With the departure of turntablist Cut Chemist, Jurassic 5 really are five, and remaining DJ Nu-Mark has made himself even busier by co-producing Feedback and concocting the beautiful carnival instrumental Canto de Ossanha. As for MCs Akil, Chali 2na, Mark7 and Zaakir (formerly Soup), they have their work cut out reclaiming their socially aware territory, after taking four years to release this follow-up to the Power in Numbers album.
They take listeners through their entire history on Radio, sternly pointing out that they "set our rhymes to the beat right, but we never indulged in the streetlife". And that's how things still stand - they're "here to entertain", they declare on In the House, to bursts of Nu-Mark's old-style, wildman scratching, but they do it with an eye toward education and morality. No doubt it will be disdainfully ignored by teenagers, who will be equally oblivious to guest slots by the earnest Mos Def and a weary-sounding Dave Matthews, but it will enliven thirtysomething dinner parties.
