DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With 1995s Safe + Sound, he scaled new levels of musical magnificence with his signature new age P-Funk/laconic G-Funk. A quintessential, sun-scorched LA album, this is pretty much essential. Typical for mid-90s albums the original vinyl copies are now rare so heres the Be With re-issue, complete with Tanqueray, the hidden track from the original CD release.

A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. Hes released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, hes also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quiks tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Comptons more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barbecues.By the time of his third album DJ Quik was a household name on the West Coast Californias premier rapper/producer not named Andre Young. Released on Profile in 1995, Safe + Sound was certified gold. Less reliant on samples and more focused on live instruments, it elevated him from producer to fully-fledged composer. This sound the quick, winding basslines, tinny high hats, smooth instrumental solos, soulful pipes, and Roger Troutmans talkbox defined him. This is an album of full-blown masterpieces. Rich soundscapes and masterfully arranged orchestrations with dense layers of sounds, intricate rhythms, and well-balanced songwriting.The first track proper, Get At Me samples Cameo whilst Quik takes aim at the Judases in his life, the horn-laced chorus providing a triumphant feel. On the horizontal Diggin U Out, the soulful electric piano of Warryn Campbell lays a relaxed groove for Quik to talk over about one of his favourite topics: sex. Title track Safe + Sound chronicles Quiks formative years over a slick instrumental. The moody bass locks a laidback infectious groove, the hook is catchy and Quiks delivery is in fine form. On the uber-chilled Somethin 4 Tha Mood, Quik cooks up a breezy, feel good track of sparkly keyboards, syncopated claps, shuffling hi-hats, woozy synths and a floating two-minute flute solo courtesy of Robert Fonksta Bacon. Analysing the highs and lows of an average day in the hood, it echoes Cubes It Was a Good Day.Itz Your Fantasy is a silky smooth soundtrack to Quiks detailed retelling of a sexcapade with a young lady and whilst Tha Ho In You is musically perfect for that midsummer family BBQ, its lyrical content is unsurprisingly decidedly less family-friendly. A real highlight, the infamous Dollaz + Sense is one of the most ruthless diss tracks of all time. The brutal lyrics ride a laidback West Coast beat, flipping a sample from Young & Companys I Like (What Youre Doing To Me) as Quik fires lyrical shots at his arch Compton nemesis, MC Eiht. On the loping, hazy Let You Havit, Quik is again in gangsta mode, with more bars of barbs aimed at Eiht, rhyming over sun-kissed synthy-rollerskate funk.Some of the finest tracks on Safe + Sound are those designed to de-stress. The evocative Summer Breeze is a classic warm-weather jam, anchored by a twangy funk guitar, breezy string arrangement, and a soulful hook delivered by Dionne Knighton. Quiks nostalgic lyrics are not far from DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Princes Summertime, reminiscing over barbecues at the park, young love, and the brevity of halcyon youth. The relaxed and jazzy Quiks Groove III is another highlight, as bass, guitar, piano and flute combine to create a smooth, soulful instrumental.The swaggering Shack Up-sampling Sucka Free features a cameo from Playa Hamm, all funky braggadocio and over much too quikly (pun thoroughly intended). The jazz-flavoured Keep Tha P In It, again featuring Playa Hamm but this time extending the cameo invitations to Hi-C, 2nd II None and Kam, is pure laidback P-Funk. The deep bass and industrial drums make sure the groove hits hard.Tanqueray was originally a hidden track on the CD version of the album, but its too good to hide. This wild party samples Brass Constructions gigantic Get Up To Get Down and soars in its drunk-ebullience. An apt way to close this party-driven set.This 2022 Be With double LP re-issue has been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Pete Norman and pressed at Record Industry. Unusual for the time, Safe + Sound was originally pressed as a double, so all that was missing was the CDs hidden bonus track Tanqueray, so weve fixed that. The original vinyl release never got a picture sleeve, so weve recreated the originals promo-style silver-sticker and plain black jacket. A subtle cover for a wonderfully unsubtle record.