Way 2 Fonky

Way 2 Fonky
Studio album by DJ Quik
Released July 20, 1992
Recorded 1991-1992
Genre Hip hop, funk
Length 42:41
Label Profile
Producer Courtney 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.[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 who the two had already been beefing for a few years at the time.[3]

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
Source Rating
Allmusic link
Entertainment Weekly (B) link
Los Angeles Times link
RapReviews.com link
The Source 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"  Andre Young, David Blake, George Clinton, Tracy Curry, DunbarDJ Quik 3:30
2. "Mo' Pussy"  Blake, The Gap BandDJ Quik 3:40
3. "Way 2 Fonky"  BlakeDJ Quik, Rob "Fonksta" Bacon (co.) 3:20
4. "Jus Lyke Compton"  Rob Bacon, BlakeDJ Quik, Rob "Fonksta" Bacon (co.) 4:10
5. "Quik'z Groove II [For U 2 Rip 2]"  BlakeDJ Quik 2:32
6. "Me Wanna Rip Ya Girl"  BlakeDJ Quik 4:37
7. "When You're a Gee" (featuring Playa Hamm)Blake, Milo, Strong, Norman WhitfieldDJ Quik 4:07
8. "No Bullshit" (featuring K.K.)Blake, Kai McDonaldDJ Quik 1:56
9. "Only Fo' Tha Money" (featuring 2nd II None)Darius Barnett, Blake, McDonald, Reeves, Russell Simmons, Smith, SpicerDJ Quik 3:58
10. "Let Me Rip Tonite"  Barnett, Blake, Bonner, Jones, McDonald, Middlebrooks, Morrison, Napier, Noland, Pierce, WebsterDJ Quik 4:16
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 WilkersonDJ Quik 4:07
12. "Tha Last Word"  BlakeDJ Quik 2:28

 • (co.) Co-producer

Sample credits

Personnel

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

  • 2nd II None - vocals
  • AMG - Vocals
  • Robert Bacon - Vass, freakboards, guitar, producer
  • Courtney Branch - executive producer
  • DJ Quik - arranger, engineer, executive producer, freakboards, mixing, producer
  • Playa Hamm - vocals
  • Hi-C - vocals
  • JFN - vocals
  • Tracy Kendrick - executive producer
  • Robert Lewis - photography
  • Sexy Leroy - vocals
  • Louie Teran - engineer, mixing

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 Sales/shipments
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 500,000^

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

References