for trying to save people. I got hurt. It got fucked up. It got physical. It got weird and it was dangerous.”

From the bounce in their step to the sheer delight that laces their voices, Quik clearly won’t have a repeat episode with Kurupt. However, known to uphold his West Coast predecessors with unyielding respect, the Philafornia representative feels an onus to affirm his allegiance with Quik, who he affectionately calls ‘Unc’ (Uncle Quik).

“My thing is I’m so unified with my big homies when it comes to this game,” Kurupt begins matter of factly, “from Quik to Dub C to Cube to Dr. Dre, to Ren and any of the guys that I follow in my life, that all I did was threw some game out to Quik and let him know that I could fit in. He’s already been activated in this game and I’m like his nephew. So when he brought it to me, I was in. I’m rollin’!”

The respect is clearly mutual the moment Quik asks how anyone who appreciates hip hop on either coast could not acknowledge Kurupt as a force among active emcees. The legendary producer then admits that he himself wasn’t quite prepared mentally, even as the two actually got to work.

“I didn’t plan on thinking as deeply as I did with the music,” Quik discloses, “but something happened when it was for Kurupt. I had to break out of my shell and stop going with what was safe. I had to take risks.”

The first single, “Hey Playa,” (Morroacan Blues), epitomizes just how far Quik was forced to delve with Kurupt by his side. Among the most eccentric tracks in his accomplished existence, the song was unearthed via an episode of “Bizarre Foods” and host Andrew Zimmern.

In addition to his favorite track “Do You Know,” Kurupt’s most gratifying moment while recording Blaqkout, came when he took what ultimately became “9 Times Out of Ten,” home after Quik showed him how to manipulate the production program Fruit Loops.

“Unc gave me the beat and I couldn’t resist it,” Kurupt says. “It was so right and raw!! So I laid something and he supported my concept.”

Upon his return to the studio, Kurupt shared the track with Quik and to his amazement, received overwhelming support, much like he offered on “Hey Playa.”

Both artists admit that this theory of patronage was lost on them due to past experiences.

“We both aren’t used to that because there’s always opinions and things with whoever you work with,” Kurupt offers. “We’re so supportive of each other’s ideas that it just brought out the best in both of us.”

In essence, that’s what the Blaqkout represents: two legends zoning out, not giving a damn about parameters and doing exactly what the fuck they feel.

“It’s a state of mind,” Kurupt says before repeating for emphasis. “It’s a state of mind. We were not concerned with the average concern. We were not concerned with how people would feel about these records. We were not concerned about the kinds of records we should make. We were more along the lines of, ‘these are the kinds of records we were going to make.’”

And at the core, that’s how West Coast hip hop erupted in the first place.