SLCene Suggests: Jurassic 5 at The Complex

JURASSIC 5, THE COMPLEX, Tuesday, July 15, 7 p.m., $30

There was a period of a couple years back in the early ’00s when LA hip-hoppers Jurassic 5 were probably one of my favorite few artists. The four rappers in the group were adept at trading vocals and rocking a crowd–particularly the towering, deep-voiced Chali 2Na–but it was the two DJs who really drew me in. Watching Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark trading beats from their respective turntables was amazing, and they were superstars as transfixing as the men out front–2Na, Akil, Zaakir and Marc 7. They had a stretch around the release of their 2000 gem Quality Control when they came through town regularly, playing everywhere from Kingsbury Hall to Harry O’s (now Park City Live) to the Warped Tour at the fair grounds, and I went end saw them at every opportunity. My only trip to the Coachella music fest was driven largely Jurassic 5’s presence on the bill (as well as solo tent sets by the two DJs). After making a couple more albums in the mid-’00s, the sextet split until a Coachella reunion set in 2013. This summer, they are on the road with the same crew of like-minded rap veterans as they toured with in 2000–Dilated Peoples, Beat Junkies and MC Supernatural. I believe this lineup was at In The Venue on that tour, if memory serves. This gig at The Complex should make for a killer night of old-school skills.