Jurassic 5 “Quality Control” (Best of the Decade)
While my favorite song by Jurassic 5 was released prior to 2000 on their debut EP, they did well for themselves with their fun and spirited debut full length, Quality Control. The music was loose and the rapping was fun, but it still had enough gravitas to it to make it seem different than a lot of the other rap music at the time. Quality Control was released in the summer of 2000 and really built upon the bands first release. The group, which actually featured six members (two DJs and four emcees) despite their name, showed their strength in highlighting “old school” rap that they had been throwing down since the mid-’90s. The album helped to get them into the spotlight, where they stayed until they broke up for good in 2007. While I would be remiss to say any of their output is stone cold classic material, the tracks on Quality Control show a group that was a great example of how the stellar parts equal a strong whole with the group. While they never topped their early work and fizzled out amid solo careers at the end of the decade, the group started the decade out with a band with their entertaining and engaging Quality Control LP.
Dude, my thoughts exactly! Concrete Schoolyard was my favorite J5 track by far, and QT just very narrowly missed making my top ten list of the decade (it falls at #11)
amazing album.
this and the first EP ruled… sadly the band has never lived up to it since. and their last album saw them dipping into Black Eyed Peas-esque territory with all the lame R&B & mainstream guests.
Nope.
I love J5 with all my heart, I even waited an hour after a show to get chalie 2na’s autograph, but People Under the Stairs are the best of the decade by far. Give OST(2002 Om Records) a(nother)listen and get back to me.
Frankly, I’ve never understood the appeal.
Never has a friend said “yo you got that new J5 record”.
I certainly love J5 (at least up until they started collaborating with Dave Matthews, etc) but I would be the first to admit that they are sort of “white kid” rap – judging by their fanbase. Never really understood why that was
I know exactly why that is. They’re white kid rap because they make themselves accessible to white kids. Whether it’s collaborating with Dave Matthews or being in skateboarding video games like GrindSession. It’s definitely not a “bad” thing seeing as I know plenty of white kids that started listening to J5, got into it, and branched out in the hip-hop genre. They deserve credit for ushering in a new type of hip hop fan but to call them the best just means you haven’t branched out enough yourself in the hip-hop genre. There’s too much other and better stuff out there.
just to clarify, this feature is about ALL the albums that CB writers feel are the best/favorite of the decade– this is just one entry in that series. i don’t think anyone would say that quality control is THE best album of the decade.
as for this group… i think they stay in their lane, for better or worse, and do a good job making fun, laid-back, throwback hip hop. not really my thing, not exactly life-changing music, but can’t really hate on it. i did like that basketball song they did on this album, though.