Jurassic 5 takes a few steps back

Taking it back to step one is what Jurassic 5 wants to do for hip-hop.\nConsisting of four MCs and two DJs, the Los Angeles crew has been tirelessly touring in the last year to promote its first full-length album, Quality Control. But they say it isn't about the money, the crowds or the radio play. It's about having fun and getting back to hip-hop's roots.\n"For us, we are just taking it back to step A," says DJ Nu-Mark, one of the groups two DJs. "We come from that. We always wanted to come out when Run-DMC was out. But we never had a chance. We were still honing in on our skills."\nThe group stopped in Bloomington last Thursday headlining a "true" hip-hop show just one day after Nelly played the IU Auditorium. Hosted by Zeta Beta Tau, the Jurassic 5 concert energized a crowd of about 1,500 as night fell and the rain crept in. \nThe Jurassic 5 entertained a crowd looking for something from the old school, original beats that conjure back to the days of more irreverent, creative hip-hop -- the days when hip-hop resided largely in small clubs and parks.\nNu-Mark says there is a place for everyone in hip hop, including Nelly. But he says he would like to see the consumers be more responsible when developing their own tastes. \n"If you are going to do that kind of stuff, you better do it really well," he says. "There is a place for every type of person in hip-hop. But I would like to see the consumers change the way they think, meaning don't buy a record because your friend buys it, buy it because you like the music. I think the consumer should have a mind of its own. But I still think there is room for everyone in the biz."\nBut many hip-hop groups still remain in the underground. Jurassic 5 for the past year has grown in popularity but still remains a member of the underground culture with other groups such as the Dilated Peoples. Nu-Mark says it is because of the lack of radio and video play such bands receive. He says commercial radio stations aren't run by DJs anymore. Instead, program directors decide what will be played, and unless a group has a broad commercial flavor, it won't be heard.\n"The lack of videos and the lack of promotional tools like video keep underground where it is," he says. "If you were fed Dilated Peoples every day, they would be triple platinum by now."\nAs for Jurassic 5, it is not a matter of fame or the size of its audience. Nu-Mark says the band's main goal is to show people what's out there musically.\n"We want to educate the world on what our sound is. We would never shut ourselves from anyone. It is one of those situations that if you give us love, we will give you love. For instance, we will always support colleges because they have always supported us."\nWith one full-length album and an EP under their belt, the members of Jurassic 5 have begun work on their second album. But fans might have to wait just a bit longer. Nu-Mark says the band is about two songs into the next album and is, right now, only creating skeletons.\nBut assuredly, the album will stay true to the "original beats." \n"Music has to be kept in a truthful place; it has to come from a pure source. It should just come from your heart"