Today, Jan. 18, is the 49th birthday of famed West Coast DJ and hip-hop producer DJ Quik.

Born David Marvin Blake and raised in Compton, Calif., Quik was influenced by the funk and budding rap scene around him, and by the time he graduated 8th grade, he received his very own turntable. Quik got so big on the Calif. mixtape scene, that he gained the attention of major record labels. After a bidding war between Profile Records and Eazy E's Ruthless Records, Quik inked a deal with Profile in 1990 and dropped his major label debut Quik Is The Name in 1991.

In the years that followed, Quik's stock in the game rose dramatically. He soon became one of the most sought after beat smiths in the business. By the time he dropped his fifth album Balance & Options in 2000, Quik had worked with Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Luniz, Shaquille O'Neal, Deborah Cox, Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. By the turn of the century, nearly all of Quik's solo albums were certified gold in sales.

From having a hand in making 'Pac's All Eyez on Me to Jay-Z tapping him personally to craft The Black Album, DJ Quik's list of career achievements run long. Even in 2016, Quik was easily one of the standout producers of the year, thanks to his work with Problem on Rosecrans EP. In 2017, Quik linked up with Problem once again for the Rosecrans album, a West coast guest-filled project with appearances from The Game, AMG, Wiz Khalifa, Buddy, Boogie, Dom Kennedy, Suga Free, and even Quik's old rival MC Eiht.

Happy Birthday, DJ Quik!

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