Power in Numbers [Clean] [Edited]

Performer: Jurassic 5
Artist: Nelly Furtado; Big Daddy Kane; The Beatnuts; Kool Keith; Percy P; JuJu
Engineer: Kent Hitchcock; Cut Chemist; Mike Weaver; Nu-Mark; Om'Mas Keith
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Jurassic 5: Chali 2NA, Cut Chemist, Marc 7, Zaakir (Soup), Akil, Nu-Mark. Additional personnel: Nelly Furtado, Big Daddy Kane, Percy P., JuJu, Kool Keith. Producers: Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, JuJu, SA-RA. POWER IN NUMBERS includes a bonus DVD disc. Jurassic 5: Chali 2NA, Cut Chemist, Marc 7, Zaakir (Soup), Akil, Nu-Mark. Additional personnel: Nelly Furtado, Big Daddy Kane, Percy P., JuJu, Kool Keith. Producers: Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, JuJu, SA-RA. Jurassic 5: Chali 2NA, Cut Chemist, Marc 7, Zaakir (Soup), Akil, Nu-Mark. Additional personnel: Nelly Furtado, Big Daddy Kane, Percy P., JuJu, Kool Keith. Producers: Cut Chemist, DJ Nu-Mark, JuJu, SA-RA. Personnel: Om'Mas Keith (Fender Rhodes piano); Shafiq Husayn (programming). Audio Mixers: Cut Chemist; Troy Staton; Om'Mas Keith. Recording information: Log Cabin Studios; Mad Hatter Studios; Red October Chemical Storage Facility. Unknown Contributor Role: Chali 2na. The chorus of "What's Golden," the first single from rap collective Jurassic 5's second record POWER IN NUMBERS, talks of going "back to the days of yes y'allin" and "holding on to what's golden." "A Day at the Races" features shout-outs to Kool G Rap and Kool Moe Dee while Big Daddy Kane guest raps. This gives a hint of merely one side of a band that embraces and embodoes the old school while infusing it with bits of all that's come since. J5 contains four DJs and two MCs, and the many cooks, far from spoiling the Jurassic stew, allow for many different perspectives and the fullest of sounds. On their 2000 debut QUALITY CONTROL, J5 had to contend with over five years of expectations fueled by touring and heightened by a hailed 1997 EP, yet released a solid, if not earthshaking record. With POWER IN NUMBERS, the hip-hop sextet hits its stride, both lyrically and musically. The four starkly different voices layer richly textured stories, piling one on top of the other, dissolving into a mosaic, an MC battle revealing another piece of the ongoing story of life. The chorus of "What's Golden," the first single from rap collective Jurassic 5's second record POWER IN NUMBERS, talks of going "back to the days of yes y'allin" and "holding on to what's golden." "A Day at the Races" features shout-outs to Kool G Rap and Kool Moe Dee while Big Daddy Kane guest raps. This gives a hint of merely one side of a band that embraces and embodoes the old school while infusing it with bits of all that's come since. J5 contains four DJs and two MCs, and the many cooks, far from spoiling the Jurassic stew, allow for many different perspectives and the fullest of sounds. On their 2000 debut QUALITY CONTROL, J5 had to contend with over five years of expectations fueled by touring and heightened by a hailed 1997 EP, yet released a solid, if not earthshaking record. With POWER IN NUMBERS, the hip-hop sextet hits its stride, both lyrically and musically. The four starkly different voices layer richly textured stories, piling one on top of the other, dissolving into a mosaic, an MC battle revealing another piece of the ongoing story of life. Like a few other notable sophomore records from hip-hop acts (De La Soul Is Dead, The Low End Theory), Jurassic 5's Power in Numbers is darker than their first full-length; not as fresh and exuberant, but much more mature and intelligent. Granted, fans may not be happy to hear they've changed the formula so soon, or that the production doesn't play a starring role as it did on Quality Control. Instead, DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist play it close to the vest, setting off the rhymes with a few well-placed beats and split-second samples (as well as the usual flute loops). Of course, allowing more room to hear four of the best rappers in hip-hop twisting tongues and telling tales has to be welcomed, and Jurassic 5 prove up to the added responsibility. Displaying a focus and intensity basically unseen in rap music during the past decade, the group practically bursts with message tracks; the skeletal first single "Freedom" finds Chali 2na and Akil delving into the concept as it relates to everything from Third World poverty to the American penitentiary system. "Remember His Name" and "Thin Line" (the latter with Nelly Furtado) are dark tales of urban passions, and they're a step forward in that it's not just the raps that are intricate, but the storytelling also requires a few listens to understand. The group still has plenty of time for a few old-school anthems like "What's Golden" and "A Day at the Races," with Big Daddy Kane bringing his alliterative ammo to the track. And the instrumental jam "Acetate Prophets" shows DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist refining their skill for merging turntablism and excellent productions. Perhaps the best statement of Jurassic 5's purpose comes from the group itself, on "If You Only Knew": "What we do is try to give you what you ain't used to." [Power in Numbers is also available in this clean version.] ~ John Bush

Rolling Stone (11/28/02, p.90) - 3 stars out of 5 "...[This] album will thrill fans who stopped clocking rap a decade ago and heads who never let go..." Rolling Stone (11/28/02, p.90) - 3 stars out of 5 "...[This] album will thrill fans who stopped clocking rap a decade ago and heads who never let go..." Spin (11/02, p.124) - 7 out of 10 - "...Balances the MC's party-startin' with darker musings..." Spin (11/02, p.124) - 7 out of 10 - "...Balances the MC's party-startin' with darker musings..." Q (11/02, pp.103-5) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An unexpected delight..." Q (11/02, pp.103-5) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...An unexpected delight..." CMJ (10/14/02, p.6) - "...All six members of this group are extremely talented. What Jurassic 5 has done, and continues to do, for hip-hop is a wonderful thing..." CMJ (10/14/02, p.6) - "...All six members of this group are extremely talented. What Jurassic 5 has done, and continues to do, for hip-hop is a wonderful thing..." Vibe (11/02, p.154) - "...POWER IN NUMBERS is colored by a spiritual ache that transcends anything J5 has done before..." Vibe (11/02, p.154) - "...POWER IN NUMBERS is colored by a spiritual ache that transcends anything J5 has done before..." Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #5 in Mojo's "Best Urban Albums of 2002" Mojo (Publisher) (11/02, p.106) - "...An almost austere album, the production deliciously dry...Classy." Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #5 in Mojo's "Best Urban Albums of 2002"

One of the most popular and artistically engaging groups in the hip-hop underground, Jurassic 5 brought the conscious-rap style of the Native Tongues movement and a cratediggers ear for samples and production to L.A.'s overwhelmingly gangstafied rap scene. With production from the group's own Cut Chemist, J5's 1997 self-titled debut EP is considered an underground classic. The group continued its reverence for the old-school on subsequent releases while remaining decidedly contemporary.

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