Jurassic 5: Difference between revisions

Jurassic 5

Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 by rappers Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir, Mark 7even, and disc jockeys DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist. The group broke up in 2007.

History

Jurassic 5 came together from two separate crews, the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee. The group formed at the Los Angeles, California health store the Good Life Cafe, where they performed at the open mic nights along with Good Life regulars such as Freestyle Fellowship, Abstract Rude, and many others. According to Cut Chemist, "The Good Life was a renaissance period in hip hop."

Jurassic 5 released their first record, Jurassic 5 EP, in 1997. The record cemented their position in the 1990s alternative hip hop movement, alongside artists such as Company Flow, Black Star and Kool Keith. The EP was later repackaged with additional tracks and released in December 1998 as the band's full-length debut album, entitled Jurassic 5 LP. The tracks hearkened back to the attitude of New York's Native Tongues Posse , which included De La Soul, the Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest. The song "Concrete Schoolyard", and the album provided the troupe with a Top 40 single when it reached number 35 in November 1998.

In 1999, Jurassic 5 signed to Interscope Records, who re-released the Jurassic 5 EP. This was followed by their second album (their first on a major label), Quality Control.

In 2003, they released their third album, Power In Numbers, which was followed by touring with the newly-revived Lollapalooza festival in summer 2003.

Jurassic 5 toured without Cut Chemist, who left the group to pursue a solo career. The remaining 5 members released their fourth album, Feedback, on July 25, 2006. The song "In The House" was included in the videogame NBA Live 06.

The group split in February 2007. The reason for the split was unclear, however member Zaakir said: "I don't want to sit here and fake around with it - we're not seeing eye-to-eye right now. I'd like to keep it going, but you can't force grown men to do what they don't want to do."

In 2009, Jurassic 5 alumni Zaakir and Mark 7even formed the hip hop group Portable Payback.

In 2009 Akil the MC founded the L.A. Unified Skill District.

Collaborations

• 1998 - Chali 2na collaborated with T Love on the track "Wannabeez" off the "Return Of The B-Girl" EP
• 1999 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with Quannam Mc's on the Quannum spectrum CD on the track "Concentration"
  • Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark collaborated with Incubus on the track "Battlestar Scralatchtica" on the album Make Yourself
• 2001 Jurassic 5 collaborated on the track "Lunchtime" and Akil also appeared on the track "Jaw Jabbin'" on Click Tha Supah Latin's album, Square Won. Chali 2na appeared on Swollen Members' "Full Contact" from the album Bad Dreams; the song also featured Evidence of Dilated Peoples
  • Chali 2na collaborated with Long Beach Dub Allstars on song "Life Goes On" on the album Wonders of the World
• 2002 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with Nelly Furtado on the song "Thin Line"
  • - Chali 2na appeared on the song "4000 Miles" and Cut Chemist featured on "Chemical Callisthenics", both on the album Blazing Arrow by Blackalicious
  • Chali 2na collaborated with Linkin Park on the album Reanimation
  • Akil, Chali 2na and Marc 7even, alongside Rakaa from Dilated Peoples appeared on the Supernatural track "Work It Out"
• 2003 - Akil and Chali 2na collaborated with DJ Format for the track "We Know Something You Don't Know"
  • Akil and Chali 2na collaborated with funk-jazz trio Soulive on the song "Doin' Something Remix" of the Turn It Out Remixed album
• 2004 - Jurassic 5 appeared during the live recorded album Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 by alternative metal supergroup Axis of Justice, with two tracks: "What's Golden" and "Freedom"
• 2005 - Chali 2na and Zaakir appear on "Family Rap", a track for the 2005 Breakestra LP Hit the Floor, which also features Double K of People Under the Stairs
  • Chali 2na was featured on Fatlip of The Pharcyde solo project "The Loneliest Punk" on the song "Today's Your Day (Whachagonedu?)"
• 2006 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with members of the Dave Matthews Band on the track "Work It Out" on Feedback
  • Jurassic 5 collaborated with Swiss rapper Gimma
  • Chali 2na collaborated with Sérgio Mendes on his album Timeless on the track "Yes, Yes, Y'all"
• 2007 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with producer Large Professor on the track "Hood In The U.S.A."
  • Chali 2na collaborated on Percee P's debut Perseverance on the track "No Time for Jokes"
• 2008 - Akil collaborated on Abstract Artform's debut Prairie Kid on the track "Bring it Back"
  • Chali 2na collaborated with Mos Def and on the track "America" on K'naan's album Troubadour
  • 2009- Chali 2na releases his solo album "Fish Outta Water".

Discography

Albums

Album information
Jurassic 5 LP Released: December 1, 1998 Billboard 200 chart position: - R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: - Singles: "Jayou"/"Without a Doubt", "Improvise"/"Concrete Schoolyard"
Quality Control Released: June 20, 2000 Billboard 200 chart position: #43 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #33 Singles: "Quality Control/Twelve", "W.O.E. Is Me (World of Entertainment)", "The Influence"
Power in Numbers Released: October 8, 2002 Billboard 200 chart position: #15 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #13 Singles: "What's Golden/High Fidelity", "Freedom"/"One of Them", "Thin Line"/"A Day at the Races", "Hey"/"If You Only Knew"
Feedback Released: July 25, 2006 Billboard 200 chart position: #15 R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #12 Singles: "Red Hot", "Canto De Osshanha", "Work It Out"

Miscellaneous

• Jet Grind Radio Music Sampler (2000)
• Jurassick! (Freestyles and Rarities) (2003, Interscope Records)
• Pre-Historik Rarities (2003)
• Linguistics (2006)

Sound clip

Jurassic 5's "Jurass Finish First" from 2000's Quality Control.

External links

• Rebels Of Rhythm Interview in Rap Pages, 1994
• Interview Akil The MC March 2009 - www.vexedmag.com
• Official Jurassic 5 site
• Official Interscope Records site
• Jurassic 5 - Work It Out (Music Video)
• Chali 2Na Interview on ilikemusic.com
• Marc 7 Interview on www.theskinny.co.uk (August 2006)
• Chali 2na Interview - Memories - La Famiglia

References

• "Down for the Good Life," Brendan Mullen, L.A. Weekly, June 21, 2000.