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Elephantmen remember their way to Denver
By Brandon Martinez
bmart106@mscd.edu

The members of Jurassic 5 are arguably the strongest emcees in hip-hop today. Unfortunately, their new album Feedback is missing something: Cut Chemist, the colossus producer who gave J5 something to rap over.

Cut Chemist has been working on a solo project entitled The Audience is Listening. As an experimental album, it is DJ-oriented and contains tracks members of J5 would sound great on, such as “The Garden,” “What’s The Attitude” or “2266 Cambridge.”

The album is not for the soft palate listener: it is cutting, mixing and scratching at its finest. Branching out solo was a good move for Cut Chemist; before he was just the producer behind J5, a group that could make any DJ look decent.

Cut Chemist uses emcees Mr. Lif and Hymnal, who have experience rockin’ the mic. But he manages to limit the amount of rap on the album, focusing on his beats and the overall sound of the record.

But what is J5 doing now that they’re short a producer?

With the expectations high and Cut’s album getting rave reviews, Feedback’s producer, DJ Nu-Mark, had his work cut out for him. The opening track “Back 4 U” sends a chill down the spine. The beat is reminiscent of Power in Numbers and the rhymes kept J5’s harmony.

But this is not an impression that lasts the whole album. The next track “Radio” is disorienting. The beat is more clubby, with lots of drum and bass accented by high pitch keys.

In the end, J5 just lacks its old feeling.

When I pick up a J5 record I want to hear delivery, which for the most part doesn’t change. But the harmony, the marriage between the emcee and the beat, was not the same bond as the past.
Jurassic 5 is not in trouble yet, but they will see a slump in album sales with this new one until hardcore fans adapt to their new sound and the absence of Cut – if they eve do.

As for who got the bigger half of the wishbone, Cut Chemist seems to walk with it.
Fans can only hope there are no hard feelings between J5 and Cut Chemist, and that this is just a brief hiatus that will eventually culminate in another full length reunion album.