DJ Quik Says He's Not Retiring, Explains His Tweets About Selling Equipment

The veteran West Coast native vents about his frustrations with the changing music industry.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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In an interview with XXL, DJ Quik talked about his tweets about selling away his production equipment and no longer remixing or engineering for other artists. According to Quik, these tweets came from a frustration with current trends in music that now limits the amount of money one gets for engineering or producing for other artists.

"Traditionally, I get paid for engineering and mixing people’s records, and there used to be a king’s ransom in that back in the day," Quik said. "Now, there is so little that it’s not important. There’s not enough money to warrant sitting in the studio with people and learning your trade secrets for two or three grand, it’s not worth it."

In the digital age, record labels have stopped paying top dollar for studio sessions, and this has forced musicians who have been in the industry for decades to either adapt to the new trends or turn away from them and risk no longer making music. As Quik explained it:

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That said, Quik doesn't intend on retiring, a good sign for fans of the West Coast representer. He did say that he would still be willing to produce "real projects" for established acts, ostensibly those who still have studio budgets. As a rapper, Quik's last album, The Book Of David, came out in 2011, and there hasn't been any announcement regarding a new album coming up. But Quik is known for taking time between his own projects, normally waiting two-three years before releasing a new one.

[via XXL]

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