My favorite Jurassic 5 album (out of the 4 dropped) is J5’s debut LP that dropped in 1998. An EP had dropped a year earlier but I had upgraded my collection for a few dollars more (The LP had included bonus material. ) How refreshing was it to here this album for the first time in 1997? It felt real good. J5 had abandoned the industry bullshit of rap mainstream and delivered old-school vibes , excellent rhythmatic raps, (always on cue) and the production stylings of crate prevailers Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark. Tracks like “Jayou” and “Concrete School Yard” were just a few of the tracks that were responsible for the appreciation I had even more towards the Golden Age of Hip-Hop. Their style which was a tribute to everything that was old school and mattered was a bit tough for me to catagorize when I was mixing songs. Is it new school? Is it old school? At the time I had started calling J5’s material… True School as in true to it’s form of Hip-Hop. Bridging the gap between old school happenings and the New school surroundings of today. (to put it in mellow) The industry ushered their new found style as “The 1990’s alternative hip hop movement” (ah, same shit different toilet)

J5 consisted of Emcee’s Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir aka Soup, Mark 7even, alongside turntablist DJ Nu-Mark and DJ Cut Chemist (originally coming together from two separate crews, the Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee.) When you break down Jurassic’s style, the beats don’t get more “old school” than this. The Emcee’s blended “throwback” rhymes with beats and samples courtesy of Cut Chemist’s and DJ Nu-Mark using their extensive knowledge of rare-grooves, funk, and instructional records collection. Their debut EP was so creative and unique it payed homage to their influences from back in the day.

“Let’s take it back to the concrete streets… Original beats, and real live MC’s… Playground tactics… A rabbit in a hat tricks… Just that classic rap shit from Jurassic!” While certain producers and Rappers these days simply lift an old school beat and push rhymes out about todays daily Pimpage and hustle’, it doesn’t compare to J5’s history of respecting the Architect of Hip-Hop.

…Also check out Ugly Duckling (also from Los Angeles, CA) and Edan for your Old School tribute… True School Hip-Hop fix!