Jurassic 5 Looking For More Feedback

By Will Jordan

With their wide-ranging, tongue-twisting vocals and funky, infectious rhythms, Jurassic 5 have conquered audiences in all realms.
Their experimental and diverse nature have allowed the five-man collective to share the stages with major mainstream acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Fiona Apple, Green Day, D’Angelo and OutKast, but their music has always maintained the underground grit.
Each member brings his own flavor to the mic from Akil to Zaakir (Soup), Chali 2na, Marc 7, and producer/DJ Nu-Marc.
Since the collective released the 1997 self-titled independent EP that sold 300,000 copies worldwide Jurassic 5 have long crisscrossed over hip-hop musical boundaries, picking up fans of all musical tastes, and with their latest, Feedback, they are sure to recruit more.
“We’re ready to win this thing right here,” Soup tells Rib. “We’ve been doing this for a long time now, but I don’t feel like we’ve won yet.”
Feedback has 15 tracks that are sonically all over the place, typical of J-5’s diverse abilities and features several guest appearances including Dave Matthews Band, Mos Def to name a few.
“We’ve always touched a different array of people,” Soup says. “We kind of put ourselves in a position to have that type of appeal. We never say we’re just doing it for black folks or white folks. It’s always what we’ve wanted to do.”
Instead of taking the easy route by recording remotely with pro-tools like so many bands these days, J-5 members agreed to record together.
“I wouldn’t do a record like that,” Soup says. “I get a better vibe on how everyone else is feeling when we’re together. When people feel they can’t get together to do what got them in the position that got them so busy in the first place, I feel that’s a problem.”
Soup admits his sense of humor in the studio may have sometimes gotten on other members nerves from time to time.
“I’m not fixin’ to be sitting here acting like we’re finding the cure for Cancer,” he says. “We’re just lucky enough to do what we want to do.”
This time around the group banded with a major record label, Interscope, and they’re hoping to finally get the help with exposure they’ve always deserved.
“We’ve always taken the reins with J-5,” Soup says”This time around we have a co-pilot. Intercope is a big machine. It is what it is, a big machine and now we’re part of the machine. Why not utilize everything the machine has to offer?”
Feedback is a response to everything that has transpired since Power In Numbers, their last album released three years ago.
“When you do art, you’re going to get feedback,” Chali explains in a release. “It’s like our output from people’s input,” Akil adds. “In order to get sound, a certain amount of feedback has to be produced.”
The members’ varied background allows each to bring a different perspective to the table. Zaakir and Nu-Mark have worked at record labels. Zaakir, a former college radio promotions rep at Loud and Interscope Records, was instrumental in getting Mobb Deep signed to Loud Records in the early ‘90s. While working at indie label Correct Records in the mid-‘90s, Nu-Mark tried to sign Kanye West to the label, but the company passed on the opportunity. Akil and Chali were always engulfed in the art. Akil’s father was a local DJ, and his mother a dancer. Chicago native Chali 2na’s history as a respected Los Angeles graffiti artist is documented in the book The History Of Los Angeles Grafitti. The Patterson, New Jersey rooted Marc 7 moved to L.A. when he was 15, and quickly embraced the new scene, considering among his most influential moments, seeing Ice T introduce Eazy-E to L.A. audiences at the Casa back in the late ‘80s.
Their passion for their art earned them acclaim even before they scored their major label deal. Prior to forming J5, the members were involved in two separate hip-hop groups, who both happened to have an old school hip-hop sound.
Chali 2na, Marc 7 and Cut Chemist, who exited J5 last year to pursue solo projects, were members of Unity Committee, and Zaakir and Akil formed Rebels Of Rhythm. The groups met in 1993 while frequenting The Good Life Health Food Café, a former open mic venue for unsigned acts. Several significant Los Angeles acts from the early ‘90s came out of this scene—The Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Volume 10, Ahmad, and Skee-Lo, among others. After years of suggesting that the Unity Committee and Rebels Of Rhythm work together, the groups recorded “Unified Rebelution,” which became an anthem, prompting the groups to merge.
Their independently released Jurassic 5 EP helped them secure their deal with Interscope. In 2000, they issued wmode=transparent quality Control, fueled by the title track, reached gold status. In 2002, they dropped Power In Numbers which made impact with “What’s Golden.”
With Feedback, J5 plans to take things to the next level.
Zaakir says a recent conversation he had with an old friend made him put things into perspective. When he ran into the friend he had not seen since The Good Life days asked him how J5 managed to reach their level of success while Freestyle Fellowship had essentially fallen off, he was stumped.
“I really wasn’t ready for no question like that,” Zaakir recalls. “I was like I don’t know. Maybe business decisions. Maybe being able to compromise, and tolerate people’s ways. I’m sure this type of shit came into play. I feel like everybody got their shot. The Pharcyde came out had their shot, but they broke up. Cypress Hill definitely had their shot. Alkaholiks had their shot. I don’t feel we had our shot as far as like radio. That’s the only thing I wish. Can we go hard one time? Then I would feel like we got our shot.”

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