JURASSIC 5
Feedback
Insterscope
CUT CHEMIST
The Audience’s Listening
Warner Bros. / Beatdown Recordings
· Jurassic 5 rule the old school, but Cut Chemist proves there is life after graduation.
The problem with high expectations is that you can so easily be disappointed. Three albums in, hip hop giants Jurassic 5 (J5) have a reputation for Quality Control, but this time out, Feedback feels a bit bloated. It’s not without great tracks. "In the House" tips the hat to "Rapper’s Delight" and "Radio" is a classic J5 round robin rhyme. However, midway through, the album starts to drag, almost sliding into Black Eyed Peas territory. It’s not just "Work it Out" featuring the Dave Matthews Band that raises eyebrows, either. Feedback sounds like a band reaching for a radio hit and compromising themselves slightly in the process.
On the flipside, The Audience’s Listening has more to offer. Cut Chemist, former DJ for J5, spent five years working on his solo debut and it shows. The album is packed with breakneck needledrops, clever samples and wrist crippling scratches. As is often the case with great DJs, the album is awe- inspiring, but it requires your full attention. In fact, the album doesn’t relax until the midway mark. It’s not until Cut Chemist introduces his great guests (Mr. Lif being the highlight) that the album settles into a groove. Still, it’s hard to argue with musical and lyrical flow this strong. Let’s hope he doesn’t take five years for the followup.
JURASSIC 5 3/5
CUT CHEMIST 4/5
JASON LEWIS
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