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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5

2002

Power In Numbers
Album Summary

Power in Numbers is the third studio album by American hip hop group Jurassic 5. It picks up where their previous album, Quality Control "left off", with a short double bass sample playing the same riff that the last song on Quality Control, "Swing Set", ended with.

Wikipedia

Rating

3.5

Votes

11876
Genres
Hip Hop

Reviews

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Thu Oct 22 2020
5

I freaking LOVE this album. I have since it came out in 2002. It's been a few years since I last listened to it and I'm kicking myself. This is easily one of my top 10 albums of all time. Smart, culturally relevant lyrics, powerful break beats, serious in-th-pocket swings... it's the whole package. This is what the best of hip-hop sounds like. There's nothing more that needs to be said. It's the best. Period.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
5

The power of positivity! Jurassic 5 has long been a hip hop favorite of mine. "Power in Numbers" and their debut, "Quality Control," are both standouts for their message, creativity, and collaborative effort. J5 features 4 rappers (and 2 DJs - which does not equal 5), all with unique voices that come together for choruses and harmonies. Chali 2na's deep flow is my favorite, but there isn't a weak voice in the group, and all deliver with incredibly creative writing and rhyming. With rap music generally way too caught up in objectification of women, violence, and drugs, the comparative positivity of Jurassic 5 is refreshing. They were not the only group cultivating their style and skill rather than trying to be edgy and hard - and they deserve acclaim alongside Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, De La Soul, and others. "Power in Numbers" is a throwback to the 80s with breaks, scratches, (lots of credit to DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist for shaping that sound), but it still feels (or felt?) fresh.

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Thu Feb 11 2021
5

This is the peak of the 90s rap group. Beats are fresh, samples are dope, and lyrics spit hot from the titular five members, each getting an appearance on each track. For a guy that says he prefers 90s rap more than today, I'm surprised I could never name drop this group and this album. But now I can... ;)

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Tue Mar 09 2021
5

Great Album, didn't know I needed this in my life

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Wed Jan 20 2021
5

This is so good!! I can’t believe I never heard this before. Wow.

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Fri Jan 15 2021
5

Classic underground hip hop, brings me back to high school, great all around

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Fri Feb 12 2021
5

Yoooo, every track is 🔥🔥🔥. Why have I never listened to this? It’s seriously incredible.

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Fri Dec 03 2021
5

Like Prefab Sprout, this was another shocking album for me. I had never even heard of Jurassic 5 before this, but they delivered the first alternative hip-hop album I not only liked but loved. The lyricism and flow on each track are better than nearly any other classic-era rap artist I've heard. Definitely didn't like the final track though, just a bunch of ambient noise. Fav songs: Most of them but especially: what's golden, if your only knew, react

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Wed Feb 24 2021
5

Fantastic album, loaded with great tracks. Back to back with Quality Control, Jurassic 5 had two monster albums that should have made them superstars.

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Tue Jul 06 2021
5

Absolutely mad work of art. Some of the instrumentals and flows on here blew my mind. The finale rocks.

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Sun Mar 20 2022
5

An absolute classic. Positive energy, great beats. Puts the likes of Kanyes childish tantrums to shame really.

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Wed Jun 09 2021
4

A great look at the transition from classic hip hop to early 2000's style. Very solid.

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Sun Jun 12 2022
4

Really great. Guy with the deep voice (Charli 2na I think?) steals the show, but they're all great and work well together. The last 5 tracks are pretty meh, but other than that it's great beats and great flows all around. Favorite track was "Thin Line".

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Sat Nov 21 2020
5

Really interesting album. Great lyricism, good flow from one song to the next, and varied sampling create a great, cohesive piece

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Thu Feb 11 2021
5

What’s not to like. Looped samples, ensemble of MCs, punchy drums, and tasteful flourishes from the DJs. I mean, how many hip hop songs have a god damn flute?!

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Thu Jan 28 2021
5

This reminds me of dancing in kitchens at uni so much. Top tracks remain A Day At The Races and High Fidelity

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Wed Aug 11 2021
5

5. Perfect 90s hip hop album. Nothing to add. Artist that I didn't know I knew.

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Tue Sep 28 2021
5

I'm surprised - this album was amazing! I was jamming from the very first song. I liked just about every song on the album. 5/5 stars.

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Sun Oct 10 2021
5

fuckin awesome old school rap no complaints at all, just awesome 10/10

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Sat Oct 30 2021
5

Was totally unaware of Jurassic 5 until an 20 minutes ago. Four songs in and already added to my library. THIS is the style Hip Hop/Rap I love, with spoken word audio samples liberally but perfectly inserted. Great beats, great lyrics. A Day at the Races - a smooth flowing river of words. This is a totally worthwhile album.

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Tue Nov 16 2021
5

An extremely fresh sound - chill beats so far and a real sort of jazzy/funk overlay that gives mad summer vibes. The flutes in "If you only knew" give it a Jethro Tull meets hiphop sound. The snare hits in 'Break' is so tight and clean. High Fidelity has crazy good beats. It ends really strong as an album.

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Fri Dec 03 2021
5

Solid album, listen to it several times over

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Thu Dec 16 2021
5

Great from start to finish. All tracks highlight.

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Tue Dec 21 2021
5

This is a bop. Great flows, great beats,just all round proper hip hop. There's a reason it's a classic and I'm dumb for not getting on board earlier.

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Mon Jan 17 2022
5

I don't like rap usually, I really enjoyed this.

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Mon Jan 24 2022
5

Wowowowow. This was so amazing that I've already listened to two more of their albums. What a band! Such a nice mix of hop hop, soul, funk. If anything contains multitudes, this music does. I feel very lucky to know about them now. I wish this had an additional star to give extra special albums.

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Mon Jan 24 2022
5

Never heard of this band I am ashamed to say but they are hugely talented!

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Tue Feb 01 2022
5

Five, for thin line alone. Funky album, great voices.

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Wed Feb 16 2022
5

An album I love dearly - the most consistent of all Jurassic 5's albums. What's Golden, A Thin Line, and Sum of Us are the standout tracks for me but the quality control (see what I did there) is very high throughout the album. Chali 2na's flow as ever is what makes it, but the production and sampling is tip-top as well.

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Sat Mar 12 2022
5

This was an important listen.

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Tue Mar 22 2022
5

Awesome hip hop album. I like some of the reggae undertones and the message of the music is great

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Tue Mar 29 2022
5

Sometime around 2002 I saw Jurassic 5 at a music festival or something - maybe Voodoofest in New Orleans? They were really great, but it was one of those bands I saw that I meant to revisit. Today I realize that I never did do that. 20 years later, here we are. Wow what a great album! Felt good listening to this. Love the different voices. Great music and great rapping. So glad to have them brought back to my attention, because they are definitely worth it.

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Mon Apr 04 2022
5

Very pleasantly surprised and delighted by what I heard!

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Sat May 07 2022
5

I've never listened to J5 but I loved every single track on this album. This shit was awesome and a huge surprise because I'm not really into hip hop.

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Tue Jun 21 2022
5

Hey wow, J5 in the 1,001! I'm surprised, but I do like their brand of MCing, so despite not having heard this before today, I'm looking forward to listening. Well, I'm about halfway through this album, and what I can say so far is that it is the absolute tits. The flows are every bit as good as J5's earlier work, the beats are every bit as good as their previous too. I like this a lot. A lot a lot.

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Tue Jul 05 2022
5

Unbelievable album. I ruddy love Jurassic 5

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Thu Jul 21 2022
5

Right from the start I found myself bopping up and down to this. What a sound these guys have! I like some of the complex rhythms on a lot of these tracks, “Break” in particular. Don’t mistake these guys for some corny ass group (I don’t know where that came from, but it popped in my head.) This list has introduced me to some great rap music that I’ve never heard and it’s refreshing to not get some lyrics that make me cringe (from the violent content) along with the great rap. It’s tough to pick a favorite song or songs because there were so many things I loved about this album. “Thin Line” made a great impression. I love the vocal line and the keyboard melody. To be fair though, there was something on just about every track that blew me away. This album is getting a five!

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Thu Jul 21 2022
5

Damn this is SICK stuff. Great beats, the flow is amazing. This is what a hip-hop group at their peak really sounds like. It is definitely going on the list of planned purchases. Just... WOW.

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Tue Sep 26 2023
5

Have loved J5 since I saw them at the Warped Tour in 2000. A truly excellent hip-hop group that I feel never really got the accolades they deserve. It’s been a while since I’ve listened to their records, more than happy to revisit this one again.

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Thu Feb 11 2021
4

The flows on this are mean and clean. The production by Cut Chemist is really stellar and I loved all the sample. I love Charlie 2na on this record and this has that classic Jurassic vibe in it. Favorite song: A Day at the Races Least favorite song: After School Special

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Wed Aug 04 2021
4

I have a soft spot for Jurassic 5 as I really enjoyed them when I was in high school. "What's Golden" was one of their songs that I listened to a lot. Some of their stuff sounds a little silly to me now, but their hooks and samples are undeniably catchy, and the varied voices of the rappers helps keep it interesting. I remember "Thin Line" now too.

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Fri Sep 24 2021
4

Is it me or are sample-heavy albums like this difficult to produce and release? Perhaps I'm out of touch but they do seem unique. 3 Feet High and Rising, the '89 De La Soul album, is virtually unattainable today due to all the rules and hight costs of licensing the samples it contained. Power In Numbers likely wasn't cheap, but they really make the album special. Great licks, snappy beats and great sample grabs from artists like Minnie Ripperton and David Axelrod. This album really wouldn't exist without them. Regardless, this albums roots are in the old skool and there's plenty of range in the ummm six(?) voices. Each is unique and brings a special flavor to the album, which leads me to this... I've always wondered what the Verbal Herman Munster looks like. I get the Munsters and The Adams Family mixed up, is he the dad that resembles Frankenstein or the kid with the super tall widows peak? The dad, right? Doesn't matter, I didn't listen to this album much when it was released, and was happy to have been able to spend some good time with it here.

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Wed Nov 10 2021
4

Power album in terms of voice and sound. Feels very performative. As if they were reveal on stage behind a red curtain. They work with great unity to deliver a singular sound. Very upbeat instrumental music that screams out confidence. A proud experience is felt listening to this album.

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Tue Feb 22 2022
4

Wonderful! This sounds to me like a well balanced record, taking cues from the old-school rap while still being firmly planted in the current time, making it sound fresh and new still twenty years after. A classic without the shadow of a doubt. Play it loud and with a lot of bass.

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Thu May 26 2022
4

Strong beats and a steady stream of solid cuts. Shows some passion and thoughtfulness re soical issues without being preachy or presumptuous.

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Sun Jul 03 2022
4

Solid hip hop but one of them annoys me. Instrumentals are great

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Thu Jan 11 2024
4

Ta guapo, pero nada del otro mundo

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Thu Aug 17 2023
3

Nothing special, not sure why it's on there

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Mon Oct 02 2023
3

It’s an alright rap album,literally nothing memorable about it all.

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Sat Feb 20 2021
2

They said they were not corny, but they were. This was a not good album. Other groups did this style much much better and were more cool doing it. Songs I did like: one of them, Hey

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Tue Mar 02 2021
2

Didn't find that interesting.

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Sat Sep 04 2021
2

Lyrically these guys aren’t bad but the album drags on. One guys voice is hard to listen to. Overall it’s pretty meh and probably won’t be played much. 5.3/10

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Tue Mar 22 2022
2

Starts strong - love the break beats and general feel but unfortunately as an album it tapers quite early - by the time it hits its 56 mins of length it really feels overlong. It could have done with half its length removed and it would have been an excellent record

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Wed Apr 13 2022
2

Didn’t resonate with me like other albums.

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Fri Jun 03 2022
2

Alternate title: Paint By Numbers

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Mon Mar 11 2024
2

Washed over me - good background music, nothing distinctive. T o o l o o o o n g

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Mon Mar 11 2024
2

Very little alternative hip hop on this list has raised my pulse. This is another album I’ll forget about by tomorrow. Pours down the lugs easily, no hooks, refrains or peculiarities to arrest the journey out of my brain’s fundament.

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Tue Jan 17 2023
1

Never heard of Jurassic 5.... really unimpressed, the first track was really annoying to listen to and it just got worse, what can I say, not my cup of tea. Would like to give a zero rating.

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Wed Feb 21 2024
1

2 words: aw ful. Cheyea! Come on. This is not music. No vocal or instrumental talent present.

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Sat Feb 06 2021
5

Not much dissimilar from concrete school yard but that isn’t a bad thing

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Fri Sep 24 2021
5

Back-to-back days of excellent hip hop (Jay-Z)…what a treat! The flow at the end of A Day At The Races is incredible! And the flow there is only slightly better than the rest of the song, meaning the level is high throughout. The flow is really good throughout the whole album too. I am captivated by Charli 2na’s deep voice. It is divine. I think if he read terms of service agreements, I would actually know to what I’m agreeing. I echo jkav’s note on the positivity in the lyrics being refreshing. This is a great find and I will be listening on a regular basis. One nitpick: Acetate Prophets is kind of weird. It can go.

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Sat Oct 09 2021
5

клёвый блин jazz-rap. ваще прям 10/10

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Wed Nov 24 2021
5

Omg amazing. Heerlijke activistische old school hip hop

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Tue Dec 28 2021
5

Owned this album. Loved it. Don’t know why I don’t still have it but it was a totally awesome re-listen for me.

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Wed Jan 12 2022
5

I remember listening to this when it came out. It didn't "hit hard enough" for me, but I did respect the flow. I am not sure if it's my new found appreciation for jazz or getting older, but this is a fantastic hip hop album that I definitely shouldn't have slept on as much as I did.

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Mon Jul 11 2022
5

So many great tracks - 'A Day at the Races' and 'High Fidelity' are classics. Their previous albums are even better. Some friends and I met Chali 2na at a festival at Hackney Marshes in 2001, he seemed embarrassed but grateful to receive our admiration - great guy. I have photographical evidence of this, but I may have been a couple of beers deep and halfway through a burger at the time, and there was no hiding either.

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Wed Aug 03 2022
5

Love “underground” hip hop. Need a lot more of this.

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Sat Aug 13 2022
5

Consistently engaging, sometimes feels modern, and yet other times like the early 90s August 14, 2022

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Wed Aug 24 2022
5

It was great. I wish I could give it a 4.5 because I don’t think it’s perfect but definitely the best new album I’ve heard so far.

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Thu Aug 25 2022
5

I’m sad we seem to have lost this type of hip hop. Good-natured, socially conscious and not afraid to be hard-hitting. Pretty much every track a banger, “After School Special” has no business being that funky. I will be delving deeper into Jurassic 5 as a result of this recommendation.

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Fri Sep 09 2022
5

Chali 2na is fantastic. Loved this.

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Fri Sep 09 2022
5

Clean enough to eat my dinner off.

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Tue Sep 20 2022
5

Everything I like in hip hop - good beats; good flow; good times.

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Sun Oct 16 2022
5

I loved this album. Funky, fresh. This good be a new favourite

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Tue Oct 18 2022
5

aivan vitun kova. kyllä ne etniset ,,musiikkia osaa tehdä! laatu PYSYY... melkeinmpä jokainen biisi hyvä,,, jotkut parempia kun toiset toki... EI VOI OLETTAA:. ETTÄ JOKAINEN NYT OLISI HEHHEH... YHTÄ HYVÄ ! hip hop hömpötys hulabaloo humpuukki voitti tällä kertaa, hyvö esimerkki miks tätä albumi juttua jaksaa jatkaa high fidelity baras piisi

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Thu Dec 01 2022
5

Well, this has to be a five from me, a Jurassic 5. A few years back I was working on a personal project to determine my favorite hip hop album from each year I've been alive, and this was my winner for 2002. I love the variety on here, both of voices and beats/instrumentals. There are wacky samples, wacky sounds, and a range of voices and deliveries. And even though it's 20 years old now, so much of it feels fresh and not at all outdated. I ultimately saved almost every song on here to my playlist, it just feels that vital to me. I may not know much else done by Jurassic 5, but this album is crazy. Favorite tracks: Just imagine the whole tracklist, minus like three songs on the back half. Album art: Nice color gradient, image definitely fits the title of the album. I'll excuse the stencil font because of just how much I love this project. 5/5

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