Power In Numbers

I listened to Jurassic 5 in high school/university. I went to their show. I bought a t-shirt. I wore the t-shirt a lot. But now, I get hit with this huge rush of embarrassment when I hear them. I understand that this is shouldn’t be. I understand people grow and tastes change and the cringe is a sign of development. I know this. I still feel embarrassed. A guilty pleasure is something you love that has no cultural capital. This feels like an anti-guilty pleasure: something that you went along with for cultural capital, but never really loved. Or am I being revisionist? I did by a t-shirt. Did I love this? Shit I don’t know. This is already too much analysis for one album, too many delicate little man feelings posted on the internet for one guy and his son to read.  So I just stopped all the hand wringing and played it. The kids liked it. They started dancing. I still knew a lot of the words. That’s a good record, right? That’s a good time, right? Right?

6/10 Definitely my favourite hip hop which, while not saying a lot, is saying something. Like the sound, the music and the rap. I find it exhausting to try and follow the lyrical deluge, but I get the impression it isn't as mysoginistic, violent or pornographic as the worst of the genre. Still too long, by a good 10mins

actually hated the first 10 minutes. bog standard conscious hip hop that gets 6th graders going. but the project really sheds its cringe and gets pretty tight by the end

found this album originally when I was a freshman in high school when I was really into 90's rap like Mobb Deep, Pharcyde, and stuff. But holy shit I forgot how good this album was, all of the drums in each song sound so clean, especially on 'Break'. The transition from 'React' to 'A Day At the Races' is still one of my favorites I've ever heard. Also having a Nelly Furtado feature ???? so good man. Album did lose me in the 2nd half tho, very strong start and great last song but the middle just got a bit boring.

If you have to keep saying you aren't corny, you kind of are. Not terrible though, just a tad long

Not bad, loved the production, but the spiritual lyrical miracle became kinda stale after 30-40 mins

I listened to Power in Numbers by Jurassic 5, but I didn’t feel much. The production sounds polished, yet most of the tracks blend together for me. Nothing stood out strongly, either positively or negatively. It just didn’t leave an impression.

Stærk start, fede flows, rart nok at alt tap ikke skal handle om at skyde hinanden

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

Tbh this isn’t bad, technically— but it feels stale to MY ears. 00’s Taco Bell commercial music. It sounds like the rap parodies from that decade, too. Lyrical miracle cornball flows. Mind you, I love hip hop music older than this. This is Fruitopia music.

Great beats and sampling. Another album whose length is a big hindrance. I found the album to be a little repetitive, staying at the same energy level for most of it. Maybe if it was trimmed down a bit, it would pack more of a punch.

1.8

Yikes. Super cringey.

It was meh

I've heard of Jurassic 5, but I'm not really familiar with any of their music. I didn't recognize any of the songs on this album as I listened to it. I'm probably not the best judge of a hip hop album as it's just not a genre I know very much about or listen to much. This album was fine, but there wasn't anything about any of the songs that stood out to me and made me think it was something special. It was fine to listen to, but I wouldn't listen again.

Positive and socially conscious hip hop. It reminds me a bit of De La Soul but with simpler and more repetitive beats. "Clean" is the best way to describe it, with the simple beats leaving plenty of space for the rapping to be clear and high in the mix while they tackle (mostly) kid-friendly topics. Not really my cup of tea but I can see why this would have broad appeal.

Didn't like it. Too "soft" and "toothless".

This is not an album I would have chosen. It sounds slightly derivative of Illmatic, but , idk, funkier? Rhymes are good but nothing I haven’t heard before. Great beats with a fresh variety of instrumentation. The message comes through loud and clear- sharing the struggles of poverty and social injustice- and it isn’t painful to listen to. EXCEPT Nelly Furtado’s vocals grated on my nerves - if I never hear her again I’ll die happy. Please don’t include any if her albums!!! … and High Fidelity rescues me from the proverbial Pit of Despair. This is the kind of old school rap I remember and can appreciate. The last track (Acetate Prophets) was inventive but unfortunately seemed to drag and I just wanted the album to end about 2 minutes sooner. I am not the target audience or demographic and that leaves me wondering if I just don’t “get” the music or is it the message I am missing? 2 star's

It's ok. Charli 2na and the gang are objectively great MCs, and there's some truly awesome tracks including an amazing Big Daddy Kane feature, bit this thing's too long and the production is flat in large parts.

It was fine. Nothing about the production rhymes or delivery really grabbed me.

I found myself pretty confused while listening to this album. I really struggled to understand what this album was trying to be. It obviously is a hip-hop album, but it seems to be really stuck between ages and unsure which one it belongs to. There is nothing really bad about it, but the confusion ensured a not very high rating for me. 2/5

Pretty cool album. Some good hip-hop beats. Nothing special to me personally. Some of the songs were a bit too repetitive for my taste. I think this is an album that would grow on me over time, but for now? I don't see myself revisiting this anytime soon.

This album is a mixed bad for me. Some songs are really nice, good beat and smooth lines. the interludes and some of the later songs take me out of that good feeling though. Not something I will come back to in the future or something that I haven't experienced before.

Yeah, well, hip-hop and rap are just not my thing. And therefore, I can't really judge what makes a hip-hop album groundbreaking, but there was nothing on this album that changed my mind. Boring, bland, and way too long. It's good as background music though. 2/5

Cool early 2000's rap that sounds like a holdover from the prior decade, which just happens to be one of my favorite periods of time for rap & hip-hop. Unfortunately this record didn't really do much for me. I remember hearing some of these songs when I was younger, like "What's Golden", but there's not enough magic in these tracks. There's not enough moments that make me stop and say "wow what was that?". There's a little bit too much of a focus on verses rather than some really well developed choruses. The last track was a really cool instrumental though. Maybe on a different day this is a 3 for me.

The vibes of this album were interesting. Going for the vibe of a radio station was unique, but it fit the album well. Musically, it was a pretty standard hip hop album. I appreciate getting a hip hop album once in a while so I can see what I'm missing, but I don't think I'll ever choose to listen to it.

Hip hop/rap has become so formulaic and predictable that the critics pick records like this to put on lists. And they become bigger than they are. This is mediocre mass produced uninspired rap. I’m certainly not the intended audience but it’s just not exceptional and doesn’t belong on the 100 albums you should hear before you die.

Good beats and samples but rhymes in lyrics seemed forced

There were points where I was digging the grooves. I particularly liked the tracks where elements of funk/jazz were incorporated. However, I was mostly not inspired by anything here. I really, really want to finally "get" hip hop. I might not ever love the genre, but it is obviously important, so I should at least understand it. Insights with respect to this objective while listening: I'm realizing that I can't get to the point where I can appreciate the whole with zero appreciation for the sun of the parts. What I mean by this I listen to music from the perspective of the creation of musicians and not the ultimate product. It isn't just hip hop, I have a similar bitch with pop and most modern country. This is my problem and I need to get beyond it. All of the music I love: punk, numerous sub genres of rock, blues, jazz, indie, etc. comes from a place of appreciating the musicians as opposed to the composers. I think this is my barrier and I'll keep working on it. A work in progress. Still not my thing.

En tand for lang og rappen var ikke så meget mig (kan bedre lide når det handler om at de skyder hinanden jo), men generelt fede beats!

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

Didn’t resonate with me like other albums.

a throwback hip hop album in 2002? this is 1 year after the blueprint was released btw. just listen to a tribe called quest

????

So while I'm not a big hip-hop/rap guy, I usually like stuff that is "funky" a little more musical. I expected to enjoy this album, thinking it would be maybe similar to early 2000s Outkast, but I found that I couldn't get into very much. It seemed kind of low energy.

the worst parts of A Tribe Called Quest, magnified, for an hour. noticeably annoying generic backbeats and weak lyricism, just feels low effort overall

Not for me

First Listen. Nothing for me.

Not a huge fan of the style of music unfortunately. This album my very well be one of the best examples in its genre but it’s not for me, and I can only rate on my experience...it wasn’t enjoyable. 1 Star!

Try hard to give every album a fair listen but that was tough going

Really fucking good this one surprised me

fun. nice beats.

Toevallig paar nummers hier al van opgeslagen, ik vind Jurassic 5 echt een beetje underrated, hun beats klinken super vet met veel soul samples en boombap maar de lyrics zijn heerlijk laid back. Pak het eerste nummer, Freedom, die meteen een soort heerlijke laidback flow introduceert en best wel duidelijk laat zien wat Jurassic 5 wilt doen met dit album: de politieke teksten van Public Enemy, maar dan met de meest smooth jazz beats van die periode. Ze doen me heel erg denken aan People Under The Stairs, met alternatieve beats en lyrics die een stuk verder gaan dan wat de meeste mensen verwachten bij hiphop. Een soort laatste evolutie van A Tribe Called Quest. Wat ik eigenlijk gewoon probeer te zeggen: Dit is echt een fantastisch album, als je houdt van hiphop, maar misschien juist wel als je niet van hiphop houdt: luister dit album. Oh mijn god er staat zelfs een Nelly Furtado feature op. Dit is echt geweldig. Ik kende ze een beetje, maar na dit album? Dit is oprecht een van mn favoriete hiphop albums die ik in lange lange tijd geluisterd heb. Bizar, ik ga hierna volle bak in de discography van Jurassic 5 duiken, wat een vette groep is dit. FAVO: Freedom, If you only knew, A day at the races, What's Golden, Thin Line, High Fidelity, Hey

Excellent Album! I felt like I had a jukebox on my shoulder!

Very cool album, relentless flow kept the energy high very engaging

Bro!! I’d listen to an entire album of these guys singing nursery rhymes and still give it a 5. God damn the flow is so good on this album. This is the catchiest, most vibe inducing, banger after banger-centric album I’ve ever heard. I love it so much. Every song is great, minus the random bouts of dated homophobia sprinkled throughout. Everyone was doing it though, so I’m not upset about it. Something I’ve learned quickly about myself during this project is that when Hip-Hop is good, I’m liable to just give it a 5 off rip, and this is really good. I was already familiar with Jurassic 5 going in, so some of these I’d already heard before, just not the album as a whole. Furthermore, I’ve heard a lot of solo stuff by Chali 2na, as well as the other band he’s in Ozomatli. Let me tell you something, and I mean it. Of all the rappers featured on this site, he probably has my favorite voice out of all of them. I mean it. It’s deep, and turns anything he says into something amazing, regardless of topic. Again, I’d listen to that dude read anything we wants to. Another, more personal reason I love this album is because of whoever it is that adds some of the sound effects to the tracks. The audio engineer, I guess?? I don’t know, I don’t make music. Anyone who has a good sound man and knows when to sprinkle in some banger sound effects also automatically gets a 5 from me. Public Enemy does it a lot as well, and MFDOOM was famous for it so much that it became a meme. I don’t know why I like it so much. It’s just fun. This album is FUN. Amazing rapping, good energy, good chemistry, good vibes, good beats, good sounds. It’s just really, really good to me and the only thing I can give it is a 5. My favorite song on the album is “What’s Golden” for being so god damn catchy as well as being a good showing of each J5 member. Power In Numbers is great. Jurassic 5 is great. End of story. As of this moment, Hip-Hop has overtaken Rock as my second favorite genre on the site. That’s not something in a million years I would have ever expected to happen, but it goes to show that this website has a metric ton of albums that it markets as Rock that have no right being here at all, and a good amount of Hip-Hop albums that clearly should be on here. There is no realm on Earth that this should be possible, but here we are. I won’t complain about it, it’s all been pretty great so far, and I hope that continues.

??????????!!!!!!!!!!

Banger, obviously.

An incredibly groovy, catchy, and lyrical album. One of the better hip-hop albums I've heard while doing this experience. Somewhere between TPAB and Wu Tang. 4.5 rounded up to a 5/5

Incredible! I can't believe I'd never heard of this group. Unmistakably old-school, 80s rap style, but with modern flow, tightness of rhyming, melodic instrumentals... phenomenal lyrics too. Such a pleasure.

Amazing, fabulous album. Straight onto the buy list.

Love J5 and pleasantly surprised they are in the book as you don't hear as much about them as some other alt hip-hop royalty such as ATCQ and De La Soul. Their debut is the slightly better album for me but this is great too, the members all bring some great rhymes and their chemistry together as a group makes them so addictive I think. What's Golden is the highlight but I could listen to this music for hours 5* for J5

Every single rapper in this group has top-tier flow and their voices sound amazing, especially Charli 2na, whose really deep voice I loved. The DJs also cooked hard and made this whole album such a vibe with the main menu screen-sounding beats and the fun samples and scratching. Favorite Track: Remember His Name - I liked the story of this one and the way it switches between these calls and how they talk like actual people on the phone, but in an elevated way with the great flow and rhymes.

Incredible samples, a real engineering master piece

Honestly if I could give this a higher rating I would, such a fantastic album oh my goodness😭. It starts off by speaking on the race, class and societal disparities and problems doing so in such a well constructed way its almost tear jerking for me. Furthermore, talking about the beauty of rap but not just talking about it but showing that through their music. This quality is kept consistent and even taken up a notch throughout the album. Listen, I'm no reviewer but the lyrics, the beats, the soul, the messages and everything behind this album make this a 5/5 for me. Anyone who underhands this and reduces this album to "trash" because its rap is being disingenuous and has ulterior racist motives. They should reserve their discriminatory opinions to their miserable self. Beautiful album!

Brilliant

Como en "Titane", me gustaría que este disco me embarazara.

Essential J5 album. All time

They’re so good - excellent album top to bottom 4.5

luv it <333

loved this so much.

Been aware of Jurassic 5 for a while via What’s Golden and recently read more about Chali 2na after hearing his voice on another song and learning who he is! Enjoyed this album and would explore more of J5’s music! Happy listening all!

Didn't think I'd like it as much as I did, excellent flow

Love it

An absolute masterpiece of the genre. Awesome beats; masterful delivery; poignant themes; and it’s almost entirely clean. This is west coast rap undoubtedly but it is the antithesis of California gangster rap. They even seem to challenge those artists with the salient query: how does profiting off of the violent stereotype of black male youth make your culture better? The songs are “hard”, the flows aggressive, it they never succumb to cliche. They have all the charm of Tribe but more balls and better books.

I really loved J5's first album but remember being disappointed buy this album. Glad to give it another chance. Damn this album goes hard, not sure why I was disappointed in this album because it is real good. Chali 2na's voice is just so good! Some great acid jazzy beats mixed with some smooth lyrical flow which is hard to beat. Great album!

9/10 Insane surprise. Not a single skip.

Never heard but will again! Album was awesome. Old school sounds refreshed (even if it was 20 years ago - its new to me!)

For the kind of hip hop that J5 does, I do think they are one of the best.

Another excellent hip hop album I hadn’t heard before. I was familiar with the debut album but this is the perfect combination of conscious hip hop and 60s/70s soul breaks. Enormously enjoyable from start to end, no notes.

the album was really intresting and definetly holding message about the small mistakes that we dont care about but it leads to something bad in the end i also loved the beat it kinda makes you motivated toward something and make me feel alive and be myself more

Where has Jurassic 5 been all my life?

Favourite Songs: Freedom Break Remember His Name Hey

Really good boom bap album, I like their sound and style overall amazing album

Rap and hip-hop are absolutely not my scene. I still use the two terms together every time because I'm a bit clueless about what separates rap from hip-hop. Maybe nothing, but I'm too afraid to ask. Anyway, this is an album my then-girlfriend picked up as a "no idea what this is, but they had a used copy on offer for a fiver" impromptu gift ages and ages ago. I was hesitant but loved it. Hadn't listened to it in a while, but on revisiting, it still is great. A stone-cold motherfucking classic.

Fire.

This was a really fun surprise. Never heard this before. Automatically liked everything. Good, soulful jazzy hip hop, with real singing and real flow. Nothing here to hate.

Cool hip hop album, very good. 5 very jurassic stars.

Absolute perfection in every minute.

whoa, this is great! jazz, hip hop, soul & something else cool simultaneously. And their voices are so smooth. Excellent! I just keep loving it more. LOVED IT

Never heard of this one! Love the minnie riperton sample on thin line. Honestly, this one surprised me. i really enjoyed listening to it. it reminds me a bit of digable planets or a tribe called quest. totally would listen to again if in the mood for this genre. saved React, Remember His Name, and Thin Line

Powerful album! Never heard this before. So my first impression is crazy.

Love J5

Really good for listening in the sun

Great conscience rap with lyrical word play.

This album is such an easy 5. The lyrics are always eloquent, the bars are on beat and the features are amazing. I can see why I needed to hear this before I died, and Im glad I did. This album feels like a collage of the best moments of the studio, and it works beautifully. The sampling is always perfect and im genuinely blown away.

Fucking awesome.

Mega fajne. Jeden z lepszych albumów hip-hopowych. Muszę przeanalizować jeszcze teksty piosenek, ale flow i bity świetne. 5

Love love love. Currently favourite album so far I reckon. Sheer joy.

A very pleasant album to listen to.

J5 are just fucken amazing. There vibe, there rhymes, there energy. Perfect combination, and definitely one to listen to, on repeat….a lot.

Would give more than 5 stars if possible

I've slept on Jurassic 5 and this album with the hip hop mainstream explosion in the early 2000s. I mean, when I think of alternative hip hop in the early 2000s I think of MF DOOM, Outkast, The Roots and Soulquarians, Dead Prez, and so on and so forth. Jurassic 5's Power in Numbers (coin flip with Quality Control) managed to succeed in maybe rap's most braggadocios era with music that was focused on critiquing that idea. Reminds me of a less funky sounding Blackalicious with A Tribe Called Quest. Shout out to Cut Chemist, he's managed to be on this list more often than Peter Frampton

So good

Every damn second of this record is perfect. Every sample, every bar, every track. This just shows what creative underground hip hop can be...just TIMELESS.

Love this style of rap.

One of my favourite albums, love pretty much every song it’s a perfect album. With some real substance and brilliant beats and songs. It’s perfect

Really vibey - enjoyed this immensely Playlist add: "I Am Somebody"

Very pleasant Surprise. Great Rap.

My first rap album that I've gotten from this list. I actually forgot that it had any at this point, I've gotten so much indie rock and soul. I might look back and not understand the 5/5 I gave this. It's not perfect. There is filler, and I think it definitely gets stronger in the latter half. But I think I kiiinda love this. My first (partial) listen was on a drive to work, and it didn't stick with me then. But I got home, put on my nice headphones, and it hit me. The beats are immaculate, the personality in their voices is great, the surprising darkness in One Of Them is fantastic, the charm in Thin Line, oh my goodness that echoing beat in Break, the music po-po-power of A Day at the Races...and the ending, Acetate Prophets! It reminds me a lot of some DJ Shadow cuts, as well as Frontier Psychiatrist by The Avalanches. How about a 5/5 for Jurassic 5? Talk about power in numbers.

a day at the races was on THUG ost and whats golden is on atv offroad fury aaaand forza something or other. chali 2na been my favorite rapper since fatlip's today's your day was on on yeah right

Its a little more mellow then some other artists so maybe why they didn't make it mainstream. But I kind of like their chill laid back sound that focuses on social change. It is a slower rap but their rhymes are pretty good.

Get those dancing shoes on, this whole album is a total bop! They are so lyrically in sync song after song, and it's just a hip hoppin' great time with some important messages weaved throughout too.

This was a great listen from a group that I haven't heard much from before.

TOP SHELF. J5 is on the regular rotation but had to listen back to back to back yesterday because I care for myself.

5 de 5 Buena construcción de canciones, sampleos y versos; ritmos hip hop clásicos, combinados con una producción impecable, apostando por las armonías y por letras que a toda costa evitan la violencia.

Really cool and interesting hip hop. Every rapper has their own voice but still sound really cohesive as a group, and the beat work underneath is super slick and easy to vibe with

Power in Numbers es una cátedra de técnica y buen gusto. Lo primero que impacta es la estructura colectiva de sus MCs; no hay un líder que opaque al resto, sino una sincronía perfecta de voces donde destaca ese barítono profundo y grave que ancla el ritmo. Sorprende el "aire" que tienen para soltar rimas larguísimas sin cansarse, manteniendo un rap rítmico que se siente mucho más cercano a la calidez del funk, el jazz y el blues que al rap comercial convencional. El trabajo de los DJs es simplemente artesanal y humano. El uso del disc scratching y los detalles de producción —como esos tintineos de fondo o el "ruido" del silencio del vinilo— crean una atmósfera que, escuchada con audífonos, resulta fascinante y llena de texturas. Además, el álbum presume una variedad emocional muy rica: transita con naturalidad desde la celebración y el romance en temas como "Thin Line", hasta pasajes que se perciben tétricos y oscuros, demostrando que el hip-hop puede ser tan complejo y profundo como cualquier otro género clásico. Jamás me hubiese imaginado que Nelly Furtado canta en una de las canciones del álbum. Encuentro fuerte influencia de Jurassic 5 en Gorillaz.

def check out more; 5/5 normal hip rap album

I’m definitely going to revisit this album but I had never listened to classic hip hop before this album! I love the themes that this album touches on a lot and I really want to analyze this later. Love the clever sampling and the lyricism.

Makes me think of summer, calling your friends on landlines, and what it was like to have friends and neighbors before the iPhone age. Also realizing the supreme debt owed by all the 2020’s hip hop artists I listen to.

Solid hip hop album by a solid crew

I love a classic " you have never heard any sound like ours don't even bother comparing us to other groups" song

I tried to start this album yesterday, but I was too focused on an impending copyediting deadline to focus. Once I finally submitted those notes this morning, I came back to this album with fresh ears. These kinds of group hip-hop projects like Jurassic 5 have long been a blindspot for me when it comes to rap, and I'm very glad this list has exposed me more to them. The short funky sample loops and soul basslines combine with classic-sounding flows, making this album feel like a chiller and more mellow A Tribe Called Quest. I also ended up recognizing Chali 2na by his incredibly distinctive, low-pitched voice, knowing him from a Monstercat feature of all places. What starts as a more laidback project picks up momentum as it goes on, with a series of great features helping carry it along (Nelly Furtado in particular carries her song). The album becomes deeper and more serious as it goes on, and then still ends on an incredibly funky jungle house best. This project only gets better the longer it goes on. Highlights: This Is, Freedom, If You Only Knew, Break, A Day At The Races, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line, After School Special, High Fidelity, Sum Of Us, DDT, One Of Them, Hey, I Am Somebody

Loved it!! Perfect combination of jazz and rap

The number one set and sound. Underground hip-hop. This put a name to a genre for me. Reminds me of my dad. Blackilious, Cut Chemist, Silver Skylarks, DJ Shadow. By far my favorite rap.

Solid rap album. Definitely one of my favorites. It's a very underrated album and I think it should be recognized more. Very good!

4.5 - Great

Even doper than I remember.

Banging album from towards the end of my golden age of hip hop..particuarly enjoyed A Day at the Races and the one with the Les Fleurs sample.

Where has this album been all my life? This confidently stormed into the higher echelons of the Kelvino’ “go to rap album” charts. Loved the complementary flows, hard to pinpoint a weakness amongst them. Eclectic beats, and some absolute banging grooves. Maybe fade a little towards the end, but damn, the earlier stuff more than made up for that. Summary: A day at the races > A night at the opera, and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

Obsessed

Wow, how refreshing! Really loved it. This is why I started this project. This is a gem. Gonna be one of very few 5 star albums from one listen.

Really good album. Would recommend to others. Gave you the 90s style flows, with moving beats. Glad to have found this. *EDIT* I can’t stop listening to this album. 10/10

I may get this wrong, because my memory is foggy, but one fine zoomscotch I recall mentioning loving this album and my project partner responding with a story about one of his other friend’s perspective that Jurassic 5 is hip hop for white people. Beyond me whispering almost to myself “but…I’M white…” we didn’t really reckon with the racial profiling or discuss the implications. It therefore remains unclear whether the observation that Jurassic 5 is for white people is a diss on me, a diss on J5, or perhaps even intended as a compliment to J5’s crossover power. It also remains unclear whether he meant other races like J5 and so do white people, or that white people and only white people like J5. Regardless the intention, the viewpoint aligns with the popular right-wing conservative axiom “just because it’s racist doesn’t mean it’s not true.” My preferred interpretation is that by loving this album I am battling racism.

je ne mets pas souvent 5 étoiles à un album hip-hop, mais j'aime beaucoup les grooves et les loops. Le début est même quasiment microtonal. Je commence par contre à avoir une fatigue verbeuse, tous ces mots, je me suis tanné à lire les paroles des tounes dans ce challenge, ça prend beaucoup de temps et d'énergie. J'espère qu'ils disent des belles choses. Mais hey! Sont 6 les p'tits maudits!

Du rap comme je l’aime. Production intelligente, groovy et jazzy. Le mélange de voix est parfait. Donnez-moi en plus!

Those 60-year-olds cruising around Raleigh drinking seltzer and blasting Jurassic 5, that's us. I loved this (although I acknowledge that the repetitive, hypnotic beats may not be for everyone). And I really liked the flute. 5 stars for pleasant surprise.

Loved it. Great beats, great album flow, great rhymes.

Great

Amazing rap record. Loved it. The storytelling, clear lyrics and infectious beats made this one of my favourite rap albums on the list so far. Wasn’t expecting a song with Nelly Furtado do be my favourite but Thin Line slaps. Great vibes here

A class act, inventive 5 - a near-perfect album

Вау! Стиль дещо схожий на gorillaz, тому мені подобається. Але от що відрізняє його від ґоріллаз, то це те що тут йдеться про реальне життя тут і зараз (не про фаназію/нереальний всесвіт), А ЩЕ, (що мені надзвичайно сподобалося!) тут творці немов проломлюють стіну між ними та слухачем. - Слухач цінується настільки, що з ним немов ведеться діалог, дослухаються до нього, пропонують інше/різне, а ще діляться не просто досвідом, але й частиною простого, буденного, особистого життя. Це все дуже очманенно! (єдине що не сподобалися одна-дві пісні через їхні слова, але то таке. Загалом дуже хороший альбом.)

Some of the tracks on this are basically everything I've wanted from hip hop of this era. Super smart lyrics, very talented rapping, interesting beats. Has a more classic sound than I'd expect from 2002. Break, day at the races, high fidelity particularly class. Bit too long, some tracks miss (particularly the nelly furtado one) but the majority of the album is quality. Will be listening to more Jurassic 5, glad they made the list! 4.5.

Man, what a treat! Didn't expect J5 to be on the list. Probably haven't heard this for 20 years. J5 were a staple of my teenage years. It's so good. This is what I think of when I think of hip hop. This is what I want it to sound like. Chali 2na's voice is so smooth and contrasts so well with the others. They all have great flow, they aren't rapping about the standard gangsta tropes. There are skits here, but they aren't intrusive and they lead into tracks seamlessly. Freedom, if you only knew, what's golden and sum of us are my favourites, but it's all good. First half probably better. Easy 5

Yeah this is killer. Really love the funk and soul samples and the bluesy phrasing when they rap, exactly what I want hiphop to sound like

Really enjoyed it. Great melodies throughout vocals and instrumentally. A bit of THUG nostalgia doesnt hurt either. Will happily listen to this again by choice.

if you only knew - 5/5 i was going to rate all the songs but honestly i think the whole album is a banger.

truly interesting and versatile, i felt all sorts of things while listening to it. a wonderful experience filled with passion and creativity. i loved it

So f good Talking “Latin” rap Background talking 5/5 Obsessed Car vibes af

Oh yeah, the venerable six are just honey. In retrospect, they were real throwbacks to the ‘90s with their unique flows, positive verses, lack of dancefloor hooks or shine, and focus on the essentials of bboy’ism (emceeing, turntabling, etc.) Chali2Na’s baritone has to be felt to be believed. I loved them at the time. 25 years on I can tell they belonged to a fading era, but man, it was a golden one.

THIS IS MY SHIT

By far one of my all time favorite albums.

Loved this album. Had not heard of Jurassic 5, but will be listening to more of them. Classic 90s hip hop with a message of raising each other up. Nothing to hate here.

that was fire

A fantastic album, one of several by Jurassic 5. This is easily my favourite of their albums. The 2 DJ's were at the most creative and the tracks are a perfect mix of music and vocals. The diverse rapping tones of the MC's actually weave together beautifully. A favourite album of mine for many years, I've no doubt I will be listening to it until my dying day!

This album is responsible for shaping my tastes in hip-hop. Really didn't like it much until I got into J5, and A Day At The Races was the song that turned me on to them.

knew some of the songs.

How did I ever miss these guys, and the album is blowing my mind, I LOVE it, been on repeat all weekend.

Amazing chill hip-hop

Love it. A little bias, as this is an album I have owned and listen to for years. J5 was the first concert I ever attended more than 20 years ago. This album is more refined than it's predecessors (Quality Control is their best work) and continues the groups social conscious rapping and great dj-ing. "What's Golden" is one of the best songs they have ever recorded. 5/5 Will definitely listen again

Verassend leuk!

Classic album, true hip hop

Eclectic, powerful, raw

Wake up people and look at life around you

THIS FUCKING RULES! The lyrics, the flow, the beats, the vocals, everything just clicks. This might be my favorite hip hop album of all time.

Wow, this is very highly rated on here for something I'd never heard of before. This flows, foot was tapping, head was bopping. What a great find. 5* Highlights: break, what's golden

I miss this kind of hip hop.

du rap west coast comme on aime, very very good

Chill and easy to listen to hip-hop. The beats are good, the flow is nice, and it isn’t bogged down with interludes like a lot of the albums from this era are.

This fun and fresh.

I really like this album!! I like Sound effects, the singers' voice and manner of performance

I was surprised this released in 2002. I was even more surprised to see they're from LA. Just listening to this, I would have assumed it was an early 90s East Coast Hip Hop album.

This is fantastic. I was unfamiliar with Jurassic 5 before but this is quality straight through. The harmonies on the verses and choruses throughout are excellent. Not a weak song on this.

I’ll be damned I’d this didn’t take me back to the days of yes y’all-in’.

I really enjoyed everything about this album. great intro great melodies thoughtful writing. It was impactful yet entertaining. I couldn’t tell a single thing I disliked.

- Afro-rap album som smeller - Hint av Fugees, men mer rytmisk - Passer til pakking, hype matlaging

This Is - Good intro track! That’s all it is, but I like the tone it’s setting. Freedom - Oh I’m going to love this album. This is already incredible. Absolutely gorgeous instrumentals, and I really enjoy the lyricism. Immediate favorite, but I suspect most of these will be. If Only You Knew - Oh hey, is that flute in there? I’m biased but I love a good flute riff. Also loving this one. A real head bopper. Break - Oh I LOVE the beat on this one. This album is great. Every song becomes my new favorite immediately, haha. The rapping on this one is probably my favorite so far, there’s a really nice rhythm to it that feels great to listen to. React - I really like the intros and interstitials on this album. I like albums that feel like a full listening experience front to back. It definitely adds something important. A Day At The Races - Can I just say “favorite” for every song? These are all so good. This one feels the most fast paced so far, and I really enjoy that. I’m really enjoying all the super chill instrumentals on all these tracks, but this one is especially good. The guitar strums in the background give it a very particular feel that’s great to listen to. Some very satisfying lyricism and rhyme schemes in here too. Remember His Name - Oh wowwww. Okay. This is my new favorite for real. I love the use of sound bites to add to the overall soundscape. I love the conversational set up. I love the instrumentals. This is really something else, holy shit. Oh my god, the end? Okay yeah immediate favorite. I need to relisten to this one. What’s Golden - I feel like I’m still reeling from the last song, but this is great. Really fun little jam. Really enjoy the little breakdown on “hip hop music”. Thin Line - I can’t just say “this is a really nice jam” for all of these, but also it’s true for all of them! There’s a very specific feel being curated here that I really really enjoy. I really like the featured artist on this one too. After School Special - Oh, great beat on this one. Another one that just makes me instinctively bop my head. I really like the rhythm of the rapping too. High Fidelity - Oh really fun. Some great lyrics in here too. Another flute riff, I think? Which I always love. This is jumping up on the favorites list for me. I really like this. Sum of Us - I keep saying this but, great song, a jam, great beat, etc etc etc. This album is so consistently great I just keep saying how great every song is. It’s true though. There’s a really fun synth, I think, in the back of this one? Really good. Also really like the lyrics in this one. Really nice hook. Ddt - Ooh another great interlude. This is such a satisfying one. One of Them - Oh I looove the intro to this. Really great instrumentals going on here. Okay, this has a really nice sound, but I don’t think I as a white queer in 2026 have enough social context to have an opinion on the content of the lyrics, so I just won’t! Hey - Nice slow jam. This is great. Another head bopper. The instrumentals on this album are all so good. I Am Somebody - Really nice funky feeling to the instrumentals on this one that I’m really enjoying. Every song on this album is great and I’m running out of things to say about how great they all are, haha. Acetate Prophets - Oh very unique sound to this. I really like it. I really enjoy a good experimental track, and this one is awesome. OVERALL: I think this has to be my first 5 star. I loved this. Every song hit for me. I think Remember His Name was my favorite, but it was closely followed by literally every other song on the album. Pretty much all of this is going to make it into my regular listening rotation.

This might be the jam

9/10 Best songs: Freedom, A Day at the Races, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line Great storytelling, voices complement each other very nicely. Enthralling. One of the best albums I've listened to during this project. Chali 2na's bass voice is probably the standout for me - it stands out and has this almost businessman-does-rap vibe to it? Idk. The mid-album stretch from A Day st the Races ro Thin Line is just perfection. Homophobic lyrics are not cute, but I guess it's accurate to the sociocultural context of this group, so sure, whatever.

super smooth, a lot of fun

Wall to wall bangers, gifted MCs and great beats

Really enjoyed it. Took me back to my childhood and listening to NWA, Biggie Smalls, Snoop Dog, etc with my dad.

A powerful album that's easy to jam to. It's well mixed and interesting.

This might get an extra star purely for nostalgia, but I love this album and it was my gateway into underground hip-hop. The relentless positivity was refreshing (even if some probably found it somewhat cheesy) but some great beats and rhymes throughout. Chali 2Na has one of my favorite voices/flows in all of hip-hop. What's Golden is probably the peak but A Day at the Races is pretty underrated, just bars stacked on top of bars. I'd call this a classic.

Never would have thought this album would appear here, but so glad it did. Diverse but cohesive.

Awesome and super groovy

🔥listening experience

I was unkind to this album back when it came out in 2002. The previous album (and their previous releases in general) was my favorite album of 2000. That came out between my junior and senior year of high school and was my album of the summer and fall in 2000. For whatever reason--being in college with shifting music interests, not living up to my lofty expectations after Quality Control--I wasn't a huge fan of this album. I had my first re-evaluation of this record in like 2010 and I've been a fan ever since. I think, doing this album listening project, I like the album far more than I realized in the past 20+ years. Happy to put it into a more regular rotation (and probably buy it on LP). Love the production and the vocals. Love that the bass line that ends QC starts this album. Fun little detail.

Simply superb!

That was a fun album to hear. We've heard similar music, but these escaped us.

What a beautiful funky hip hop record. This process made me wonder if I actually like hip hop as much as I thought I did - a lot of the famous hip hop records here are a bit bloated and don't really flow as an album. This was so good though. Feels like a shorter record. Love the production. Love the rhythmic delivery. Love the way they've achieved some variety while keeping a consistent sound

I likeddd this one was fun and funky

Starts slow but really good

Such a good album. I used to play it when I was in college and was a radio DJ.

Not the best but almost perfect

I've long loved this album. 👍What's Golden, High Fidelity

Oh yeah that's what I'm talking about

Remains an absolutely stellar album. Great hip-hop top to bottom, fun to give it a re-listen!

viiiiiibe

Good for working background music. Good beats.

Very nice and easy to listen to, just an album you can play while doing other stuff. Love the vibe and also a fan of hip-hop so yknow, right up my alley :). It is rather lengthy, which would be fine if the songs would be very recognizably different but they aren't. I would still occasionally put this album on loop tho.

Always been one of my favorites. Great sampling / producing but songs are written in a unique way too. If You Only knew, A Day At the Races, What's Golden are all anthems

great album! has a fantastic flow from start to finish. Utilizes so many different sounds (If You Only Knew has a great jazz flute background) and the lyrics range anywhere from philosophical to relationships between friends and lovers (Thin Line). I havent listened to much in the way of alternative hip hop but I kept this on from start to finish with no breaks

One of my favorite hip hop albums. Funky and vibey and no one has a better voice for hip hop than Chali 2na. Endless good songs on here. Break, Freedom, A Day at the Races, High Fidelity, Thin Line, Hey, After School Special, and of course What’s Golden. The British dude saying “fucking good shit man fucking good shit” has lived rent free in my head since I first heard it. This album needs to be in my vinyl collection asap

Majestic

Jazz rap absurdo! Um achado! Top 3: 1- Thin line 2- Freedom 3- I Am Somebody

I’ve been semi-familiar with Jurassic 5’s music for a while. I’ve never really intentionally listened to Jurassic 5 but I always enjoy it. Learning that Jurassic 5 was one of the more prominent groups to make art rap or conscious rap and stray away from gangsta rap is cool. Many of my friends 5-10 years older than me grew up listening to their music at parties, etc. So they have a ton of nostalgia in regard to Jurassic 5. Which makes sense if they are one of the first bigger name groups to push away from more traditional gangsta rap creating broader appeal for folks that may not relate to that style. They are a classic posse cut rap style. Where four or more artists take turns trying to out rap each other. This style is less common these days for whatever reason I don’t know. The style in my opinion can lead to some very fun and playful rhyme structure and many of the OG rappers started in a posse that eventually split apart. The song What’s Golden is the only song I could say I truly knew. But Chali 2na is featured on so many songs in the modern day Canadian west coast edm scene. His vocals are so unique that you only really need to hear one bar to know who it is. So it’s fun hearing more of his origin work.

I loved this album. Banger through and through

Flow so buttery, you could make enough croissants to supply the whole neighborhood. The sampling? So inventive and rhythmic. At times I got so into the groove and rhythm patterns I forgot it was a rap album, hopping in and out of the beat throughout the album, offering smooth transitions from song to song. With each song you are delivered a unique flavor, and the random Nelly Furtado feature on Thin Line?! This might be crazy, but the last song on the album really stood out to me, Acetate Prophets, absolutely zero lyricism, but the sampling?! An instant head bopper, pulling you in further and further with every new sample integrated into the hypnotizing beat. Probably the best rap album on the list listened to thus far. Really cool album art too, diggin the vibes.

I absolutely loved it! I added “Thin Line” with Nelly Furtado and “High Fidelity” to my playlist immediately. The sound reminds me so much of the MTV Downtown show. Such a nostalgic 2000s sound!

Classic

amazing

goated

Vraiment excellent, heureux d’avoir découvert ce groupe hip-hop.

top top 5

J5 at the top of their game. This album gets a lot of nostalgia points for me as I had it on repeat for my early 20s... They just sound good.

Jurassic 5 are always great. Doesn't matter the circumstances/event. Play them at my offloading meeting when I'm fired and I'll still think they are appropriate

First time hearing Jurassic 5 and I’m wondering why it took so long

Dope classic

Redefining the concept of smooth.

An album full of accomplished, mature hip hop vibes that's light on the swearing and heavy on the bass. Oh yes! I like this a lot. I'd never heard of Jurassic 5 before, but I'm glad I was introduced. It's not often that a hiphop album makes it into my Tidal library, but this one definitely will.

Fantastic!

New one on me…loved it

This is my favorite kind of hip hop. Fresh beats, sleek production, perfect cutting and sampling, and devoid of the unfortunate sexism heard in a lot of 90s albums. My only complaint is the brief sample of Bill Cosby but Jurassic 5 could hardly be blamed for that in 2002. I've always heard of them but it's taken me far to long to listen to this music.

Old school rap classic. Awesome vocals, melodies, samples, and message... ❞ Yo, raise the level, bass bottom to treble Forever keep it ghetto Funk and heavy metal F*ck the devil Unify the rebel Whistle like a kettle With a fly acapello Smooth and mellow Locked load and settle Shine through times with rhymes bright like yellow Taste and swallow, lead and never follow Break it like a bottle Inspire like a role model

fantastic. so glad I got to hear this

banger

I love this type of Hip Hop man, no jarring lyrics or portraying negative shit, just dope positive over whimsical beats. Now that type of hip hop definitely has its place in the genre and I love it too, but this music just makes you feel good!

Rap wel lachen

Some on the nose lyrics felt a little hokey/corny, but overall amazingly mixed album

Really clicked with my music taste. Great rapping throughout the project. Kept me entertained for the entire duration of the album. Most songs are really strong except for like two so I give it a rating of a middle 9/10

Epic. Right up my street, I love it. Disappointed I've never heard it before

One of my faves!

Loved it. Old school vibes

5/5 Incredible hip-hop album. First time I've heard of this group and I've instantly become a fan. The voices, cadences and rhymes are perfect, but what shines equally is the beats. Beats are very out of the box and alternative and all in all, the final product is perfection.

J5. 'Nuff said. 🤙🤙🤙🤙🤙

What a pleasant surprise, a really fun listening experience, great production and great flows, the members interplaying with each other is great. Definitely a new favourite

shout out cut chemist!!

Am redescoperit niste piese pe care le stiam dar la care n'am memorat niciodata artistul si/sau albumul😂❤️

I LOVE discovering good rap I havent sunk my teeth into before. What a great album!!

Another great discovery from the list! I'd never heard of Jurassic 5 before, but this is absolutely the kind of hip-hop I'm into. Great beats, fun samples, and awesome flow and the last song is phenomenal! Absolutely not surprising in any way that I prefer alternative/underground hip hop.

LOVE Jurassic 5! I love the fact this hip hop is positive and melodic. The 90s answer to A Tribe Called Quest and a fresh perspective on the usually sociopath-political music movement of rap and hip hop culture. A VIBE.

this just fuckin slaps dude. this is that early 2000s shit that is mostly missing from the mainstream rap sphere nowadays, outside of like clipse. banger after banger. favorite songs: if only you knew, break, a day at the races, what's golden, thin line, one of them

Such a textural banger

Hip Hop Flawless

10 OUT OF 10 RAP HIPHOP ALBUM. EVERY TRACK IS A BANGER.

Albums like this one are why I love doing this -- I've never even sort of heard of J5, but this is easily one of the best hip-hop albums I've ever listened to. The pockets are deep, the lyrics are genius, and the music is just a damn vibe to listen to. Huge, huge fan of this. Fave songs: Basically everything, maybe not "Hey" or "I Am Somebody"

One of the best hip hop albums of the early 2000s with immaculate production, smooth flows and serene harmonies. Unskipable for at least the first 12 songs and Chali 2na shows that he is one of the most underrated of all time on Sum of Us. This one rivals Quality Control as their best album

This is the 181st album I’m rating. Cool album cover. I have no idea what this is though. Adding to my Playlist - Freedom, If You Only Knew, Break, A Day at the Races, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line, After School Special, High Fidelity, Sum of Us, One of Them, Hey, I Am Somebody, and Acetate Prophets. Not Adding to my Playlist - This Is, React, and DDT. All in all I liked 14/17 songs. It has a couple of those awful interludes but all in all this was a great album.

Unreal

It's been way too long since I've listened to Jurassic 5. Really loved them growing up and completely forgot about them. I appreciate to positivity in some of the tracks, something we could all use more of. It somehow feels old school and fresh. Timeless.

I have it

😎

Just a absolute fucking bop ngl. Beats go hard. Favourite Song: Whats Golden Honourable Mentions: A Day at the Races, High Fidelity, I am Somebody, Freedom

incredible stuff. interesting and sounds beautiful, almost everything i want in a hip-hop album. 4-5/5

this album is just a ray of sunshine. had never heard of this group and had no clue what to expect but it greatly exceeded my expectations. left a big smile on my face lmao favorite song: "freedom" overall: 9/10

If a hip hop group was invented just for me, Jurassic 5 would be it. This album, from start to finish, is exactly what I want and like about hip hop-good beats of course, but also social conscience and respect of women. There are great rhymes and I love the mix of voices. The samples are cool and used really well. “What’s Golden”, “Thin Line”, and “Freedom” are standouts for me. An excellent listen.

We simply did not know how good we had it in the 2000s

Chali’s voice is so unique and vibrates through my brain. Beats are unbeatable.

Been a minute! All killer, no filler.

so funky, so catchy. outstanding album

I really enjoyed this! I have never heard of them, but adding this to my regular rotation. Good vibes.

Very good 2000s rap album

Definitely a 5

Aw shit, it’s the verbal Herman Munster!

That was an awesome old rap album

Listens: Countless Standout tracks: Freedom, Remember His Name, What's Golden, Thin Line, High Fidelity, DDT (Kool Keith!). Added To Library: TRUE College buddies turned me on to J5 a decade plus ago. Here, hit this blunt, check out this Alt-rap group that's putting out excellent lyrics, sweet beats and not dropping N-bombs every 10 seconds (except that one song, "One of Them", but that's more of a criticism of a particular sub-culture within rap music more than excess for the sake of excess). All hail Chali 2na's crazy deep voice. This album is fucking amazing. Easy 5.

Like watching Aqua Teen Hunger Force high as balls

endlich wieder ein tolles hip hop-album aus den neunzigern. ein tag lang freude!

It’s hard to believe that this came out at the same time that rap got supper clubby. Great beats with real instruments, and awesome flow. It’s like a rockier Tribe Called Quest!

Amazing hip hop

súper !!!

Just moves and doesn't ever let up. They all sound great.

Heard them in early 2000s, totally forgot until now. Awesome album

This is a great album and a fun surprise, as I haven't really heard Jurassic 5 before.  I love the funky beats and how some songs border on jazz.  These guys can spit rhymes too! Liked Songs Added: Freedom Break A Day At The Races What's Golden Thin Line Sum Of US Hey I Am Somebody

Top 5 summer albums. Worth every star!

fucking banger

Classic!!!

Incredible and timeless. Some of the finest hip-hop ever made. So glad I sat down and listened to this gem for the first time in a long time.

Классный чиловый хип хопчик, такое люблю

Bringing that 90's hip hop vibe into the 2000's. Did not find a single track that I disliked. Gonna add "What's Golden" into my 1001 albums best songs playlist.

loved. this album is cool and i want to listen to more like it.

Love this album. Best of their albums by far and one of my new favorites.

never heard of this band or album but damn if it isn't a banger!

This album is such a vibe, I love it. Definitely going to visit it again.

4.75

Amazing good

Dope

Killer beats and the MCs have such chemistry. The constant switching between them lends the songs great forward motion which really works.

Totally not the type of thing I'd listen to organically (without this site), but so incredibly good. 10/10 would listen again

Wonderful!!

Great album. Doesn't all sound the same. Neat beats. I dont even like hip hop

Ser joven es una bendición si sabes apreciar la hermoso de crecer. Yo no lo sé.

Insane talent on display all around here. The album sounds like it's gonna be top heavy because it starts so good, then it just keeps one upping itself with each passing song. Even Kool Keith shows up and drops a crazy a cappella 40 second bug themed verse. These guys need to be talked about more holy hell what an album

LOVED this one!!

A great album start to finish, with lines on par with any of the best old school hip hop artists. It’s also refreshingly positive, and the beats are more musical than some rap songs. My favorites were Thin Line and Freedom, but I liked almost every part of the album.

LOVE this album

really fun listen. they don't make rap like this anymore, and on one hand that kind of makes me sad, but on the other hand, humanity has mastered 90s/2000s hip hop and we're ready for new things.

Powerful album, Powerful number

I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I'm not a fan of rap or hip-hop, in particular from this era, but this album has a laid back almost trip-hop vibe that appealed to me. It's a very well put together album that sounds great. I particularly enjoyed the last, essentially instrumental, track, Acetate Prophets. Though not really my taste in music, I recognize this as a great album and I'll give it 5 stars.

Fun Saturday morning listen Forgot how fun and mellow these guys are Good hooks and samples. Fun beats and positive messages Seeing them at Warped Tour one year in the early 00s was a highlight of an otherwise homogenous lineup.

Amazing

Soo fire

Fkn banger album 5/5

Good stuff

Loved it, never had heard it, listened to another album of theirs after

Ear candy, indeed! And the lyrics aren’t without depth, either. Wonderful stuff.

This was great!

Hell yeah, Jurassic 5! I'll continue to beat the drum for Jurassic 5 being one of the most underrated hip-hop groups of all time. They have such a unique, low-key sound and style to them and fit in nicely in the underground/alternative hip-hop scene during its revival in the 90s/00s. Not to mention that they were also the soundtrack to many of the videogames from my youth. For the album of focus here, this is probably where Jurassic 5 hit their stride as a group (although their previous album "Quality Control" was also very strong). The production and sampling is clean, thanks to the efforts of Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark. This allows the clever lyricism and rapping of the rest of the group (Chali 2na, Akil, Marc 7, Zaakir) to shine and flow nicely per usual. There is a lot here in terms of quantity, yet it doesn't feel like a moment is wasted nor does the quality really dip (The little DJ showcase track at the end is really the only "knock" I have here). I wish more people appreciated Jurassic 5. Fav tracks: If You Only Knew, Break, A Day at the Races, What's Golden, Thin Line, High Fidelity