Customer Reviews

Feedback [Explicit]

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was given this album by my boyfriend with no explanation but a look of disgust on his face. Since we got together nearly 5 years ago, until this album J5 were consistantly played on long car journeys and just for general chilling out.

'Power in numbers' came out somewhere in our relationship and that only took a day to get used to, and 'Quality Control' and 'Jurassic 5' were still high ranking on the playlist.

I was therefore suprised when this album wasn't anything like previous albums. It really sounds like it could have been made by any generic feel good band. I really love track 7 'Work it out', but again, anyone could have released it and it would have sounded the same.

Where have the amazing beats gone? 'Whats Golden' and 'High Fidelity' had astounding backing tracks that, and pay attention, DIDN'T overpower the vocals. And speaking of the vocals, the way in which the songs are set out has changed completly, and I think this is the greatest detriment to the style. No more intertwining lyrics, no more happy upbeat almost freestyle sounding delivery, everything feels very staid and planned and the fun has gone out of it all. All in all it feels like its verging on R&B, very mainstream and very diluted. Hell, it's listenable to but it's not an uplifting experience like the last albums.

Somewhere on one of the songs on 'Feedback' there is the whoop from the beginning of whats golden. I immediately switched album and listed through Power in Numbers and the difference is astounding. Feedback is hopefully a rare fall from grace for J5. I have introduced so many people to this group, and if any group deserves recognition, for restraining from gangsta rap and being proud of it to building up a fan base without selling out then J5 are them. But it scares the crap out of me that this is what they'll be remembered for, their first mainstream album will be what a lot of people will percieve them as, and they are so much more than that.

If you have just bought this album or are thinking about it, and this is the first you've heard of J5, go download 'Concrete and Clay', 'Unified Rebelution' or 'Jurass Finish First'. Then go buy the older albums and maybe it'll get the message across that the older stuff is a couple billion times better than this forgettable commercial crap and they'll get back to making the music that got them this far.

I recall hearing Quality Control as a major wake up call for me. Until that point I was very skeptical of all hip hop, thinking that the best the genre had to offer was on commerical radio. The allure of J5 was an indie crowd appeal, proven by several stints at Bonnaroo. They gave us relaxed, throwback, motown hip hop that dealt lyrically with more down to earth matters than sex, violence, and gangs. DJs Nu Mark and Cut Chemist provided beats that were the antithesis to commercial hip hop, using very jazzy live drum beats.

Now what?

It seems on this new disc that the corporate machine that is Interscope Records forced our boys to create a more MTV-ready, easily marketable record. I'm not saying they've "sold out;" that term is soulless. With the exception of the beats, this is classic J5: soulful harmonizing, positive lyrics, and a very laid back feeling.

But something's missing.

The other major draw of J5, and a fact that can be heard repeatedly in the lyrics of the first two albums, were the two DJs that brought it all together. Cut Chemist and Nu Mark melded their massive talents together to form the simple beats that made J5 a monster hip hop force that it is today. But, because of a new solo disc, Cut Chemist is nowhere to be found on Feedback. As a result, Nu Mark turns to other DJs to help with the beat making process, and, as I see it, they wound up with very average beats. I realize that no artist can, or should, make the same album more than once; everyone grows both artistically and stylistically. But when a completely imaginative group start thinking inside the box, at least a little disappointment will follow.

Having said all that, Feedback is still, compared to the hip hop on the radio, a very original, better-than-most hip hop album that will keep most J5 fans happy for years to come. After the first few tracks, this new CD is amazing, in a different way than the first two J5 albums. My review would have been much more negative if they had simply put out "Quality Control Part Two."

Now...This record seems to have the shell of what j5 is about without the core. I have allways wished for these guys to make a definitive statement. To actually create the lyrical atmosphere they wish for. Instead they just complain about what isn't. It seemed as if 'power in numbers' was their attempt to make that change. Some of the most beautiful, thoughtful, empowering songs went into that. It seems now that the crew have made the decision to be so safe that the music just kind of sits there in easy listening territory. It is kinda like the smooth jazz of hip-hop. If you are a fan of where j5 was going with Cut Chemist, you will only find small flashes of that here. Cut Chemist may have taken j5's innovation with him when he left in 04. I personally prefer j5's old stuff and Cuts 'Audience's Listening' album to this. Hip-Hop fans beware. Soccer-Moms rejoice.

I know the musicians won't be reading this, but man, J5 totally let me down with Feedback. I purchased the Jurassic 5 EP a few days earlier to get back in the mood of old school hip-hop. Let me say that it is far superior to Feedback. I agree that Cut Chemist is sorely missed on this record. Nu-Mark does a good job, but the beats just don't compare to some of the better Cut tracks on Quality Control and Power in Numbers. The beats on Feedback seem overproduced, they kinda sound like DJ Z-Trip tacks, which, I would say, is a big step down from where Nu-Mark should be musically.

I think Brown Girl is the first J5 track I've ever skipped. It only took me 30 seconds.

But my biggest gripe is the lyrical content. Almost every song is about getting a girl/getting over shyness/trying to get people to like you. It sucks. Where are the fun loving lyrics of old? I think there is only really one good verse that Soup spits on track 13 or 14. Like Chali 2na isn't even that funny, not witty like he is on stage. And we know the other MC's have trouble holding their weight without the help of 2na and Soup. It sounds like J5 got bored and produced this album, or is just really trying to go mainstream (example: Dave Matthews, what the heck?)

Anyway, I totally think this album is out of character for j5, and I'm dissapointed. Hopefully at their live shows, they will continue to perform "Quality" songs. And in conclusion, if you think this is a welcome break from all the horrible things in mainstream hip-hop/rap, check out better albums by Basic Vocab (The General Dynamic), Substance Abuse (Overproof), Dabrye (Two/Three), Mr. Lif (Mo' Mega), and Cut Chemist (The Audience's Listening).

I knew there was something special about Jurassic 5 the moment I heard them on the first Lyricist Lounge CD. That was nearly ten years ago. Since then, they've put out a good promising EP and two 5-star hip-hop classics. Needless to say, I quickly picked up Feedback with high expectations.

And overall I think Feedback is good - really good. It's much better than a lot of other hip-hop that is being put out today.

You can definitely hear that they miss Cut Chemist. The beats are good throughout for the most part. But there are a couple really so-so tracks on here, which is something that NEVER happened before. There's even a weak R&B track (Brown Girl) which really sounded out of character for them.

Overall I was a little disappointed because this album is not a 5-star legendary classic. However, when all the MC's are energetic, flowing, and on top of their game (which does happen on the album), they're still untouchable.

I'm sorry; are these the same group of intelligent hip-hoppers that had us listening while everyone else had their Nelly and Bow Wow? Well, yes and no: DJ Cut Chemist left the fold, so the rest of Jurassic 5 had to soldier on. But they could have done a lot better that Feedback.

There are a few live performances that impress though, like "Turn It Out" and especially the album's opener, "Back 4 U". The latter gives you the idea that this will be another stellar J5 journey, but immediately following that song is the blatant "Radio". And the problem isn't that J5 is trying to become mainstream because as reviewer DJ Benny pointed out, they've always been on Interscope (kinda like people calling Dilated Peoples underground yet they're on Capitol Records); it's the fact that a lot of the songs are so different from their usual style that it's a little hard to stomach.

I don't think the lead single "Work It Out" (with Dave Matthews Band) is all that bad; the only problem I really have with it is that even though Dave is only singing the chorus, the music makes it feel more like Dave Matthews Band featuring Jurassic 5 instead of the other way around. But as other reviewers have mentioned, female-oriented songs like "Brown Girl" and especially "Baby Please" fall flat. The latter also isn't helped by the speed-rapping, OR the sample of Al Green's "Love & Happiness" for the umpteenth time. And there's absolutely no excuse for "In the House"; well, unless this was 1983.

One song that everyone seems to like is "Red Hot", but the chorus to that song ruined it for me. Songs that DO impress include tracks 8 and 9: "Where We At" and "Get It Together". Another highlight is "End Up Like This". The song has the chorus: "How did we end up like this?" which is exactly what I'D like to know. Maybe the guys in J5 don't realize that it's best for the MTV generation to jump onto their bandwagon because they realize the music is good, not because the artist pathetically changes their style to fit the mold. Hopefully they'll realize that the next time around because right now if most people were to download a lot of these songs, they'd probably want to send the feed back.

Anthony Rupert

The new Jurassic 5 release, "Feedback", is more pedestrian than groundbreaking, more safe than innovative, and more rap than hip hop. There are many outside factors, however, that one must consider when listening to this album. For one, it has been widely documented that longtime J-5 producer and member Cut Chemist has left the group. Therefore, Jurassic had to go outside of their own world to search for beatmakers, and it shows. A lot of the beats on the album are anemic compared to old bangers such as "What's Golden", "A Day At The Races", "React", "Freedom", "W.O.E.", etc., etc. Also, this release suffers from a severe lack of Chali2Na, J5's bass-voiced emcee. Chali has been working on several other projects including his own solo career, so perhaps this explains his minimal appearance on the album. But Tuna is BY FAR the best rapper of the bunch. He is so much better than his counterparts, its not even close. I would have liked to have heard more of him on the album. All things considered, however, I wouldn't consider this a BAD album, just underwhelming and somewhat disappointing. There are some great tracks, such as "Radio", "Red Hot", "In The House", "Baby Please", "Back 4 U", and even the collabo with DMB and lead single, "Work It Out". Another bright spot is "Canto De Ossahna", an instrumental that really took me by (pleasant) surprise at the end of the album. You may be thinking to yourself, "Wow, he listed about half of the album as standout tracks!" However, while this may seem like alot, the hot-to-not ratio of tracks on feedback is far worse when compared to classic albums such as "Power in Numbers" and especially "Quality Control". This is a "nice" album, but falls flat in terms of my expectations. A decent purchase for hip-hop heads. (By the way, the track "Brown Girl" is absolutely abyssmal and would not sound out of place on one of the newer Black Eyed Peas records. Gross.)

In response to the reviewer below me:

I happen to be in agreement that this album is not up to par with the previous stuff they've put out. I find it hard to believe that those of you who have heard their previous stuff (and no, that doesnt mean just recently bought their last 3 albums last week) can argue with that statement. It just simply IS NOT up to par with what these guys are capable of.

Why do I say that? Because they've shown us so in the past. Unfortunately, once a group reaches a certain level in their music and starts putting out caliber stuff (as they did with Quality Control and Power in Numbers), their fans come to expect that same level of quality in the future, if not better. Thats just how it is.

Avid J5 fans expect much more from these guys and we did not get it. If you are just starting to get into them then maybe this album is right for you, but fact is it doesnt even hold a candle to what is already out. I'd say parts of it are downright intolerable. (Radio, Brown Girl, others) Am I pissed? Sure I'm pissed.

4 years after their last album one would expect more than this. And regarding the lyrical content... I think it's time to start talking about other stuff. Putting down mainstream rap and gangster rap was funny, clever, and witty on Power and Numbers and before but how long are they gonna go on about this? The message is tired, we get the point. I am in complete agreement with them about this ( I would never pick up an album by usher, chingy, ludacris, or whoever the *&%^ else is on the radio these days, and I never listen to mainstream radio). I hate that stuff and the message as much as we all do but at what point do we stoop to their level odf stupidity by going on and on about how immature and ridiculous these "rappers" act and look?

No evolution whatsoever. As a final note, to any new fans of J5, I would absolutely not begin with this album. Start with Quality Control and then pick up Power in Numbers.

1. J5 were always on a major label, they've always been mainstream....they've been on interscope throughout all their albums.

2. That being said....they are on the same label as 50 cent and all the people on Aftermath, which is selling for the label right now...hence the bubblegum BS like "brown girl." Don't worry, I hate it, too. It just has been a matter of what is selling for the label and what isn't...J5 sells low for them being as alternative as they are already to the 50 cent stuff, so thats why they haven't gotten too much publicity inbetween albums. IMO, its a miracle they are still on the label, fans should be thankful for that.

3. There are definitely dissapointing tracks on there....but the whole album definitely is not completely bad...the middle cuts in the album, red hot, and especially that nu-mark instrumental at the end I will probably be playing for a while. Stupid tracks like Brown Girl are only there because Interscope probably forced them to make it...it's Interscope, I mean that's all I have to say...they want 12 million teenage girls to have J5 mp3's in their pockets. That being said...I am a bit disspointed in J5 for trying to compromise with that BS.

The only wack songs on here to me are "brown girl," and "radio." The other tracks range from fair or average to classic J5 material....this is because a lack of consistent nu-mark production across the album, as well as a complete loss of Cut Chemist.

4. It doesn't compare to QC or PIN, production wise, but all I can hope for is that they 1) Broaden their audience, and 2) don't attempt the same minor wack mistakes on the next album and get nu-mark to do the whole thing...cause those were the tracks that stood out most on feedback imo...there isn't even a contest...the Nu-Mark beats specifically with the piano samples completely outshine most of the other beats on the album.

5. Cut Chemist is out of the group indefinitely....for the fact that he wanted to do his own thing...give the man a break, he made a damn good solo record.

And one last thing... Chali2na kills EVERY verse, no matter what beat he is on...bring on the solo album for him, Interscope is not ready for that kind of skill.

"I know women that dodge balls like Ben Stiller." - 2na

Yeah I'd be typing this two handed if I wasn't still punching myself in the forehead for waiting the 4 extra days to buy this album based on what the reviews were sayin. This is definitely a solid album from J5. The only reason that I'm giving this album 4 stars is because of "Brown Girl", I didn't like it myself but that doesn't mean that J5 shouldn't have made the song. Personally, if I wanted to hear an album that sounded like Power In Numbers or Quality Control, I would just listen to those albums. Some underground hip hop fans always seem to be against the idea of "underground" hip hop artists going outside of what they (hip hop artists) might be best known for and I don't understand it. If someone wants music to sound a certain way, then they should start making music, not criticize an artist for experimenting with different sounds that, heaven forbid, might increase the amount of fans that they have. And aren't fans always complaining about how so many hip hop artists do what seems to be "trendy" at the time and play it safe for the security of big sales? That doesn't feel or sound like that is the case with this album at all.

This album does sound like it has more outside influence than the previous ones, but it works. I mean "Radio" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. People do remember that there was a time in hip hop (a time that J5 are always reminiscing of) when it was just about having fun, right? I think if people just took the music for what it was, then they wouldn't have these selfish expectations of artists to do what "fans" will like. Artists don't owe fans anything. If J5 wants to make an album that doesn't sound like anything that they've done thus far, they don't have to. In fact, I would be more dissapointed if J5 tried to stay in the niche that they created for themselves just to keep their "underound" fan base happy.