Jurassic 5 were an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways. Allmusic defines it as follows:...
group formed in 1993 by
rappersRapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment...
Chali 2naCharlie Stewart, professionally known as Chali 2na is an American rapper and hip hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.-Early life:...
, Akil, Zaakir (AKA Soup), Mark 7even, DJ Nu-Mark and
Cut ChemistCut Chemist is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5. He has collaborated with fellow turntablist DJ Shadow on a number of projects.-Career:...
. The group broke up in 2007.
Jurassic 5 came together from two separate crews, the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee. The group formed at the
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
health store the Good Life Cafe, where they performed at the open mic nights along with Good Life regulars such as
Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship are a rap group from Los Angeles consisting of rappers Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter and producer J Sumbi. Their vocal techniques focusing on the method of the freestyle, as well as a successful infusion of hip hop and jazz, established the group as forerunners in...
,
Abstract RudeAbstract Rude is an American rapper, from Los Angeles, CA. He is the MC for the hip hop group Abstract Tribe Unique , alongside dancers Zulu Butterfly Prince and Irie Lion Locks, Turntablist DJ Drez, and Underground Hip Hop producer, Fat Jack...
, and many others.
Jurassic 5 were an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways. Allmusic defines it as follows:...
group formed in 1993 by
rappersRapping is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes, wordplay, and poetry. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be delivered over a beat or without accompaniment...
Chali 2naCharlie Stewart, professionally known as Chali 2na is an American rapper and hip hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.-Early life:...
, Akil, Zaakir (AKA Soup), Mark 7even, DJ Nu-Mark and
Cut ChemistCut Chemist is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5. He has collaborated with fellow turntablist DJ Shadow on a number of projects.-Career:...
. The group broke up in 2007.
History
Jurassic 5 came together from two separate crews, the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee. The group formed at the
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is the most populous state in the United States, and the third largest by area. California is the second most populous sub-national entity in the Americas, behind only São Paulo, Brazil...
health store the Good Life Cafe, where they performed at the open mic nights along with Good Life regulars such as
Freestyle FellowshipFreestyle Fellowship are a rap group from Los Angeles consisting of rappers Aceyalone, Myka 9, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter and producer J Sumbi. Their vocal techniques focusing on the method of the freestyle, as well as a successful infusion of hip hop and jazz, established the group as forerunners in...
,
Abstract RudeAbstract Rude is an American rapper, from Los Angeles, CA. He is the MC for the hip hop group Abstract Tribe Unique , alongside dancers Zulu Butterfly Prince and Irie Lion Locks, Turntablist DJ Drez, and Underground Hip Hop producer, Fat Jack...
, and many others. According to
Cut ChemistCut Chemist is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5. He has collaborated with fellow turntablist DJ Shadow on a number of projects.-Career:...
, "The Good Life was a renaissance period in hip hop."
Jurassic 5 released their first record,
Jurassic 5 EP, in 1997. The record cemented their position in the 1990s
alternative hip hopAlternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music that is defined in greatly varying ways. Allmusic defines it as follows:...
movement, alongside artists such as
Company FlowCompany Flow was an American underground hip hop group from Brooklyn, New York City at one time associated with the independent record label Rawkus Records. Rapper/producer El-P and DJ/producer Mr...
,
Black StarBlack Star is a hip hop group formed by MCs Mos Def and Talib Kweli. Affiliated with the group is DJ Hi-Tek, who formed producer/MC duo Reflection Eternal with Kweli for the album Train of Thought and produced a portion of Black Star's debut album....
and
Kool KeithKeith Matthew Thornton, better known by his stage name Kool Keith, is an American rapper. A founding member of Ultramagnetic MCs, Kool Keith has also recorded extensively both as a solo artist and under multiple aliases.-History:...
. The EP was later repackaged with additional tracks and released in December 1998 as the band's full-length debut album, entitled
Jurassic 5 LPJurassic 5 EP was the first official release by alternative hip hop group Jurassic 5. It was an EP that included much of the material that would later appear on the Jurassic 5 LP....
. The tracks hearkened back to the attitude of New York's
Native Tongues PosseThe Native Tongues is a collective of late 1980s and early 1990s hip-hop artists known for their positive-minded, good-natured Afrocentric lyrics, and for pioneering the use of eclectic sampling and later jazz-influenced beats. Its principal members are the Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, and A Tribe...
, which included
De La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop group formed in 1987 in Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, the
Jungle BrothersThe Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in 1988...
and
A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985. The group is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but appears to have rejoined the group since 2006...
. The song "Concrete Schoolyard", and the album provided the troupe with a Top 40 single when it reached number 35 in November 1998.
In 1999, Jurassic 5 signed to
Interscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
, who re-released the
Jurassic 5 EP. This was followed by their second album (their first on a major label),
Quality ControlQuality Control is the second album from the alternative hip hop group Jurassic 5, and their first on a major label.- Track listing :-Supplemental information:...
.
In 2003, they released their third album,
Power In NumbersPower in Numbers is the highly acclaimed third album from the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5 .It picks up where their previous album, Quality Control left off, with a short double bass sample playing the same riff that the last song on Quality Control, "Swing Set," ended with.The album...
, which was followed by touring with the newly-revived
LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring alternative rock, hip hop, and punk rock bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups...
festival in summer 2003.
Jurassic 5 toured without
Cut ChemistCut Chemist is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5. He has collaborated with fellow turntablist DJ Shadow on a number of projects.-Career:...
, who left the group to pursue a solo career
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002500222. The remaining 5 members have recorded and have released their fourth album,
FeedbackFeedback is the fourth and final full-length album from Los Angeles-based Hip Hop crew Jurassic 5, released on July 25, 2006. It is the first album the band have released as a quintet , in the wake of Cut Chemist's leaving the group earlier that year.The first single from the album was "Red Hot,"...
, on July 25, 2006.
Jurassic 5 split in February 2007. The reason for the split was unclear; however member Soup had this to say: "I don't want to sit here and fake around with it - we're not seeing eye-to-eye right now."
In 2009, Jurassic 5 alumni Zaakir and Mark 7even formed the hip hop group Portable Payback.
In 2009 Akil the MC founded the L.A. Unified Skill District.
Collaborations
- 1998 - Chali 2na collaborated with T Love on the track "Wannabeez" off the "Return Of The B-Girl" EP
- 1999 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with Quannam Mc's on the Quannum spectrum CD on the track "Concentration"
- Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark collaborated with Incubus
Incubus is an American Grammy Award-nominated rock band, from Calabasas, California. Formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school. The band expanded to include bassist Alex Katunich , and Gavin Koppell...
on the track "Battlestar Scralatchtica" on the album Make YourselfMake Yourself is the third album by American rock band Incubus, released through Sony on October 26 1999. The album has been certified double platinum in the United States with having three charting singles, "Pardon Me", "Stellar", and "Drive", all of which reached the top three of the Billboard...
- 2001 Jurassic 5 collaborated on the track "Lunchtime" and Akil also appeared on the track "Jaw Jabbin'" on Click Tha Supah Latin's album, Square Won. Chali 2na appeared on Swollen Members' "Full Contact" from the album Bad Dreams; the song also featured Evidence of Dilated Peoples
- Chali 2na collaborated with Long Beach Dub Allstars
The Long Beach Dub Allstars was a dub reggae/ska/rock band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2002.Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh met in childhood and later started their first garage punk band, consisting of drums, bass and vocals. They later formed Sublime with Brad Nowell...
on song "Life Goes On" on the album Wonders of the WorldWonders of the World is the second album from Dub band Long Beach Dub Allstars. It was released on September 11, 2001, and was the final album from the band...
- 2002 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She has sold over 18 million albums worldwide, and currently resides in Toronto...
on the song "Thin Line"
- - Chali 2na appeared on the song "4000 Miles" and Cut Chemist featured on "Chemical Callisthenics", both on the album Blazing Arrow
Blazing Arrow is the second full-length album by Blackalicious, the follow-up to 2000's Nia. It was released on April 30, 2002 on MCA Records.-Track listing:All tracks by Chief Xcel and Gift of Gab#"Introduction: Bow and Fire" – 1:06...
by BlackaliciousBlackalicious is an American hip hop duo made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel . They are noted for Gift of Gab's often fast-paced, multi-syllabic, complex rhymes and Chef Xcel's diverse range of beats. The pair have released three full-length albums...
- Chali 2na collaborated with Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California, formed in 1996. Since their formation, the band has sold more than 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards. It achieved mainstream success with its debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005...
on the album ReanimationReanimation is the first remix album by American rock band Linkin Park as a follow-up to their first studio album, Hybrid Theory and released on July 30, 2002...
- Akil, Chali 2na and Marc 7even, alongside Rakaa from Dilated Peoples
Dilated Peoples is an underground hip hop group that resides in California. It has achieved great fame in the underground hip hop community, although it has had little mainstream success in the US, with the exception of the song "This Way," a 2004 collaboration with Kanye West...
appeared on the SupernaturalSupernatural is a rapper known for his skills in freestyling. Hailing from Indiana, "Supernat" moved to NYC. Through the years, he became regarded as a legend in the realm of freestyle emcee battles.- Biography :...
track "Work It Out"
- 2003 - Akil and Chali 2na collaborated with DJ Format
Matt Ford, better known as DJ Format , is a hip hop DJ born in Southampton, United Kingdom and living in Brighton....
for the track "We Know Something You Don't Know"
- Akil and Chali 2na collaborated with funk-jazz trio Soulive
Soulive is a funk/jazz trio that originated in Buffalo, New York, and is known for its solos and catchy, upbeat songs. The band consists of Eric Krasno , Alan Evans , and Neal Evans...
on the song "Doin' Something Remix" of the Turn It Out Remixed album
- 2004 - Jurassic 5 appeared during the live recorded album Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1 by alternative metal supergroup Axis of Justice
Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice together....
, with two tracks: "What's Golden" and "Freedom"
- 2005 - Chali 2na and Zaakir appear on "Family Rap", a track for the 2005 Breakestra
Breakestra is a ten-piece funk "orchestra" from Los Angeles, California, formed by Miles Tackett in 1996.Miles Tackett, also known as "Musicman", plays bass, guitar, keyboards and drums. He also sings along with Mix Master Wolf...
LP Hit the Floor, which also features Double K of People Under the StairsPeople Under the Stairs are an underground hip hop group from Los Angeles, California. It's comprised of two emcee's Thes One and Double K. The group, also known as PUTS, has released seven albums since 1998, each about every two years...
- 2006 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with members of the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is an American band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. Founding members include singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, and drummer Carter Beauford. Founding-member saxophonist LeRoi...
on the track "Work It Out"Work It Out" is a song by hip hop group Jurassic 5 released as the third single from their fourth studio album Feedback by American. The track features Dave Matthews Band and vocals by lead singer Dave Matthews on the chorus...
" on Feedback
- Jurassic 5 collaborated with Swiss
Switzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
rapper GimmaGimma, real name Gian-Marco Schmid, is a Swiss rapper from Chur in Graubünden Canton who raps in Swiss German.-Biography:Gimma's youth was marked by many traumatic incidents. He was admitted into a psychiatric institution when his parents divorced after twenty years of marriage...
- Chali 2na collaborated with Sérgio Mendes
Sérgio Santos Mendes is a Brazilian musician. He has released over thirty-five albums, and plays bossa nova heavily crossed with jazz and funk....
on his album TimelessTimeless is a 2006 album by Sérgio Mendes. It features neo soul and alternative hip hop guest artists, most prominently will.i.am, who also produced most of the songs. It was released February 14, 2006 by Concord Records and will.i.am music group...
on the track "Yes, Yes, Y'all"
- 2007 - Jurassic 5 collaborated with producer Large Professor
Large Professor also known as Large Pro and Xtra P , is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
on the track "Hood In The U.S.A."
- Chali 2na collaborated on Percee P
Percee P is a hip hop artist from the Patterson Projects in The Bronx, New York City, United States. Percee P has been writing and performing since 1979, yet his debut album Perseverance was not released until September 18, 2007, produced entirely by Madlib.He was known in the underground for...
's debut Perseverance on the track "No Time for Jokes"
- 2008 - Akil collaborated on Abstract Artform's debut Prairie Kid on the track "Bring it Back"
- Chali 2na collaborated with Mos Def
Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and MC known by the stage name Mos Def. Mos Def started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, who released the album...
and on the track "America" on K'naanK'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali-Canadian poet, rapper and musician.-Early life:Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most famous singers....
's album TroubadourTroubadour is the second studio album by Somali-Canadian hip hop artist K'naan, released February 24, 2009. The album features performances by Kirk Hammett, Chubb Rock, Chali 2na, Mos Def, Damian Marley and Adam Levine...
- 2009- Chali 2na releases his solo album "Fish Outta Water".
Albums
| Album information |
| Jurassic 5 LP Jurassic 5 EP was the first official release by alternative hip hop group Jurassic 5. It was an EP that included much of the material that would later appear on the Jurassic 5 LP....
- Released: December 1, 1998
- Billboard 200 chart position: -
- R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: -
- Singles: "Jayou"/"Without a Doubt", "Improvise"/"Concrete Schoolyard"
|
| Quality Control Quality Control is the second album from the alternative hip hop group Jurassic 5, and their first on a major label.- Track listing :-Supplemental information:...
Released: June 20, 2000
Billboard 200 chart position: #43
R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #33
Singles: "Quality Control/Twelve", "W.O.E. Is Me (World of Entertainment)", "The Influence" |
| Power in Numbers Power in Numbers is the highly acclaimed third album from the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5 .It picks up where their previous album, Quality Control left off, with a short double bass sample playing the same riff that the last song on Quality Control, "Swing Set," ended with.The album...
Released: October 8, 2002
Billboard 200 chart position: #15
R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #13
Singles: "What's Golden/High Fidelity", "Freedom"/"One of Them", "Thin Line"/"A Day at the Races", "Hey"/"If You Only Knew" |
| Feedback Feedback is the fourth and final full-length album from Los Angeles-based Hip Hop crew Jurassic 5, released on July 25, 2006. It is the first album the band have released as a quintet , in the wake of Cut Chemist's leaving the group earlier that year.The first single from the album was "Red Hot,"...
Released: July 25, 2006
Billboard 200 chart position: #15
R&B/Hip-Hop chart position: #12
Singles: "Red Hot", "Canto De Osshanha", "Work It Out"Work It Out" is a song by hip hop group Jurassic 5 released as the third single from their fourth studio album Feedback by American. The track features Dave Matthews Band and vocals by lead singer Dave Matthews on the chorus...
" |
Miscellaneous
- Jurassick! (Freestyles and Rarities) (2003, Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...
)
- Pre-Historik Rarities (2003)