DJ Quik 'Rhythm-Al-Ism'

Double LP reissue of this 1998 West Coast hip-hop masterpiece. DJing and producing beat tapes from age 14, Quik's tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton's more typical nihilistic hedonism. Rhythm-Al-Ism was the closest Quik ever got to making a commercial splash, with "You'z A Ganxta" and "Hand in Hand" rocking radio waves across the country and the less radio-friendly tracks like "Medley For A 'V'" bumping out of car stereos. Combining his soulful, jazzy P-Funk/G-Funk beats with his effortlessly smooth flow, Rhythm-Al-Ism is quintessential Cali party music custom fit for wafting over barbecues and soundtracking slow, top-down cruises around town.