June 23, 2003 @ 9:00 pm

Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers (Interscope)

Ernest Hardy

Jurassic 5’s forward-thinking music is a soundtrack for the narrow middle ground between the multiculti fantasy and segre-gated reality of Los Angeles.

Jurassic 5’s forward-thinking music is a soundtrack for the narrow middle ground between the multiculti fantasy and segre-gated reality of Los Angeles. Slammed for its optimism, J5 takes on all detractors on its second album. In the process, they get passionate enough to avoid a previous pitfall: seldom rising above good intentions to create genuinely inspired music. “We humble but don’t mistake us for some corny-ass crew / What we do is try to give you what you ain’t used to,” they rap defiantly on “If You Only Knew.” The outfit’s signature sing-along hooks are intact, and their newly acidic lyrics ride over their trademark, soulfully propulsive beats. But Power in Numbers is colored by a spiritual ache that transcends anything J5 has done before. Defensiveness about their rep and anger at the pressures of racism, poverty, and institutional injustice (“My forefathers hung in trees to be free / Got rid of slavery but still kept the penitentiary,” raps Akil on the ironically titled cut “Freedom”) eat at them throughout the new disc, and they’re better artists for it. Believe the hype.

Article tags: Jurassic, 5, Power, Numbers, Interscope 

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