DJ Quik

Part of the West Coast honor roll from the gangsta class of '91, DJ Quik made a name for himself with "Born and Raised in Compton" and "Tonight," a pair of top-twenty hits from his debut album, Quik Is the Name. More renowned for his skills behind the soundboard than in front of the mike, however, the former L.A. Bloodster (born David Blake) has produced tracks for everybody from Tupac and Jay-Z to Xzibit and Janet Jackson. But as Quik's own solo work softened into formulaic retreads (how many P-Funk-inspired tunes about bitches and malt liquor do we need, really?), yesterday's braggart survived 2002 with mixed results: an arrest for allegedly assaulting his own sister, and the acclaimed comeback release Under Tha Influence -- which, combined with the orchestral score to Chris Rock's Head of State, made for something of a banner year. Ready to issue Trauma, which boasts cameos from Nate Dogg, Wyclef Jean and Cypress Hill's B-Real, Compton's wayward son returns with a Quik-ness!