Power In Numbers

Pretty acceptable hip hop, the vocals aren't too fast, however the album does feel a bit too long.

It’s a fun album, some decent beats, some clever lines. Reminiscent of Tribe Called Quest, just not nearly as tight. It may sound odd but there were moments on this album that had me think of MF Doom as well, with the sampling and lyrical style. This album could certainly benefited from some pairing down as it ran far too long and some of these songs didn’t age very well. I respect my fellow Canadian, Nelly Furtado but Thin Line fell flat for me had me rolling my eyes. Still, there was plenty on here that was entertaining. 3 stars

cooler sound stabiler rap nichts revolutionäres

Hold On To This Feelin' 1001 Albums Generator 254 (3/24/2026) A fine bit of hiphop that I have trouble justifying on this list. The production on some of these songs, especially Freedom, If You Only Knew, Break, A Day At The Races, and One Of Them is really interesting. The sound here is a mix of boom bap and jazz rap, and in a lot of ways it existed as kind of a summary of the sounds of the previous decade when it released. It's just too long and quite top-heavy. 3/5. Favs: Freedom Break A Day At The Races Least Fav: After School Special

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/jurassic-5/power-in-numbers/ Cannot deny the quality of this. Beats are cool, rapping is very solid, but at some point it becomes a bit too much of the same. Another victim of rap albums being too long, I guess.

2.8

Old school vibe. Listenable without being essential. A tad formulaic maybe with lyrics often not saying much. Stand out tracks for me were A Day At The Races, Remember His Name and After School Special. A (maybe harsh) 3 for me.

Good, but uneven. Some tracks are just filler, but when it's good, it's great.

I remember this being outstanding when I used to listen to Jurassic 5, but in the context of this list I feel like it is more middle of the pack.

Nice clean rap, rich melodies. I somehow missed this group, deserves further listening

This review will not be lyric oriented, although I did read a couple of the tracks. "This is gonna be like Psyche Origami but technically better because they probably are the original" I say to myself as I hear the intro, I was kind of right (it does sound a little bit like them). Freedom has these syncopated slices of the guitar sample that are nice and the kick is lovely like a big ham hock being dropped onto the top of an empty cardboard box that came from a refrigerator. The chorus is clever with using the sample to name the song. If You Only Knew has Fluuuuuute. Break really shows off the layered vocals. Love the instrumental interlude React, really reminds me of something that would be on Psyche Origami's Is Ellipsis, A Day At The Races also reminds me of them in some way, I'm not sure, maybe it's the bassline. Remember His Name starts off with the words: "I was sitting at the television feeling disturbed" and this kicks off quite the story, top tier lyricism. With What's Golden being the hit of the album the sound makes sense for it. Thin Line is sooooo good, I love the Nelly Furtado feature and my mom does too. The chorus made me tear up reading it. The clean cut slices of the melodic samples I assume are mostly assigned to cut-chemist. Production, lyricism, features all good.

6/10 – Decent

The J5 EP had me hooked from the start and Quality Control came out while I was still DJing in college so I was excited to listen to more than What's Golden from this but it wasn't that great. Did appreciate what was essentially a Cut Chemist track at the end, though. 3/5

I found this to be surprisingly entertaining.

Not quite rap, not exactly trip hop but something along this lines. Cool from someone I've never heard of, not sure how well I'll render it though

A fun but forgettable album.

Groovy but overlong

I’m kinda surprised an album which sounds almost exactly the same as other hip hop entries 10 years prior but a lil more cleaner entered this list. Like I liked it I just didn’t get anything outta it tho.

This is such an enjoyable hip-hop album with great production and sampling work that work really well together. There is nothing groundbreaking in this, but it works well.

Good, classic hip hop.

I liked Remember His Name and Thin Line. The other songs made less of an impression.

Definitely very vibey and for sure radiates the color orange

Ça manquait de dinosaures, rien à voir avec Jurassic Park

Pretty good and fun album.

I'm not typically a hip hop listener, but I feel like this album was really well done and I can appreciate it. It's not likely to turn me into a giant hip hop fan, but I'm happy to have heard it.

I really enjoyed the more caustic songs on this album - the harder beats and the more challenging topics. Some overly long tracks, and my favourite was If You Only Knew. Perhaps a 3 - just not quite enough there for me to fully relax and enjoy.

Didn't know what to expect but did enjoy this, pleasant hip hop

i’m just generally not a huge fan of the more classic hip-hop sound; however listening was never entirely unenjoyable and there was a few songs that hooked me. •standouts: if only you knew, thin line, one of them •honorable mentions: freedom, what’s golden •favorite: thin line

really solid hip-hop

solide hiphop album, niets baanbrekend kwestie van rap ofzo, gewoon, solid flow...

Craig: okay, not that special to me Courtney: good album, very cool vibes.

é legal de escutar gostei

A fun album.

Decent early 2000s hip-hop. I liked the voice of the baritone guy (Chali 2na) and started getting annoyed when anyone other than him was rapping.

Viel Nostalgie bi jackson 5. Jurassic Park isch immer min Lieblingsfilm gsi. Jurassic 3 Pünkt

When hip-hop first started to develop, much of the focus was on ensemble performances by groups like Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five and The Sugarhill Gang. These were party groups, MCs, focused on moving a dance floor. That lineage lost favor with more serious acts, either through the grittier one-MC-one-DJ combos from New York or through more hardcore groups such as NWA. I see Jurassic 5 as a natural extension of the early groups. Their sound relies of relentless interplay of multiple voices and personalities. The lyrics are more focused on creative wordplay rather than content. That is a completely valid way for artists to express themselves. In fact, I've always been impressed with how the Jurassic 5 MCs execute their creative vision. It's just not my thing. Most of the rap I like is solidly placed in the hip-hop golden age, East Coast, crate-digging, jazz-influenced, boom-bap. On Power In Numbers, J5 has effectively split the differences. The production is aggressive, even dark in places. I was pleasantly surprised by how moving and appealing the beats were. Lyrically, the group seems to have matured as well. The verbal delivery is masterful as always. Here's the thing. I don't like "nice guy" rap. That's not to say that I don't like rap from good people. I just don't want to be told directly how nice an artist is or how whack gangsta rap is. If you have a voice, just use it. I'll see your value from what you produce, not from your complaints or overt virtue signaling. This is where I run afoul of many "alternative" rappers. As good as this record sounds, and how expert the lyrical delivery is, J5 just doesn't seem to fit the more hardcore mold easily. It feels like an identity crisis. I mean, did I hear this right, or is "The Thin Line" a celebration of being in the friend zone? Contrast with the copious use of the "N-word" on "One of Them," and it feels awkward and rubs me the wrong way. This album sounds great, and these MCs still display their acrobatic delivery skills, but that's not enough for me to return to this record. Three stars.

2,9/5

Parts of it were great, parts of it were just good. At no point was it bad, so that's good.

I liked this album lot more than I thought I would!

Remember His name is masterful. Great sampling all around and above excellent flow from the rappers here. 9 is great aswell with the singing and rapping blend. Usually I'm afraid when I see long hip hop albums from the 90's early 2000's, but this one is extremely fun and passed really quick! Yeh, it's not the most revolutionary thing I've heard, but all elements work very good, even the sound collage in the end. Another very high three, that like the b-52s record from yesterday, probably deserved a 4.

Decent hip hop album

This was quite cool, chilled hip hop. A lot of the songs sounded pretty similar, so much so it felt like a continuous loop of music. Not a bad thing, but I didn't feel there were many stand out tracks. Enjoyable but overall a bit forgettable.

Although I am not a learned man when it comes to hip hop, West Coast Alternative is in the wheelhouse. Some fun samples and turntablism.

Conscious, positive rap…not bad. Has good bounce and flows to it, and lyrics can be uplifting. Gets a little derivative with 17 songs.

3/5

Never heard this before. Old-school hip-hop in an era dominated by commercialised "gangsta" rap. Better than most. Probably wouldn't relisten though. 3/5.

It’s ‘giving unc’ as the kids would say. Hate to break it to the boys, but you are in fact corny. Maybe if this came out in the late 80s like it sounds, it woulda meant something.

🙂

Good old school boom bap type beat rap, J5 show a good command of a early 2000's east cost rap album. However it's a bit flat, I really like the last instrumental track, but the rest is a bit all same the same

It was decent.

Well done, but not for me. The funky interstitials were cool

It's a fun vestige of old school hip-hop but listening to this record it makes sense why this style went the way of the dinosaurs. It becomes uninteresting and feels like you can hear rhymes like this on any highschool playground nowadays. One of them also feels very out of place in this record that makes a point to push positivity on other songs

I wasn’t really into this album. I feel like this style of rap should be in my wheelhouse but is just misses. It’s too laid back without being fun, flowing but not in a good way and just overall kind of boring. I don’t hate it like jazz but it’s nothing I would seek out.

I’m not a fan of hip-hop, but the rhythms and flow on this are really good. Still not my thing, but it was quite enjoyable.

I'm not the greatest fan of hip hop, but I respect the genre and recognise that this is a very good album. Overall I enjoyed the album, it's an easy listen and oozes cool. It's just not an album I would play on a regular basis. I can't think of a stand out track that gripped me, the vibe felt similar all the way through. 6/10 for me (3 stars on the app). Can't rate it low as the talent and production is undeniable, just not for me.

It’s good, but I’m unsure of whether or not I’d say this album is critical/influential. It’s a good example of the style and genre, but I don’t know if it’s a stand out. Could just be my lack of familiarity with the history/genre.

pleasantly surprised by my enjoyement :) top songs; thin line, freedom, if you only knew, what's golden

Some good Bush era socially conscious hip hop. Reminds me of the Key and Peele Old School sketch. But, it was decent and the one guy has a very cool voice.

Who doesn't love J5? This is a solid record - very reminiscent of early hip-hop, which is their whole schtick. That said, the schtick wears off after a while. A solid 6/10.

Great, if not slightly safe rap.. Opened doors to many artists in the future. In isolation this album is fairly middle of the road with some great tunes and nice rhythm/funk but far from incredible.

75

Sounds like something that would've been on an early Tony Hawk's Pro Skater soundtrack

I like the flow and beat of this album, and it's pretty good lyrically. However it's a bit repetitive and too long imo. "One of them" was also weirdly hateful for a pretty upbeat album.

Decent rap for the times

Some very coooooool sounding musics and flows like rivers, the hits were really good, the other songs were like not quite as good echoes. 3.7/5.0 Best Song: A Day At The Races

I don’t mind J5, but this album doesn’t do a lot for me. It’s a little bit too much on the conscious hiphop scale for me, overall it’s not a bad album, but I don’t think I’d reach to chuck it on.

Good flows and instrumentals. The tracks are interesting and fun to listen to.

favorites: tracks 1,3,8,9

On the face of it this should be right up my street. Hip hop was a massive part of my teenage/early 20s soundtrack, coinciding with the golden age of the late 80s to early 90s. On first listen, this feels contemporaneous with that era, and with the Roots & Mos Def’s late 90s evolution of that sound. And that’s how it goes as it starts off with; some great flows, familiar-but-not-familiar beats and samples, and a renaissance of b-boyism. So far so good, but after a few tracks something feels off. It’s not bad, but it feels like it’s all a bit too studied. It’s something I can’t shake as the album plays through, and then it dawns on me; the problem is that it’s just too cleverly done. There’s a layer of grit and grime missing from the beats. The rhymes are expertly done, but rely too much on throwbacks to a bygone era, and it begins to feel one-dimensional. It’s not bad and it’s certainly not cynical, but it does feel a little too parochial and reluctant to innovate which is reflected in the way it feels way too long despite only coming in at 56 minutes.

Unusually, I was not late to the party with J5. However, I kind of lost step with them before this album was released. I felt they were on an upward trajectory from their earliest material through Quality Control. I’m hearing Power In Numbers for the first time and either it now seems dated or like I suspect, it sounds like J5 treading water. It’s sad to have to put it this way but maybe “another great J5 album” isn’t good enough. I guess by this stage my personal view is and artist should be pushing things forward. Maybe since this was followed by a disappointing album and the group falling apart (not handling the loss of Cut Chemist well?) the writing may have been on the wall.

Not bad

It's fine. The old school style is cool and was probably a welcome break from all the gangster rap that was dominating hip hop at the time. There's some nice samples and songs which have a strong soul influence. For me though, although it's solid and good, it's also unremarkable without any clear stand out tracks.

Started strong — i liked the first few songs a lot but my interest flagged toward the end. I might re-listen to some of the songs.

Only really listened to half, wasn’t bad but just didn’t stand out to me.

Nelly furtado was here 👁️👁️

Not my genre or vibe but it's better towards the end of the album

Ga erg goed op Thin Line met Nelly Furtado

Maybe I should have listened to Jurassic 5.

i can see myself relistening to this. the variety of instruments and styles???? the transitions between each song????

Never liked Jurassic 5 much. Love boom bap production generally but feels too derivative with subpar rapping.

2026.01.06.

i likey!

flute on "if only you knew" is sick. love the addition of a lil' jazz instrument solo, really fits the jazz rip vibes. dancing, sunlit streets, community

Not a big rap/hip hop fan, but this album isn't afraid to try different things in terms of sampling and backing music. Kind of a psychedelic vibe throughout. The album unfortunately suffers the same fate as many other rap records in that it has a few too many songs on it and feels a bit overloaded.

Good but didn’t knock my socks off

3.5

I like my conscious rap with more rizz basically. Loved some of those flows but yeah, a little lacking for me. I'll probably revisit it with more context. 1 - i have negative feelings 2 - i have no feelings *3* - glad i heard it 4 - "oh i like that album!" 5 - in the rotation

Took a while to get used to but it ended up being pretty good. Nothing too special

Enjoyed the production a lot and feel like there were a few songs that stood out (if you only knew i reckon) but not sure i was captured by the whole thing? Couple too many rhymes that felt like reaching for a turn of phrase because someone thought to put paracetamol in the line before. Overall p fun though!

Big Day Out mentioned!! My rap/hip-hop education really started in 2015 when I was tasked with putting together a History-of-Hip-Hop event for the USSC. Julian lovingly pulled together a playlist for the event (which never got used because DJ TJA was on the decks all night) and I still listen to that playlist almost weekly to this day. “What’s Golden” is like a top 5 song off that playlist for me, so I was stoked to see this album pop up yesterday. It’s by far the best track on the album and while I enjoyed listening to it in situ, “Concrete Jungle” being the first autoplay track after the album finished cemented for me that I didn’t really love it on the whole.

This was good. There are some great great songs here (What’s Golden) and lots of other really fun, well produced songs throughout. There’s not really a dud in the bunch but it also hasn’t grabbed me as something I want to listen to over and over again. Like it’s solid.

Songs from this album were in pretty heavy rotation for me back in the day, so glad to hear it all in context of the album, which is overall solid.

Highlights: A Day at the Races, What's Golden

Enjoyed the ride but didn’t feel strongly about any songs.

Not an album I would normally listen to. I found a couple jems on here. I especially like the song with the flute and the one with Nelly Furtado.

Enjoyed the Ozomatli overlap. Chali 2na fan.

Good album with some great tracks. Always loved thin line and what's golden. First album is still better but J5 are good overall.

If I liked hip hop, I'd like this album alot. 24 hours on i can remember none of it

Yep, don't mind this, if a bit on the long side at 56 mins. There's little chance that I would consider listening again though. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ ★★★☆☆ (6/10)

Totalno ok i ništa više od toga.

these guys have a naaaasty flow 😮‍💨 not super practical for me but i enjoyed it faves/new discoveries: break, thin line, after school special album art: very cool i know diddy was jealous

Fun beats, nice flow

Not my style of music but sooo vibey

Some solid songs in this album.

Wow holy shit

Arranca increíble y después cae un poco en ideas poco originales. Pero gran sorpresa, la pasé muy piola escuchándolo. 6/10

Wasn’t really listening much- could re listen but from what I heard was just hip hop

Effortless lyrical flows over solid beats and samples. Keeps a good energy throughout the record.

First Listen; 3.5; This was a fun listen. Interesting and fun music and socially conscious lyrics.

This started off promising, it’s always refreshing to hear a hip hop album that’s not full of misogyny and ridiculous posturing. The novelty started to wear off though and it all began to blend in to one. Still, at least it’s listenable, it’s got that going for it

good beats, bit boring album, nice in general, 3.5

Love the beats, love the sound of the lyrics, not enough hooks for me. When the songs have solid hooks it's pretty great (What's Golden as the prime example). But too many don't have hooks. Came close to 4, but couldn't get there.

Some great tunes, and impressive lyrical gymnastics. Feels somewhat dated now.

Felt more Hip Hop than Rap. Enjoyable.

Ganske bra, sterk 3. Hadde jeg hørt dette rundt 2013 hadde det vært en favoritt 🙃

Sounds like an 80s album in 2000s

Nice and fun.

Not really my cup of tea, however it had some good hooks.

This is more OG rap with a slight War vibe. Likeable.

This was surprisingly good. With a rap/hip-hop album emblazoned with parental warnings, my expectations weren't high, but I enjoyed the crisp delivery, limited profanity and smooth interplay between the members as well as the guest artists.

Faixa favorita: Sum of Us Letra favorita: “I spit Molotovs, it's time to floss My verbal affirmation is to always go off!” - A Day at the Races Como me senti: pronta pra festinha, dançante Resumo geral: Um hip-hop coeso, cheio de flow, rimas e harmonia entre vozes. Soa como um grupo trabalhando em conjunto, cada um do seu jeito sem tirar o espaço do outro. Reação pessoal: Esse álbum é para mim um grande suco dos anos 2000. É alto, é rápido, cheio de ginga e malícia.

Необычная манера исполнения и голос одного из участников. Но биты неинтересные, поэтому ни одна песня не зацепила.

It's chill to listen to, although I didn't particularly connect with any songs per se. And the album was a tad too lengthy for me. But definitely not bad.

What style is this? Reggae + rap + drum jam band + Japanese shamisen ? I enjoyed the last track 'Acetate Prophets', but it left me oh so very confused as to pick a genre, any genre. Interesting covers here and there. Rap alternative? Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): Acetate Prophets, I Am Somebody ⭐⭐⭐: Liked it..but I am perplexed why

I really enjoyed this album, pretty upbeat and positive for a Hip-Hop album. Awesome!

This is pretty good. Definitely a good group of rappers. Didn't know them at all, so cool to be exposed to them.

Musically and rhythmically, Power In Numbers had been my favorite rap album on this project so far. The beats are good, the raps fast, there are some cool instruments and samples utilized; yeah, its got a lot going on! It's lyrically dense too, and I wish I had more time to sit and digest it. Favorite tracks were "Break," "High Fidelity," and "Acetate Prophets" This was a cool album and a pleasant surprise from a group I've never listened to before, although it's not totally my style. I really liked the instrumentals and breakdowns though. With more time and listens this would probably bump up to a 4 but for now it's a solid 3.5/5 from me.

Finally an album that makes me feel something

The early 2000's were the golden age of hip hop like this album that's right up my alley. Solid beats, great flows, thoughtful lyrics. Favorite track: What's Golden

much better beats than i was expecting from the west coast but the Christian and homophbic were a major turn off for me

Never knew this group and liked it enough to let play through. May need more listens to decide on adding to my playlist.

Meh está bien

Solid mid-90s rap album. Fantastic drums and samples. The flow is definitely an evolved version of the early 90s style while also having a few sections that are an homage to the early style. I loved "What's Golden" and "High Fidelity". One of the better rap albums I've ever listened to. 6/10 - the second half of the album was weak.

that was fun. i liked the beats. i wasn’t paying much attention tho tbh sorry to all five jurassics

I AM, i am, SOMEBODY, somebody

I just love their smooth flow. The songs all blended together, but not in a bad way.

🤷‍♂️ Ok! Nice

Pleasant alternative hip hop. I can get into it. Eventually. 3/5

Was a really nice listen, don’t think it’s going to stick with me but I loved a few songs, particularly “if you only knew” and “thin line”

Hip hop is not my usual genre but this was pretty enjoyable! Was more upbeat than a lot of what I've heard in the field.

I really liked the flow, and the way this album is more reminiscent of older hip-hop/rap. Most songs are uplifting and empowering. Would have been a 4/5 if not for "One of Them," which is just several minutes of blatant homophobia for no reason.

I like it

It's not bad, and has its moments, but it is not particularly surprising. It is well produced, we can hear them very clearly which is a plus, but yeah it's simply very solid but not amazing. I'd like to be inspired by a hip hop album and this isn't it for some reason for me, but I recognize that it is well made. I just think by the end of it (which is quite long) I didn't feel much. Good sample of "les Fleurs" though.

Cool, but sort of all blended together

Good

On paper this is a solid hip hop record with quality production and versatile rapping. Yet for some reason I still remain unimpressed. While the quality of the beats is quite consistent, the rhymes and deliveries often lack sauce, making the overall listening experience somewhat bland for me. 6/10

The only things I can say about hip-hop albums are whether the grooves are good and whether the flow of the rapping is enjoyable. In this case, it's tick in both boxes. One of the better hip-hop albums on this list.

Here's a broad genre, within which my own assessments and preferences vary a lot. Even on a daily basis. All gansta rap goes to trash and the loose-rolling stuff can even be exhilarating, depending on the day. Jurassic 5 fell into this latter slot.

00's rap. I prefer some Talib, Mos Def, or Common. It was meh.

Strong start, bad middle, decent end.

I could not listen to a whole hour of this, but I do appreciate Jurassic 5 and they remind me a lot of vibrator Ashley because she was really into them. Now she’s a Trumper. Can you shake someone and say “remember who you were at 14???!!!” Man her husband and I did so much acid. What happened to themmmmm

Very generic hip hop. Nothing objectionalble, but nothing stands out and a lot of the songs used very similar rhythms so that they blended together too much.

Okay. Not bad. Just a solid little rap album. Don't know if it should be on the list, but I'm not mad that it's here.

Similar to ATCQ. Best song is "What's Golden" Couple of underwhelming songs in the second half lowers score for me.

Solid 5. Not the greatest hip hop album, but has some good beats behind the lyrics.

It wasn’t bad but I’m ready for the next album

Not really sure how to rate this. Feels corny but it’s not bad. Mid album to cap off a mid week

i really love "Thin Line", not sure about the rest of the album but it feels solid enough, i mean, for a hip hop album.

Not great

Okay, so I’d heard of Jurassic 5 and thought they were hip-hop and I was right. I didn’t think I knew any of their music until I got to the song What’s Golden. And I guess for a summer or a year, that song was everywhere and it’s a banging track. Jurassic 5 are labeled as an alternative hip-hop group, whatever that means. I guess it means they aren’t rapping about killing people and smacking hos. Jurassic 5 is more old school and fun. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have political songs or songs about society. And like most songs from the past, because people are idiots, the problems they were writing about are still happening today. These dudes come out of L.A., the birthplace of gangsta rap, but they went another way. And there isn’t anything wrong with gangsta rap, at one time it was most of what I listened to, but you get tired of some things after a while. Jurassic 5 uses samples combined with live instruments for their music and the songs have a great flow. They reminded me of later Beastie Boys work. Their voices are perfect for rap. They kind of reminded me of Arabian Prince’s voice, at least one of them. Arabian Prince wasn't a great rapper and he didn’t become a star, but he had a voice that couldn’t be confused with anyone else. He was on the N.W.A. and the Posse album. I actually really dug this album. I found myself bobbing my head and chair dancing. During a later listen, when reading the lyrics, I could tell these guys were craftsmen. The rhymes and words fit together perfectly, no hitches, nothing out of sorts, very unique. Plus, the album has some cool guest spots from Big Daddy Kane, Kool Keith and Nelly Furtado. Where is Nelly Furtado these days? Is she married? Would she like to be married? Anyway, if you’re a fan of hip-hop and haven’t heard Jurassic 5, this is probably the best example of their style. Is this an album to hear before you die? Probably not, but I sure dug the hell out it and I know hip-hop fans will enjoy it more than me.

Early 2000s hip-hop album. it's ok. Pitchfork: 6.1 Rolling Stone: n/a Best Songs What's Golden

Overall, it was decent, and at a few times I thought it was very good. But it wasn't anything outstanding. Too often it just meandered along without going anywhere, and for a 17 song album it gets old fast. There were some songs that I really did enjoy, with my standout being Thin Line with Nelly Furtado. It gets a high 3

Best: Whats golden

Good record of rapping

it was a fun album!! i probably wouldn’t listen again but it was pretty cool!

Ehh better than queens of the stone age

real good! I like this. reminds me of psyche origami. also Neil degrasse Tyson from epic rap battles is in this group and I called it

I was a bit dubious as this followed another hip hop album that I really did not like … but I should have known that the Jurassic 5 boys wouldn’t let me down 😎

3.6

i am not into hip hop

best wel funky

Thin Line - love the words. unusually nuanced take for the early 2000s. High Fidelity is GREAT. Really good rythm to the rap particularly in the last half a minute, and love the cutesy 90s kid's show background tune. Enjoyable overall.

Favorite Track: What’s Golden

I almost skipped this, glad I didn’t. Nice vibes, hints of Tribe Called Quest and Rakim’s rhythm pace. Not life changing but a good listen from start to finish.

Interesting style but not 100% my kind of music

Not really in my wheelhouse so I'm not qualified to pass comment. Nevertheless, I positively enjoyed at least half the tracks, and appreciated most of the rest.

Fun little album. Not something I expect to come back to or anything but it was a hard one to hate. 6/10

So smooth you can spread it

Uncle hip hop. Pretty fun

Het is hiphop, maar niet bijzonder goed of slecht. Soms relaxt, soms gevuld met geklets, hier en daar een muzikaal haakje, maar meestal merk je niet eens dat het op staat. Zelfs die Explicit Lyrics zijn me nauwelijks opgevallen en de sticker zit er misschien alleen op als verkoopargument.

It was fine.

I'm liking this more as it's still angry but not aggressive about it.

Enjoyed the production and the beats through the album, they have great flow as well and seamlessly intertwine their raps with each other. There were a good amount of quick samples, almost reminding me of Frontier Psychiatrist by the Avalanchers at times. What’s Golden definitely the bright spot of the album.

I liked it but I didn’t love it. A couple really good songs. What’s Golden stands out. I like boom bap and hip hop groups, but Jurassic 5 doesn’t have a standout MC. I think that’s why I’m not a huge fan. But I’m glad I listened and I did enjoy most of it. 3 stars.

Very solid album, enjoyed the difference in flows playing off each other, the warm but crisp beats, and the cohesive feel to the record end to end. What's Golden is a total classic, thin line is a fun song, but not too many other stand outs.

Hip hop for a white woman’s 40th birthday party. But sometimes we all need that. Favourite track: What’s Golden

Surprised this J5 album made it… Quality Control is way better.

Album 16/1001 Reminded me of early Black Eyed Peas (pre Fergie). A bit corny, yes, but the flow and production are really on point. Favourite song: What's Golden 🪙❓️ Honourable mention: Thin Line 📉 A Day At The Races 🐎 High Fidelity 💿 Remember His Name 💀

I enjoyed listening to this. An adjacent crew liked these guys in high school, and at that point I was always stoned and listening to Mingus, Coltrane and Miles.

Alt Hip Hop was a revelation for me when I first started streaming music on Pandora. Whenever I need a palate cleanser from whatever corner of the music world I'm stuck in, alt hip hop always does the trick. I love the positivity and how fresh this feels compared to mainstream hip hop. On first listen, I did think this got a little longwinded, but not to the point that it was annoying. It changes styles enough that it's a little tough to guess when the album ends and spotify's album radio begins - in my case, I was sure we were doing radio but was still on the final album track. The second listen seemed to fly by, so I don't know what to think about that. Overall a good listen.

Honestly, if you love hip hop, I think you’ll pretty intuitively see what makes this great. 4 rappers with a lot of personality and two great producers, what could go wrong? The Kool Keith feature doesn’t hurt. The lyrics are clever and optimistic, the flows are cool and the songs are great complete pictures. I will say, it doesn’t like reinvent the wheel or change my life or anything. It’s simply good ass hip hop. Some favorites are Freedom, Remember His Name, What’s Golden, DDT and Acetate Profits. I’m giving it a *very* high 3, repeated listens could probably push it to a 4.

Dope vibes as expected from a 90s hip hop group. No keeps, but sent it to my uncle.

2e album de rap dans le tirage, pas vraiment mon style. Pas de mauvaises chansons dans l'album.

hip hop and actual music - not bad

Some great beats, good wordplay. Very listenable, but the tracks all kind of all hits a similar note for me and start to blur together a bit.

Sounds like Nujabes features. Was okay, but kinda background-y. Did not complete.

There aren’t many dinosaur related bands or albums that come to mind apart from Houmous & Chutneys RnB 1983 album ‘Diplodocus Of Love’ 3.2 3/17 If You Only Knew

Not familiar with this J5 album. Liked the group but was always disappointed by their albums. This is no exception. 3.5 rounded down Heard before? Some Owned: Yes 12/1001, 12/50 (24%) Will I get? No

Not my favorite style of hip hop, but I respect it

The second this started playing, I was like "I recognize that deep voice", and I was right. Chali 2na was in Ozomatli (never really listened to them, but my drum teacher liked them), and he did Neil DeGrasse Tyson in Epic Rap Battles, which was a great episode. Anyways, generally enjoying this. It's got a more classic hip-hop vibe (pre-gangsta rap) with more modern flows/production. Got some of that jazz hip hop I like from bands like The Roots and Tribe. That said, I'm not super sold on this being an album that I "must" listen to. This feels like a VERY Robert Dimery pick, picking something more underground but not necessarily something that I hear a ton about in music circles (similar to Jeru the Demaja, Lupe Fiasco, and Mike Ladd, although that Jeru album was great).

liked it a lot, 3.5

Really interesting rap / hip-hop album, with smooth rap grooves and a classic hip-hop style. Strong album, but doesn’t justify more than a 7/10 due to a lack of truly memorable moments that could be played on repeat.

a little long, but good stuff

This was really not my kind of rap/hip-hop and I knew that 2 songs in. I gave it a higher rating than I wanted to just based on the merit of their rapping capabilities.

Some high highs, but mostly mediocre

74/1001 Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ One of those that needs a half star. Overall, this is a very solid album that is on the whole a super positive album. The flow and beats are very good, although cam become a little repetitive. It is overly long and could have been cut by 3-5 songs, especially One of Them. 3.5, but rounded down because of that song.

I enjoyed it, but I thought I would like it more than I did

It's a kind of hip hop that I like, it flows well, songs just breeze by and super enjoyable. Love the dynamic and composition of each song. Great album.

So… I appreciate the lyrics and the mix in of children’s voices and the old advertisements! Rap is exhausting for me. Doesn’t mean it’s bad.

I thought this album was amazing when it came out. Didn't do as much for me today. Still good but not like I remember.

Album is a bit to long, got a stale neck from bopping along.

Pretty decent 90s rap

Repeat listen

a strong hip hop album

I forgot about Jurassic 5! What a treat. I enjoyed this album front to back. I have a hard time giving it a four, but there's a very good chance I will listen to it again.

i wish i could give half stars on here cause it’s not quite a 4 but it’s not just a 3

god

Not experimental enough to really push any bounds. Good use of multiple voices.

It's fun, it's from the early 2000s, it's conscious. Lots of beats that sound like bumpers for old [adult swim] breaks, which I'm absolutely a sucker for. Lots of rhyme heavy bars tho which sound dated, like really dated. Feels like some rhymes exist because they needed to fit as many as they could within a lyric. I don't hate that necessarily, I love me some DOOM, but where DOOM has personality and gets clever with his wordplay, Jurrasic 5 seem to be much more straightforward with their writing and it feels corny. I could put this on in the background with my buddies and it would sound real nice, but I don't think that was intent behind the album.

It was good after a few songs

Trois étoiles qui tirent vers les quatre, c'était une belle découverte dans un genre que je connais mal.

Rap/hip-hop/latin/reggae Afro-beats/jazz samples - diverse and global sound, very progressive/social justice, 6/10

Decent enough - a couple of tracks I really enjoyed - Freedom and what’s golden.

Sian only listened

Really cool, i like it, men snarare typ 3,5?

Boom bap rap a tap tap It's giving the roots vibe Chop skip and rhyme The beats are tight, the raps alright ANY WEST COASTERS IN CHAT

3.5/5

Dad- 5 Mom- 5.5 Mike- NA Lori- 6.5 Michael- 6 Miles- NA Cole- NA Avg- 5.75

Thin line is the best song and actually really good, I was surprised

Good listen. Nice flow throughout the album and it really seems like a bridge between the old school and new.

overall the beats and production are good. the group isn't really a contender to either de la soul or a tribe called quest based on this album, but its a nice listen overall, albeit with some forgettable tracks. if you only knew: good conscious bars but trying to point out that the group isn't corny Really makes them seem corny. remember his name: 2nd fav beat, has great flows and lengthy verses. def a highlight for me. thin line: beat is really good, the nelly furtado feature is great. maybe my favorite track? sum of us: some of the bars on this really date the song immediately. one of them: best beat on the album imo, the frame one homophobia is certainly a choice though. while bars like that are a product of the time, it still detracts from what otherwise is a good track that has a lot to say about posers in the industry. its an interesting contrast to the rest of the album which is generally pretty uplifting and positive.

It’s pretty great, although I’m really not that into hip hop. But I like this and the message much more than the dumb objectification of women and praise of violence, drugs and guns on other hip hop albums

More old school hip hop.

cool, I liked it

Kovia biittejä. 2000 luvun alussa oli vielä makeita taustoja ja kunnon räppäystä. Tässä on kovia vokalisteja äänessä.

Cool 2000's hip hop. Good way to start

I think I saw Jurassic 5 in Bristol around 2005 with Joe Banwell. It's all a bit hazy (as was the gig, pre smoking ban!) but this sounds plausible. I didn't *love* them then, and still don't now. But there are some fun songs and nice moments. Highlights: - Thin Line - Sum of Us - What's Golden

5.5/10 Highlight: Thin Line

Lekkere jam

Cool hiphop album! Reminds me of Biggie and The Avalanches.

I didn't hate this hip hop album. Enjoyed several songs on here. Good rhythms and flows well. 3/5

Had never heard of this artist or album and was overall pleasantly surprised. It’s pretty good. Not the most earth-shattering hip-hop record I’ve ever heard (from this list or otherwise), but it was a sunny listen and I enjoyed it for what it was. Not sure about required listening, but it does have an old-school approach that someone might really like.

Distinctly remember listening to this in High School. What's Golden was definitely my favorite off this then and still is now. Biggest negative is that this has no business being 17 tracks and completely loses steam by the end. Still fun though. 3.5/5

Easy-access student-party raps

I love J5. This album isn't nearly their best. A few tracks everyone would like for hip hop and rap, but otherwise kinda over produced. I'm also not a fan of the cross genre collabs in general. So the collab tracks on here, despite being with artists I like, are super lame.

Supermarkt, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Okay, joa - nothing more.

Fun album, better than I expected. 3.5/5

Well, this was a pretty pleasant listen. I'll admit I'm not particularly well-versed in hip hop beyond the most popular stuff, but I appreciated the old-school vibe here. The turntablism, the flow, and the rapping all evoked the early hip hop I’m familiar with. The sampling was tastefully executed, showcasing an impressive range of genres: you’ll hear touches of soul, jazz, organ-heavy cuts ("What’s Golden"), sprinkles of reggae (the opening track), and even the psychedelic sound of David Axelrod on "A Day at the Races" (possibly my favorite on the album). There are also engaging interludes and spoken word segments woven throughout, keeping things interesting. Lyrically, the album leans heavily into social commentary, as you might expect from a hip hop release. These are solid overall, though at times they fall back on familiar phrases and tropes at times. Other themes include mortality, self-reflection, and relationships, providing enough lyrical diversity. Overall, it’s a fun and well-crafted album that I enjoyed, but I’m not sure it has lasting replay value for me. Nothing quite stood out as exceptional, and after three full listens I feel I’ve already uncovered most of what it has to offer. Also, while they do their best to keep things interesting and fresh, the tracklist was a bit too long for me. 3/5

It’s cool - some fun samples and really inventive lyrics. Not as good towards the end.

Positive, stripped down hip-hop. I am noticing a trend of these 2000s hip-hop albums where my attention runs out by the end. This is purely personal preference as I believe this is one of the better hip-hop albums I've listened to so far on this journey, but it simply isn't my genre of choice.

Enjoyed this a lot.

Not much for this style of music but I did enjoy some of the songs.

Never heard of this group before. I found it kind of funny that an album with a Parental Advisory sticker would end on a list like this. I imagine that might be a turn-off for some people. But considering I’d never heard of them, I actually didn’t think this album was that bad. A lot of catchy tunes! It kind of reminds me of something I would’ve listen to in my early 20s. Just goes to show that even though you’ve never heard of a band before you can end up liking them! Not sure if I will listen to any of their other albums. Song that stood out to me: High Fidelity

Bit of a slow burner, bears repeated listens as the songs and lyrics are growers. Better albums in the jurassic 5 canon though

The rapping's a bit meh to me, but they do have some super solid beats/instrumentals.

Not a big hip hop fan, but this was actually a pretty fun listen for me. Early 90s rap was sure of a hell lot different than today

Fun album

good beats, good vibes, just no bangers

Genre: Hip Hop This was a very “hip hop” album. Sounded a bit like late 80s-early 90s, but it came out in 2002. Post 9/11 rap shouldn’t sound like Will Smith. It’s not bad, and there are a couple total bangers, but it’s overall just enjoyable. Doesn’t feel like it changed the form very much. 3/5

Really solid hip-hop album. There’s a great chemistry between the group, some fun beats, and great flows throughout. Enjoyed it.

Fun underground hip hop from the days of High School!

• 3/5 • Propulsive and creative, with a few catchy standout tracks (A Day at the Races, Thin Line, Sun of Us) • Love Cut Chemist’s beats and samples and Chali2na’s voice • Nearly a 4, but a bit monotonous by the end

Good grooves

Definitely had something going for it but never fully drew me in

I wasn't really sure what to expect, but this album is just kinda okay when it comes to being a "classic" rap album. The rhymes have not aged all that well, they seem incredibly gimmicky even if they sort of pay homage to rhyme-crafting and actually writing your own raps. Sometimes we oughta pay people or collaborate further. The beats are mostly okay as well, I heard like glimmers of potential with certain samples, and sometimes the beats are far better than the rhymes. Freedom, A Day at The Races, and What's Golden are all a bit more solid with the beats and the rhymes. Thin Line is pretty dope too. There's just something so goddamn gimmicky I can't seem to shake with a lot of flows on this album and vocal phrases. Lyrical spherical orange doorhinge kinda bars. There is some doomish like comic book samples and it does have that kind of pacing, just with much cornier bars. It's aiight.

Impeccable rapping and some fine lyricism. The beats never won me over and I didn’t find them to evolve enough throughout the record, so I actually had a hard time keeping focused all the way through - it didn’t help that it ends on 6,5 minutes of nothing important.

A nice enough sound. Quite corny. I prefer my hip-hop RAW.

Good album, a few great songs but some that I didnt really like.

Loved the beats

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a hip hop album, and yes there is rapping, but less than I would have expected. The instrumentation is quite varied and interesting to me. There are elements of other genres like jazz. I don't really care for rap in general, but this album had a lot for me to like.

It's OK - not really my thing. Not bad but just not something I'd re-listen to. Didn't complete the album.

Liked it, wouldn’t race to re-listen because it’s so lyrical but was very cool

Haven't heard Chali 2na since Reanimation from Linkin Park. Better than I expected.

A bit uneven but some really great stuff here and smooth flows.

3.5

Chill album at the start. Then things picked up. I preferred those songs that seemed to be better suited to be played live. "Break" and "A Day at the Races" as personal favorites. Per Spotify, "What's Golden" is the top track, and I can see it, but it doesn't click as well for me. Hip hop isn't my thing, but this is solid.

Good for the genre

enjoyable but nothing crazy

Pretty middle of the road hip hop record. Not bad

Good hip-hop album, not the biggest fan of hip-hop though. Cover rocks

One of the best hip hop albums I've ever heard - could be the best one. The instrumental was really good and the rap vocals didn't bother me. Fun.

Buen disco de hiphop chill y con buenas instrumentales

Really cool Hip Hop Album. Smooth old school rap to varied beats, although I would have liked it more if they had leaned further into the chill Lo-Fi vibe. 3.5/5

I feel like the instrumentation is solid. It's hard to sit through 17 rap songs all in one go. Maybe if I were in a different mood/ had a different temperament, I would enjoy it more. I feel like it is better, and the lines and rhymes less cringy/forced/clunky, than what I have heard before of this older style of hip hop. Maybe this is because it came out at a much later point than the others I am comparing it to, but Jurassic 5 seem to be masters of a craft no longer corny. They operate with the intelligence, subtlety and stylistic sense of artists in the solved late-stage scrubland of a genre that was out of its golden age and on its way out when this album was released. The Slim Shady LP coming out in 1999 puts Power in Numbers' 2002 release into context. Was it treading on new ground? Or was it already somewhat dated? Songs that jumped out to me were 'Freedom', 'If You Only Knew', 'Thin Line'. More thoughtful than most rap while never straying into kente kufi cringiness. Soulful and just generally solid. But it's also not my cup of tea. Maybe a later listen would be of benefit.

Not my favorite genre but was nice to listen to while running

3 star

3.5, couple really good songs

Enjoyed this. Refreshing to have a rap album that doesn’t stick to the regular tropes e.g violence and misogyny. The beats felt fresh and can see how this would have been an interesting album to come out in the 2000s as a contrast to other artists in the era. I didn’t feel like there was anything groundbreaking about the lyrics, but it was inoffensive and easy listening, which is pretty rare for the genre.

Quite enjoyed the vibes of this whilst driving but it sort of all merged into an amorphous hip-hop sound without really ever turning into anything more meaningful. To me it lacked the edge of a great hip-hop album and presented as a softer, family or maybe radio friendly hip-hop. Ok if you are into it but not one to remember.

Definitely something I've never heard anything like before. Very important and powerful concepts behind many of the songs with great driving beats. I really enjoyed this in songs like "Thin Line," the lyrics really struck me and showed to me their powerful use of lyricism throughout the album. I really liked their use of sound effects and spoken word as well, that brought the whole album together for me. At times, I did feel the album could have been 14-15 songs long (including interludes) instead of 17, as some of the songs felt a little similar or unnecessary. Overall, this definitely exposed me to a new genre that I'm excited I got to hear! 3.5/5 stars

I can’t get into the alt-rap. It’s not bad but no songs are gonna make the rotation.

i like a lot of the flow and attention to craft, but a good number of lyrics were corny af. this sort of trad hip-hop, if that's a thing, is kinda where i live in the hip-hop/rap world, so i can't totally hate on it even though i cringed hard several times. Chali 2na rules.

Throwback rap. Smooth and easy to digest.

Cool samples, impressive flow cadences, and the varied group dynamic (trading verses) made this an enjoyable listen. Favorite track: Thin Line

Darn. This list has been absolutely strong-arming me with hip hop albums of late. First it was the second Public Enemy album, which I appreciated despite thinking it was a little too much. Then it was the Frenchy album by MC Solaar, which I heralded as my "favourite hip hop album" with it's subdued, downtempo sound. Finally(?), I have arrived at the J5. I have a bit of a history with this five-presenting sextet. I have historically been feared and revered as the ultimate destroyer of hip hop (their name, not mine). My scathing criticisms have brought the mightiest of rap figureheads to their knees. However, in my most judgmental of opinions lies the teeny-tiniest, closed-parenthesis admission that "Improvise" by Jurassic 5 is "pretty good, though". Despite this blasphemous admission of there being such a thing as "good hip hop" I have never actually thought of checking out their discography. How fortuitous that I have finally been given the excuse to check them out. I'd describe the vocalist quintet as a gimmick, though it works a little too well for it to carry that connotation. The way that these vocalists mesh and segue into one another is silky smooth and very impressive. Even more unlikely is that all 4 of the rappers are adept at singing, which allows for some intricate songwriting choices and strong vocal harmonies. When this works, it's very impressive. "If You Only Knew", "Thin Line" and "Sum Of Us" are the best examples of this thanks to some good lyrics and punchy instrumentals. There are weak points. I can't say that the instrumental closer "Acetate Prophets" did much for me, even if the song itself is competent and features some good samples/turntabling at the end. This album is also way too long. I had checked out by around the mid-point. It's competent from both a songwriting and musical perspective, though I never felt like these guys were venturing outside of their comfort zone. This ultimately made the hour-long runtime feel like an immense slog.

I assume this is the only Jurassic 5 album on here, and I get why. It's a fun, throwback record full of posse cuts, and it has a very high peak with "What's Golden" and "Thin Line" at the midpoint of the album. I'm not sure it's better than the J5 LP, or Quality Control. What I am sure of, though, is that it's very rare for a guest MC to body an entire rap group and every other guest on the album the way Kool Keith does on "DDT" If nothing else, I'm glad everyone gets to experience that.

American Hip-hop? Not exactly a favorite genre, but melodious and I got a bit surprised that I enjoyed part of it. "What's Golden" is the most played song on this album, and is catchy. Not an LP to I'm gonna buy to my collection.

This is my second pass through this album as it was early in my list before we created the group. I think it's "fine". I was more harsh reading my prior review. I'll lift it from 2 to 3. I still think there are better in the genre and they were not bringing much new in this album.

Fun listen during a lift but not quite my style. Old school hip hop takes some easing into

Enjoyed this one. Reminded me of linkin park