Safe + Sound

Safe + Sound
Studio album by DJ Quik
Released February 21, 1995 (US)
Recorded 1993-1994
Skip Sailor Recordings
(Los Angeles, California)
Genre West Coast hip hop, Gangsta rap, G-funk
Length 67:28
Label Profile
Producer Suge Knight (exec.), DJ Quik, G-One, Robert Bacon
DJ Quik chronology

Way 2 Fonky
(1992)		 Safe + Sound
(1995)		 Rhythm-al-ism
(1998)
Singles from Safe + Sound
  1. "Safe + Sound"
    Released: January 7, 1995
  2. "Dollaz + Sense"
    Released: May 31, 1995
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
RapReviews.com (8.5/10)[2]
The Source [3]
Vibe (favorable)[4]

Safe + Sound is the third album by rapper/producer DJ Quik. It was released on February 21, 1995 on Profile Records. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard 200 on March 11, 1995, number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart the same date, and was certified gold by the RIAA on July 11, 1995. The album was executive produced by Suge Knight. The album featured the singles "Dollaz & Sense" and "Safe + Sound". Safe + Sound is also seen by fans and critics as a Hip Hop classic and some of DJ Quik's best work.

Composition

No, not the G-funk, but the P-funk, as the DJ proclaims in his intro, "Street Level Entrance," which accurately blends into a Quik-tempo bass line complemented by some really Quik scratches for "Get At Me." Musically, the Compton-born rapper's sound is unique and better associated with artists like Erick Sermon (the East Coast's Funk Lord) than CMW (Compton's Most Wanted). "Somethin' 4 Tha Mood" keeps the setting calm, letting Quik's laid back vocals easily ride over the smooth piano groove. Expanding the classification of his genre from just hardcore kicks and snares, DJ Quik delivers an instrumental track with "Quik's Groove III." With the title track, Quik takes you back to describe how he manages to stay "Safe + Sound" by getting paid. And among the songs which deal with the topic of women, "Diggin' U Out" and "Itz Your Fantasy" show that the subject matter can be overlooked if the tune outweighs it.[5]

Track listing

No. TitleWriter(s)Producer(s) Length
1. "Street Level Entrance"  David BlakeDJ Quik 1:52
2. "Get at Me"  Larry Blackmon, Blake, Byron ByrdDJ Quik 4:07
3. "Diggin U Out"  BlakeDJ Quik 4:48
4. "Safe + Sound"  George Archie, BlakeDJ Quik, G-One (co.) 4:48
5. "Somethin' 4 Tha Mood"  Archie, Blake, George Clinton, Jr.DJ Quik, G-One (co.) 5:55
6. "Don't You Eat It!"  BlakeDJ Quik 1:07
7. "Can I Eat It?"  Archie, BlakeDJ Quik 4:59
8. "It'z Your Fantasy"  Archie, BlakeDJ Quik, G-One (co.) 4:22
9. "Tha Ho In You" (featuring Hi-C & 2nd II None)Archie, Darius Barnett, Blake, Kelton L. McDonald, Crawford WilkersonDJ Quik 4:44
10. "Dollaz + Sense"  BlakeDJ Quik 5:52
11. "Let You Havit"  BlakeDJ Quik 3:40
12. "Summer Breeze"  Blake, Jerome Louis "J.J." JacksonDJ Quik, Courtney Branch, Tracy Kendrick (co.) 4:33
13. "Quik's Groove III"  Archie, Robert Bacon, BlakeDJ Quik, Robert Bacon, G-One (co.) 2:37
14. "Sucka Free"  BlakeDJ Quik 2:10
15. "Keep Tha "P" In It" (featuring Playa Hamm, Hi-C, 2nd II None & Kam)Barnett, Blake, McDonald, Craig Miller, WilkersonDJ Quik 5:24
16. "Hooray 4 Tha Funk (Reprise)"  Blake, Garry ShiderDJ Quik 5:24
Total length:
 63.21

 • (co.) Co-producer

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits for Safe + Sound adapted from Allmusic.[6]

  • George Archie - Composer, Drums, Instrumental, Liner Notes, Multi Instruments, Producer, Background Vocals
  • Del Atkins - Bass
  • Robert Bacon - Bass, Composer, Guitar, Producer
  • Darius Barnett - Composer
  • Larry Blackmon - Composer
  • Dante Blake - Bass, Composer, Drum Programming, Drums, Instrumental, Multi Instruments, Strings, Synthesizer, Talk Box
  • Courtney Branch - Producer
  • Byron Byrd - Composer
  • Warryn Campbell - Electric Piano, Strings
  • Crystal Cerrano - Vocals, Background Vocals
  • George Clinton - Composer
  • Kenneth Crouch - Piano, Electric Piano
  • DJ Quik - Primary Artist, Producer, Vocals
  • Alex Dunbar - Bass
  • Dave Foreman - Guitar
  • LaSalle Gabriel - Guitar
  • Reggie Green - Piano, Background Vocals
  • Charles Greene - Flute, Saxophone
  • J. J. Jackson - Composer
  • Tracy Kendrick - Producer
  • Suge Knight - Executive Producer
  • Dionne Knighton - Vocals
  • K. McCord - Composer
  • Marvin McDaniel - Guitar
  • Kelton McDonald - Vocals
  • Rebecca Meek - Art Direction, Design
  • Garry Shider - Vocals
  • Norma Vega - Background Vocals
  • Crawford Wilkerson - Vocals
  • Bernie Worrell - Piano

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[7] 14
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[7] 1

Year-end charts

Chart (1995) Position
US Billboard 200[8] 182
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[9] 36

Preceded by
My Life by Mary J. Blige		 U.S. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums number-one album
March 11, 1995 – March 25, 1995 		Succeeded by
My Life by Mary J. Blige

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[10] Gold 500,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone

See also

References