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Jul 13
Jul 13
KCRW presents

Jurassic 5

With Special Guests: Dilated Peoples, Beat Junkies
Date: Sunday, July 13, 2014
Start Time: 6:00 PM

Official Photos

Artist Bio

Jurassic 5 was formed of six members; two DJs/Producers coupled with four distinct rappers who, when performing sequences simultaneously, was perfectly tempered, making their early releases stand above the experimental rap that was burgeoning at the time. They weren’t throwback or old school, but they embodied a nostalgic sound that was also at once fresh. Their first release, The Jurassic 5 EP, had songs like “Concrete Schoolyard” and “Jayou”, quickly turned heads to their relaxed yet detailed sound. It also contained “Lesson 6: The Lecture”, an instrumental opus that underscored the group’s deep production value. Fans worldwide became aware of J5’s dynamic stage show during this era.

Their next release, a gold selling Quality Control, was a more fully realized effort which was a charting album on the Billboard Charts, peaking at #43 and largely introduced them to the masses worldwide. Tracks like “Quality Control”, “Jurass Finish First” and “Swing Set” – became the group’s signature sound, a development of intricate yet simple back-and-forth group dynamics accompanied by deep rooted production from Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark. As momentum snowballed, their next effort, Power in Numbers produced “Day At The Races” featuring legendary Big Daddy Kane and a Hip Hop classic entitled “What’s Golden” which led the group to performances on national television including Conan Obrien and David Letterman.

Feedback (released and distributed worldwide by Interscope) both reached #15 on the Billboard Charts in 2006, would be their last official outing, as Cut Chemist left to pursue solo works. They toured the globe, made fans internationally while many rediscovered their back-catalogue. A year later, the group parted ways.

The six-member tribe, now of age and full of know-how, are reaching a stage in their career where their full rise will be marked in an upcoming documentary feature currently in the works and a tour this summer.