I held off downloading the whole record, I only had the tracks from the Trauma mixtape (Fandango was the only track from the mixtape that made the record) and three other tracks leaked to radio & dubcnn (Black Mercedes, Indiscretions In the Back of the Limo, Quikstrumental) to enjoy until the day FINALLY came. As a die-hard Quik fan, I'm not pulling any punches, I'm very critical of this record.
Without any further ado:
1. Doctor's Office-19 second talk by a doctor, worthless.
2. Intro for Roger-As far as Quik's intros go, his "Rhythm-al-ism" intro can't be topped, that being said, this is a good intro, but titled the way it was, I was either hoping for Quik to go either talk-box crazy, or have a real fly, breezy instrumental (a-la "A Chunk of Sugar" from Roger's The Many Facets of... album). A lllliiiiiitttttlllleee bit disappointing, but MUCH better than whatever the Under tha Influence intro tried to be. Play the last few seconds of the track backwards for a little message regarding 'Pac & Big, cool secret. (3.75/5)
3. Fandango-I'll be honest, when I first heard it months ago, before the mixtape came out, I wasn't feeling it as much, but it's grown on me to the point that I'll play it anywhere, anytime. I love B-Real's verse (he's stolen the show on two of my favorite singles this year, "Fandango" and Warren G's "Get U Down"), and the guitar work at the end is excellent (Not Robert Bacon EXCELLENT, but pretty good). Hope the video is cool. (4.5/5)
4. Til' Jesus Comes-Started off slowly (I guess I'm a glutton for synth beats and Safe & Sound-era Quik P-Funk, but...), but built up nicely until the chorus got me hyped up (I love guitar on Quik tracks!!!). Got into the track after that, even though it was a little sparse for a Quik track, until the killer chorus of course. (4/5)
5. Black Mercedes-Nate owns this track. Simply put, Nate Dogg actually sounds inspired for a change on this track, and his half-verses outshine Quik's lyrics, which are pretty good. Little whisper under-chorus by Quik is a nice touch, beat isn't too amazing, but I do get what Quik was talking about when he said the record wouldn't feel confined, it is breezy. Guitar lick at the end is cool. (3.75/5)
6. Get Up-This was the track I was most anxious to hear, and it did NOT disappoint at all. Funky as you can get, Game comes pretty good, does decent chorus and I'm glad AMG is still around Quik. The horn additions were my favorite part of this track, and the guitar (of course) was extra-twangy & funky, courtesy of Mr. ROBERT FONKSTA BACON, that made my day when I read he was on this record, I love that guy, he killed the "Tip Toe" & "Medley 4 a V" reprises. Track nicely segues into the companion track, "Get Down". (5/5)
7. Get Down-I loved the way "Get Up" almost blended into "Get Down", when I heard the first guitar lick on the chorus, I knew it was Robert Bacon again, I'm in heaven, man! The beat is Rhythm-al-ism/Classic 220-styled with extra energy, and Chingy actually impressed me, he lowered his register, so he didn't sound like a whiney little kid this time, good verse. The chorus is once again solid as hell, reminds me of FTPD in a way
(4.75/5)
8. Ladies & Thugs-The drums on this track are from another planet, this track could be all drums and I'd still be happy. In fact, it's pretty much all drums until the chorus, Wyclef is marginally annoying, and his second verse is TERRIBLE, especially the Santana & Britney references, but Quik comes pretty hard, the drums ARE this track, though. You just have to hear them. (3.5/5)
9. Catch 22-Angry Quik alert. Not quite as pissed as Total Auto (from the mixtape) was, the chorus "We gon' fuck you up, mayne!", sums it up. Quik spits faster than he usually does, but for some reason, I wasn't into this track. It's not like it was bad, but it wasn't as innovative or mind-blowing as it should be on this record. Still, average Quik is better than the best of most. (3/5)
10. Indiscretions in the Back of the Limo-Here we go! Possibly the best beat so far on this record, spacey little touches to it, and good use of handclaps, only one verse by Quik, though. TI flows really well for a South rapper on a West track, still the lyrics never had a chance, the beat COMPLETELY overshadows whoever were to rap over it. (5/5)
11. Spur of the Moment (Pacific Coast Remix)-When I heard this track off of Ludacris' record, I thought Quik produced it to begin with, but he just guest-starred. It was definitely inspired by him, though, and Quik shows on this "reimagining" of the track what he would have done to it if it had been his beat to begin with. A THICK bassline is inserted under the beat, the synth-horns are different, cowbell here-and-there, and every now and then the track just completely morphs into Parliament "Aqua Boogie" madness! I'm still shaking my head, it's that good, and if that wasn't enough, Quik layed down new verses on all his parts, same Luda & chorus verses, though. (4.75/5)
12. Quikstrumental-Question, if this is supposed to be Quik's Groove VII, then what was the track off of Da Finale (Quik's best of)? Well, seeing how there's no QG IV, it doesn't really matter. I was pretty disappointed that it wasn't a real QG, Jodeci hung around the track, didn't really do much besides say "That's Right", and Quik did a mini-verse over a good, but not great beat. I love Quik's Grooves, and I wish they wouldn't have put any words over it, that being said, the beat is no QG III, or even the QG VII off Da Finale, but it is a better beat than V & VI. (3/5)
13. Jet Set-Here it is, the track of the album for me. I didn't know what to expect, but I am a sucker for G-funk records, and the piano-based beat takes me back to '95-era Quik. Jellyroll does the keys (good choice), and the chorus is pretty decent (sung by a girl named Tai Elton Phillips). This track isn't groundbreaking or mindblowing, but it's my favorite because it reminds me of my favorite era of Quik. (5/5)
14. California-Here's where I'm torn, if I would have ended the record, I would have followed "Jet Set" with "Doughe" off of the Trauma mixtape, because it would have ended on an up-note, but this song kinda darkens the mood a little, even though it's a tribute track. AMG doesn't sound as comical as he usually does, which is a little refreshing. Beat is once again very good, but not MINDBLOWING. I guess I just have really high standards, and I know what kind of Quik I like. (3.5/5)
Then the record abuptly ends, I was hoping for a hidden groove (IE "Chopin Groove") or a message from Quik, or even a skit or some kind of closure, but the record just ended.
Overall, a better record than Under tha Influence, probably a more consistant record than Balance & Options (although I like B&O better, personally), and musically lightyears ahead of Quik is the Name & Way 2 Fonky. Six AMAZING tracks on there, three excellent tracks, and 4 tracks that could have used some tweaking.
Things I would have changed: cut out the opening skit (WTF was it even for?), replace "Catch 22" (only track I didn't really like) with "Does the Goodlife Exist" off the mixtape, kick Wyclef off "Ladies & Thugs", make "Quikstrumental" an instrumental, and replace "California" with "Doughe" ("AKA "Sure Shot") at the end. I also think "Maze" off the mixtape deserved a place on the record, I'm glad they didn't put "This is What They Think of You" on there, though.
Definitely rap record of the year so far, and contends with System of a Down's record for Overall Record of the Year, IMO. I need to listen to it another DOZEN times first
Final Score: 4.25/5
Without any further ado:
1. Doctor's Office-19 second talk by a doctor, worthless.
2. Intro for Roger-As far as Quik's intros go, his "Rhythm-al-ism" intro can't be topped, that being said, this is a good intro, but titled the way it was, I was either hoping for Quik to go either talk-box crazy, or have a real fly, breezy instrumental (a-la "A Chunk of Sugar" from Roger's The Many Facets of... album). A lllliiiiiitttttlllleee bit disappointing, but MUCH better than whatever the Under tha Influence intro tried to be. Play the last few seconds of the track backwards for a little message regarding 'Pac & Big, cool secret. (3.75/5)
3. Fandango-I'll be honest, when I first heard it months ago, before the mixtape came out, I wasn't feeling it as much, but it's grown on me to the point that I'll play it anywhere, anytime. I love B-Real's verse (he's stolen the show on two of my favorite singles this year, "Fandango" and Warren G's "Get U Down"), and the guitar work at the end is excellent (Not Robert Bacon EXCELLENT, but pretty good). Hope the video is cool. (4.5/5)
4. Til' Jesus Comes-Started off slowly (I guess I'm a glutton for synth beats and Safe & Sound-era Quik P-Funk, but...), but built up nicely until the chorus got me hyped up (I love guitar on Quik tracks!!!). Got into the track after that, even though it was a little sparse for a Quik track, until the killer chorus of course. (4/5)
5. Black Mercedes-Nate owns this track. Simply put, Nate Dogg actually sounds inspired for a change on this track, and his half-verses outshine Quik's lyrics, which are pretty good. Little whisper under-chorus by Quik is a nice touch, beat isn't too amazing, but I do get what Quik was talking about when he said the record wouldn't feel confined, it is breezy. Guitar lick at the end is cool. (3.75/5)
6. Get Up-This was the track I was most anxious to hear, and it did NOT disappoint at all. Funky as you can get, Game comes pretty good, does decent chorus and I'm glad AMG is still around Quik. The horn additions were my favorite part of this track, and the guitar (of course) was extra-twangy & funky, courtesy of Mr. ROBERT FONKSTA BACON, that made my day when I read he was on this record, I love that guy, he killed the "Tip Toe" & "Medley 4 a V" reprises. Track nicely segues into the companion track, "Get Down". (5/5)
7. Get Down-I loved the way "Get Up" almost blended into "Get Down", when I heard the first guitar lick on the chorus, I knew it was Robert Bacon again, I'm in heaven, man! The beat is Rhythm-al-ism/Classic 220-styled with extra energy, and Chingy actually impressed me, he lowered his register, so he didn't sound like a whiney little kid this time, good verse. The chorus is once again solid as hell, reminds me of FTPD in a way
(4.75/5)8. Ladies & Thugs-The drums on this track are from another planet, this track could be all drums and I'd still be happy. In fact, it's pretty much all drums until the chorus, Wyclef is marginally annoying, and his second verse is TERRIBLE, especially the Santana & Britney references, but Quik comes pretty hard, the drums ARE this track, though. You just have to hear them. (3.5/5)
9. Catch 22-Angry Quik alert. Not quite as pissed as Total Auto (from the mixtape) was, the chorus "We gon' fuck you up, mayne!", sums it up. Quik spits faster than he usually does, but for some reason, I wasn't into this track. It's not like it was bad, but it wasn't as innovative or mind-blowing as it should be on this record. Still, average Quik is better than the best of most. (3/5)
10. Indiscretions in the Back of the Limo-Here we go! Possibly the best beat so far on this record, spacey little touches to it, and good use of handclaps, only one verse by Quik, though. TI flows really well for a South rapper on a West track, still the lyrics never had a chance, the beat COMPLETELY overshadows whoever were to rap over it. (5/5)
11. Spur of the Moment (Pacific Coast Remix)-When I heard this track off of Ludacris' record, I thought Quik produced it to begin with, but he just guest-starred. It was definitely inspired by him, though, and Quik shows on this "reimagining" of the track what he would have done to it if it had been his beat to begin with. A THICK bassline is inserted under the beat, the synth-horns are different, cowbell here-and-there, and every now and then the track just completely morphs into Parliament "Aqua Boogie" madness! I'm still shaking my head, it's that good, and if that wasn't enough, Quik layed down new verses on all his parts, same Luda & chorus verses, though. (4.75/5)
12. Quikstrumental-Question, if this is supposed to be Quik's Groove VII, then what was the track off of Da Finale (Quik's best of)? Well, seeing how there's no QG IV, it doesn't really matter. I was pretty disappointed that it wasn't a real QG, Jodeci hung around the track, didn't really do much besides say "That's Right", and Quik did a mini-verse over a good, but not great beat. I love Quik's Grooves, and I wish they wouldn't have put any words over it, that being said, the beat is no QG III, or even the QG VII off Da Finale, but it is a better beat than V & VI. (3/5)
13. Jet Set-Here it is, the track of the album for me. I didn't know what to expect, but I am a sucker for G-funk records, and the piano-based beat takes me back to '95-era Quik. Jellyroll does the keys (good choice), and the chorus is pretty decent (sung by a girl named Tai Elton Phillips). This track isn't groundbreaking or mindblowing, but it's my favorite because it reminds me of my favorite era of Quik. (5/5)
14. California-Here's where I'm torn, if I would have ended the record, I would have followed "Jet Set" with "Doughe" off of the Trauma mixtape, because it would have ended on an up-note, but this song kinda darkens the mood a little, even though it's a tribute track. AMG doesn't sound as comical as he usually does, which is a little refreshing. Beat is once again very good, but not MINDBLOWING. I guess I just have really high standards, and I know what kind of Quik I like. (3.5/5)
Then the record abuptly ends, I was hoping for a hidden groove (IE "Chopin Groove") or a message from Quik, or even a skit or some kind of closure, but the record just ended.
Overall, a better record than Under tha Influence, probably a more consistant record than Balance & Options (although I like B&O better, personally), and musically lightyears ahead of Quik is the Name & Way 2 Fonky. Six AMAZING tracks on there, three excellent tracks, and 4 tracks that could have used some tweaking.
Things I would have changed: cut out the opening skit (WTF was it even for?), replace "Catch 22" (only track I didn't really like) with "Does the Goodlife Exist" off the mixtape, kick Wyclef off "Ladies & Thugs", make "Quikstrumental" an instrumental, and replace "California" with "Doughe" ("AKA "Sure Shot") at the end. I also think "Maze" off the mixtape deserved a place on the record, I'm glad they didn't put "This is What They Think of You" on there, though.
Definitely rap record of the year so far, and contends with System of a Down's record for Overall Record of the Year, IMO. I need to listen to it another DOZEN times first
Final Score: 4.25/5
