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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A strong sophomore release, July 11, 2005
I have to give credit to this album for being a large stepping stone in my infatuation for hip-hop. It was one of those albums that came along and showed me that hip-hop wasn't dead. And that there are still some great musicians reviving the muddled commercial product of hip-hop. The lyrics are true to the soul, and it possesses a colorful and inventive production to match. Although, the production is a bit different from that of their critically acclaimed 2000 "Quality Control". The production wins points for intelligence and originality, but misses on the freshness that "Quality Control" had. Since the beats are a little darker, and a little more minimal, that just leaves more room to concentrate on four of the greatest tongue-twisters in hip-hop, which leaves little to complain about.
Jurassic 5 takes all the classic elements from the golden age of hip-hop and spins them into exciting and creative directions. Sure, it's what a lot of emcees and producers in hip-hop "try" to do; but the four emcees, DJ Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist simply possess the skills to get the job done. Take "Freedom" for example. The beats are very old-school and skeletal, but the flows, rhymes and messages are on point, which makes it a standout. "If You Only Knew" also contains one of their most important messages, which maps the trials and tribulations that they've gone through over the years. But I must say, "Break" is probably my favorite track, which is little more reminiscent of the production on "Quality Control"; it shines. The simple bass, guitar and drum loop has an infection build-up, which eventually breaks into some sweet scratching for a solid conclusion. Then comes the chorusless and hookless battle rhyming of "A Day at the Races" featuring Big Daddy Kane; very sweet. "What's Golden" (the "hit") has an infectious old-school feel to it, which definitely feels like a Jurassic 5 anthem. Next up is "Thin Line" featuring Nelly Furtado. I like some tunes by Furtado, but this one misses the mark, frankly.
All and all, the album feels a bit front-loaded. Not to say that it isn't solid, but "Quality Control" was airtight. And subsequently, it's hard to create something as groundbreaking as their debut. There is still a ton of elements to love about this record. Some may be a little disappointed that the change in the formula came so quick, but that shouldn't shadow it's strong points. Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist really refine their production skills here, and you can expect the lyrics and flows to be incredible as always. But I would have to recommend "Quality Control" before this one. It's not that "Power In Numbers" misses the mark. It's just a bit dwarfed by their stunning debut. That certainly doesn't change their reputation of being among the most talented groups in hip-hop.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More of quality tracks from J5, October 27, 2002
Two years after their critically acclaimed full-length debut, Quality Control, Jurassic 5 is back with their sophomore LP, Power In Numbers. While they have retained their old school style, Jurassic 5 has definitely evolved between their two releases. On PIN they have embraced a slightly more pop sound that will allow a wider number of fans to make the transition from MTV's pop-rap to J5's underground style. However, they are still far from sounding anything like Jay-Z or Nelly.
Structurally, PIN is very similar to their debut album: they both start with a spoken word track and end with a clever instrumental piece by DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist. Power In Number's equivalents are unfortunately inferior to the DJs' previous effort. The closer, "Acetate Prophets," features Nu-Mark's creative beats and samples and Cut Chemist's amazing turntable skills, but it lacks the character of it's Quality Control equivalent, "Swing Set."
However, this does not mean the entire CD is inferior to their first LP. As soon as the second track "Freedom" hits with its simple jazzy guitar and drum loops and flowing lyrics, you'll understand why J5 was on top of many editor's top 10 lists in the year 2000. Jurassic 5 shines in its relatively simple approach to hip-hop. Instead of overwhelming the listener with studio effects, blasting dance beats or electronic noise, J5's DJs use creative instrumental samples that allow emcees Chali 2NA, Marc 7, Zaakir and Akil to flow melodiously over the beat. In fact, J5 is one of the few hip-hop groups that are vocally aware. Throughout the disc all four emcees are in tune with the instrumentals, which is not only a testament to the group's vocal skill, but the DJ's excellent choice of beats and samples.
The other two tracks that retain their old school sound are the first two singles "What's Golden" and "If You Only New." Not only are the two tracks musically amazing, but lyrically they offer a positive message that is usually atypical of hip-hop. The latter track says it the best: "We're real people/Homies just like you...We try and give you something that you ain't use to/Soul music, something we can all relate to." Jurassic 5 is all about having fun and listening to great music; something that most rappers have forgotten in recent years.
Those expecting only J5's old school style will be surprised by the number of experimental tracks on this PIN. The track "Hey" features an almost trip-hop beat with ambient effects that exposes a side of J5 that has never been seen before. While it is nothing like their previous tracks, the sung vocals and few effects make this song surprisingly enjoyable. One shocker on the album is "Thin Line" featuring Nelly Furtado. While I'm no fan of Nelly Furtado or her vocal style, I must admit that this track works almost flawlessly. This is a perfect example of how Jurassic 5 can penetrate the mass market without sacrificing their own style.
The only negative part of this album is the track "One of Them." It is uncharacteristically vulgar. While it condemns all the materially driven pop rappers out there, it goes about it in all the wrong ways.
While some will condemn Jurassic 5 for their slight foray into pop music, no one can deny that they once again produced a classic hip-hop album. Besides, if it means that more people will be picking up J5's new LP instead of a Nelly or P. Diddy album then perhaps the hip-hop world can change for the better. If you are into underground hip-hop then you probably picked this album up on release day with the limited DVD, but those who like any kind of rap or hip-hop but haven't checked out J5 need to grab Power In Numbers. If you don't like hip-hop, J5 may change your mind; their debut introduced me to the amazing world of underground hip-hop. Even skaters (a predominately punk driven group) were enamored with Quality Control. While Power In Numbers does not surpass its predecessor, it is still another great album by one of hip-hop's most up-and-coming artists.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Holdin' on to What's Golden, February 7, 2004
Being a champion of pure, old school hip-hop in today's rap scene is incredibly daunting. J5 pulls it off better than anyone else. Still managing to break new ground while reminding us all of how hip-hop used to make us feel, this CD is an exposition of incredible beats, outstanding, intelligent rhymes and an atmosphere that will put a smile on anyone's face. Don't pass it up.
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