With the release of Power in Numbers, the six-member Jurassic 5 (MCs Chali 2na, Zaakir, Akil and Marc 7, and DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark) introduce a harder edged element to the well-refined rhymes that defined their debut album, Quality Control. "I think overall this album is a lot more aggressive than the last one," says rapper Chali 2na. "It shows different sides of us that maybe people haven't heard yet."

Typical of the more biting quotient of new songs is "One of Them," which takes to task any number of MC's, DJ's and uninformed hip-hop fans. "The concept of the song came out when we were touring in Japan and me and Zaakir were in our hotel room together talking about the different types of people who just didn't give us love for one reason or another for bogus reasons," Chali 2na says. "We were tired of it, and we just wanted to strike back. It's our lash-out song."

Cameos from the likes of Percee P and Big Daddy Kane are right at home with the J5's old-school sensibilities, but it's the guest turn from Canadian singer Nelly Furtado on "Thin Line" that gives the Jurassic 5 their best shot at crossover success.

"We'd already wrote it and recorded a lot of it and we had come to the conclusion that it was really one-sided," says Chali 2na, "and we were trying to speak about a two-sided relationship between a man and a woman. We were like, 'It would be dope if we had a woman on here,' and we heard the news that Nelly liked us. We were like, 'Let's ask her,' and she loved it, she was with it. It took a minute, because she was doing all the Grammy stuff, but when she came through, she came through like a champ. So big respect to her."

Jurassic 5's tour in support of "Power In Numbers" is underway and will include a two-week stint with the Beatnuts, beginning October 24th and ending November 8th.

"That's our forte right there," says Chali 2na of performing. "I love the fact that we can get up there on that stage and entertain the shit out of you, and it is sometimes slightly more intense than any album you bought from us. That's the ethic of old school that we hold on to. Those guys never had videos and a major push and shit like that to bring what they did to you. When you came to seem them at the club, they brought it to your ass, and when you left you were like, 'That shit's amazing, I'm telling my friends and next time they play, all of us are coming!' That's our ethic right there -- that's what we hold as golden to us."

Jurassic 5 tour dates:

10/17: Portland, OR, Crystal Ballroom/Lola's
10/18: Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom
10/19: Seattle, Showbox
10/23: Minneapolis, First Avenue
10/24: Milwaukee, WI, The Rave Complex
10/25: Cleveland, The Odeon
10/26: Detroit, St. Andrews Hall
10/27: Toronto, The Government
10/29: Worcester, MA, Palladium
10/30: New York, Hammerstein Ballroom
10/31: Philadelphia, Electric Factory
11/2: New Orleans, Voodoo Island/City Park
11/3: Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
11/5: Atlanta, Roxy Theater
11/6: Cincinnati, Bogart's
11/7: Evanston, IL, Northwestern University
11/10: Columbia, MO, The Blue Note
11/11: Lawrence, KS, Abe & Jake's Landing
11/13: Dallas, Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom
11/14: Austin, Stubbs
11/16: Denver, The Fillmore Auditorium
11/18: Scottsdale, AZ, Cajun House
11/19-20: Solana Beach, CA, Belly Up Tavern

COLIN DEVENISH
(October 17, 2002)