This week on People’s Party with Talib Kweli, Kweli and Jasmin Leigh play host to multiplatinum rapper, producer and Compton legend, DJ Quik. For those who don’t know, Quik is arguably one of the greatest and most impactful artists in the history of west coast rap — an architect of the sound that made the world pay attention to rappers from Compton and South Central LA. His catalog is extensive with cuts alongside some of the best to ever do it including Jay-Z, Dr.Dre, Snoop Dogg, Tupac, Kurupt, Erick Sermon, and Kweli himself, among many others.
Industry-wide, Quik’s work ethic is well known and deeply respected and that’s underscored in the video above — where he tells Kweli a wild story about rocking a stage in a neck brace and bleeding from scrapes after a motorcycle accident. At the time, Quik was set to perform in a Back to School concert with De La Soul and Kweli. The night before the show, Quik’s close friend, rising Compton rapper Mausberg, was murdered. The next day found Quik grieving while working on a song that featured the slain rapper. He decided to take a break from the recording session to clear his head and find some joy.
He called up his friends and said he wanted them to meet up, so he could show them a motorcycle stunt he had been practicing. His friends pulled up and he went to do a stunt called “The Standing Dead Christ.” As he transitioned into doing the move a sudden gust of wind caused him to lose his balance. Quiks body and bike spilled onto the asphalt at high speed.
“I hit the ground so hard, I was knocked out,” he says. “And when I woke up I was still sliding. I drove myself to the hospital on the bike. Me and the bike were both leaking.”
Though the crowd was told Quik wouldn’t be at the show, Quik showed up anyway.
“I did not want to be in despair. I popped some ibuprofen and pulled up!”
Kweli described that particular performance as a classic set. Listen to DJ Quik talk about his life as one of hip-hop’s most celebrated producers on People’s Party with Talib Kweli on Luminary or watch the full episode below.