On this day, Jan. 15, in hip-hop history...

1991: DJ Quik released his debut studio album, Quik is the Name, on Jan. 15, 1991 through Profile Records.

In the early 1990s, the West Coast scene was saturated with gangsta rap in the wake of the N.W.A and Ice-T craze, but acts like DJ Quik helped usher in a new era.

At the time, Quik was the first artist to have a six-figure deal on Profile. The then 21-year-old rapper's debut was spearheaded by the singles "Born and Raised in Compton," "Tonight" and "Quik is the Name," which curbed the triple OG rhetoric for a funkier, more laid back tone than his Compton counterparts. The early stages of the g-funk era were alive and kicking. The entire project was produced by Quik, along with some additional work from Courtney Branch and Tracy Kendrick.

The album debuted at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 after its release, pushing 50,000 copies off the shelf. Four months later, the album was certified gold, and in 1995 it reached platinum status. To date, it is the perm-rocking MC's most commercially successful album.

Throughout the years, Quik has continued to drop funky vibes as both a producer and artist. His ninth solo album, The Midnight Life, dropped in 2014, and most recently, he has helped bridge the gap with follow Compton rapper, Problem. The two dropped the joint EP Rosecrans in 2016, and followed up with a full length album with the same title in early 2017.

Profile Records
Profile Records
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