I first heard excerpts of Jurassic 5’s Power in Numbers at the Den when a waiter brought me delicious chicken soup. I asked him what the chill background noise was, and he promptly informed me it was J5. The track was “Hey”–one of those laid back J5 classics–and seemingly everyone at the bar swayed their heads to the beat.
Anyone who loved J5’s 2000 release Quality Control will love Power in Numbers. The sophomore major label effort is outstanding from top to bottom, with standout tracks at every turn. “Hey” is phenomenal, as is “What’s Golden,” the first single which is already an MTV hit. Nelly Furtado lends her vocals to “Thin Line,” another in a line of great songs.
Two major record releases are hardly reason enough to proclaim J5’s ascendancy to the hip-hop throne, but this Los Angeles crew is well on its way to legend status.