Way 2 Fonky

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Way 2 Fonky
Way2Fonky.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 20, 1992
RecordedDecember 1991-April 1992
GenreHip hop, funk
Length42:41
LabelProfile
ProducerCourtney Branch (exec.), DJ Quik (also exec.), Tracy Kendrick (exec.)
DJ Quik chronology
Quik Is the Name
(1991)
Way 2 Fonky
(1992)
Safe + Sound
(1995)
Singles from Way 2 Fonky
  1. "Jus Lyke Compton"
    Released: May 29, 1992
  2. "Way 2 Fonky"
    Released: August 28, 1992

Way 2 Fonky is the second studio album by American hip hop artist and producer DJ Quik; released by Profile Records on July 20, 1992. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1991 and 1992. Production was handled by DJ Quik and was executive produced Courtney Branch and Tracy Kendrick.

The album debuted at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart on August 8, 1992, selling 120,000 copies in its first week in the United States.[1] The album was certified Gold three months after its release on October 9, 1992. On March 21, 1994 the album was certified platinum for selling over 1,000,000 copies.[2]

Background[]

DJ Quik was beefing with rapper Tim Dog during this time who dissed him on three tracks "Fuck Compton", "Step To Me",and "DJ Quik Beat Down (Skit)" on his album Penicillin on Wax. He responded to Tim Dog with disses on "Way 2 Fonky" and "Tha Last Word". He was also beefing with MC Eiht; the two had already been beefing for a few years at the time.[3] Tim Dog responded to DJ Quik with "I Don't Give a Fuck" and "Breakin' North" (which is the same shout-out type song like "Tha Last Word") on his second album Do or Die.

Singles[]

Two singles from the album were released; "Way 2 Fonky" a response to Tim Dog's West Coast diss "Fuck Compton", and "Jus Lyke Compton".

Critical response[]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4/5 stars link
Entertainment Weekly(B) link
Los Angeles Times3.5/4 stars link
RapReviews.com8/10 stars link
The Source4/5 stars link

Way 2 Fonky received generally positive reviews from music critics. Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Way 2 Fonky" is a great-sounding rap record, with a giant, Jeep-worthy bottom and high, articulated, almost reggae-inflected rhyming. His lyrics celebrate the fun side of the mythical Compton experience where N.W.A.'s dwell on what could go wrong; his sleek, '70s-soul-style grooves, which he produces himself, swing, well . . . way fonky. And though he's easily as obscene as any of his peers, he seems actually to like women.[4] Havelock Nelson of Entertainment Weekly wrote that Unlike those other rap quasars from Compton, N.W.A, DJ Quik doesn't just give us frightening images from Black Cali alleys. This near-platinum poet may involve himself in verbal gunplay and narrate a few violent street adventures, but on his sophomore set Quik is more concerned with getting paid and laid than with gang wars and bloodbaths. As he declares in "America'z Most Complete Artist," I don't go toe to toe, I go ho to ho. Quik's nasty, but he's no fool; he practices safe sex, 'cause HIV don't give a f--- about me. He's even willing to experiment musically and lyrically. Witness the sexually playful reggae track "Me Wanna Rip Your Girl," where he adopts a Jafakean (fake Jamaican) accent. On the album's other tracks, he throws his thin yet effective countrified voice against sampled grooves that for the most part bounce and shake like hard-core Jell-O.[5] Ron Wynn of Allmusic wrote that DJ Quik proved his mettle with "Jus Lyke Compton," a definitive bit of regional touting that proclaimed West Coast rap the style-setter and all others followers. Whether or not you bought the line, you were hooked by the rap. Nothing else on the disc matched this single's intensity and wit, but it helped him earn a second straight gold LP.[6]

Accolades[]

Chris Rock ranked "Way 2 Fonky" twenty-fourth on a 2005 list for Rolling Stone on the Top 25 Hip-Hop Albums of all time.[7][8]

Track listing[]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."America'z Most Complete Artist"DJ Quik3:30
2."Mo' Pussy"DJ Quik3:40
3."Way 2 Fonky"Blake
  • DJ Quik
  • Rob "Fonksta" Bacon[c]
3:20
4."Jus Lyke Compton"
  • Rob Bacon
  • Blake
  • DJ Quik
  • Rob "Fonksta" Bacon[c]
4:10
5."Quik'z Groove II (For U 2 Rip 2)"BlakeDJ Quik2:32
6."Me Wanna Rip Ya Girl"BlakeDJ Quik4:37
7."When You're a Gee" (featuring Playa Hamm)
DJ Quik4:07
8."No Bullshit" (featuring K.K.)DJ Quik1:56
9."Only Fo' Tha Money" (featuring 2nd II None)
DJ Quik3:58
10."Let Me Rip Tonite"
  • Barnett
  • Blake
  • Bonner
  • Jones
  • McDonald
  • Middlebrooks
  • Morrison
  • Napier
  • Noland
  • Pierce
  • Webster
DJ Quik4:16
11."Niggaz Still Trippin'" (featuring 2nd II None, AMG, Hi-C & JFN)
  • Barnett
  • Blake
  • Davis
  • Johnson
  • Jason Lewis
  • McClein
  • Najar
  • Peters
  • Phillips
  • Smith
  • Spri
  • Crawford Wilkerson
DJ Quik4:07
12."Tha Last Word"BlakeDJ Quik2:28
Sample credits

Personnel[]

Credits for Way 2 Fonky adapted from Allmusic.[9]

Charts[]

Weekly charts[]

Chart (1992) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[10] 10
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[11] 13

Year-end charts[]

Chart (1992) Position
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[12] 64

Certifications[]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[2] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[]

  1. ^ "Top 200 Albums | Billboard". Billboard. 1992-08-08. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "American album certifications – DJ Quik – Way 2 Fonky". Recording Industry Association of America.
  3. ^ Bullant (2007-03-08). "Streets On Beats: Battle On Wax - MC Eiht Vs DJ Quik". Streets On Beats. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  4. ^ Gold, Jonathan (1992-08-02). "DJ Quik Celebrates Compton and Women : ***1/2 DJ QUIK "Way 2 Fonky" Profile". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  5. ^ "Way 2 Fonky | EW.com". Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  6. ^ "Way 2 Fonky Allmusic Review". Allmusic. 1992-08-28. Retrieved 2013-08-23.
  7. ^ "Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip Hop Albums". Rateyourmusic.com. Retrieved 2008-06-15.
  8. ^ "Top 25 Albums". chrisrock.com. Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  9. ^ http://allmusic.com/album/way-2-fonky-r57995/credits
  10. ^ http://allmusic.com/album/way-2-fonky-r57995/charts-awards
  11. ^ http://allmusic.com/album/way-2-fonky-r57995/charts-awards
  12. ^ https://www.billboard.com/music/dj-quik/chart-history/r%26b/hip-hop-albums
Retrieved from ""