Rappers DJ Quik and Scarface made appearances at the Anaheim Grove on June 7.
DJ Quik a West coast, born and raised in Compton star performed a slew of his greatest hits. Quik returned with his 8th solo studio album, The Book of David, hence a nod to his birth name David Blake.
Quik like always, never let his fans down as he performed songs like “Tonite,” “Born and Raised in Compton” and “Dollaz n Sense.” DJ Quik definitely knows how to get the party jumping, while interacting with his fans.
He also keeps his family involved in the business, which is a really good thing because it keeps West coast music evolving. At one point he had his nephews rap group Young Giantz, perform before setting foot on stage. Quiks oldest son was behind the scene as well, spinning records while smoking a blunt.
Hands down this concert, within its first 10 minutes, had Michael Jackson beats with a twist of west coast flavor in terms of artistry, quality, presentation, and engagement with the audience.
Houston, TX legendary rapper and Icon Scarface was next, and even though he’s a huge Astros fan, he did come out on stage wearing an Anaheim Angels jersey to show respect to the city and their fans.
Scarface, from the legendary hip-hop group The Geto boys, paid tribute to the late Bushwick Bill who passed away recently from cancer. Scarface performed many hits songs like “I seen a Man Die,” “Mind playing tricks on me” and “Damn it feels good to be a Gangsta.”
Scarface isn’t scared to express his political views as well. He expressed to his fans that he will no longer perform in California or anywhere else because he will be focusing on running for city council in Houston, TX. This is a huge step from the hip hop world to the political arena.
Nonetheless, Scarface had the crowd reminiscing to all his favorite songs as people sang along and pulled out their cellphones to record this memorable moment.
This concert was definitely one for the books as two legends from both sides of the country, made it a night to remember.
Photo Credit: Daniel Seyum /Xxposure Photog
It all started back in 2009, my brothers and I decided to move back to South Central, Los Angeles from the Inland Empire. Both my brothers attended music and film school in Hollywood. At the time I was working construction in Las Vegas for nearly one year, but I always knew I had a passion for photography, but didn’t know what or where to start shooting.
As soon as I finished working in Las Vegas, I saved up enough money to buy a Canon camera. A friend of mine who was a night club promoter at the time asked me to be a roaming photographer at his venue. I had little to no experience shooting anything or anyone, but I felt confident and plus I was a people person, so I knew both of those qualities would help me succeed in being a photographer. I was a club photographer for almost a year until I started meeting people and networking. Then eventually I met a club photographer who owned his own business shooting venues all over Southern California.
For the next five years, I was shooting many nightclubs in LA, OC, IE and the Valley, eventually booking my own gigs. I even shot at the RIO in Las Vegas on the weekends when I worked out there for three months. Additionally, I booked a local night club working Tuesday nights as a roaming photographer for almost three years. At the same time, I was shooting Tuesday nights at a radio station working for rapper Dub-C. So after working at the radio station, I would leave to shoot at the club at night…
But I always felt like I needed to do more and take it to the next level. I felt like I couldn’t possibly shoot night clubs forever. I eventually linked up with my brother who had been writing for Music Connection. And thus, I began shooting local concerts all over Los Angeles and nearby counties. I felt like this was my calling. Not only do I like shooting musicians I listen to, but occasionally, I get to meet them and network with people in the business as well. I love doing what I do, but I do not put all my eggs in one basket.
Aside from shooting clubs and concerts, I have organized photo shoots with models. I have shot many events including birthday parties, weddings, Quinceaneras and more. I feel as a photographer, I cannot stick to just one preference. I feel like I have to do it all and “NO” can’t be the answer. I believe my path may be difficult, but eventually, it will pay off.
