Jurassic 5 side-steps sellout jinx

True hip-hop heads that are familiar with the underground scene know that the members of Jurassic 5 have been proving time and time again that they are the premiere underground group right now. They have been at the forefront of the "anti-jiggy" rap movement, along with Talib Kweli, Dilated Peoples, Gang Starr, Pharoahe Monch and Kool Keith. The thing about some of those who start out as anti-mainstream rap artists is that the lure of easy cash is sometimes too much to bear, and they "sell out," i.e. Ja Rule's Pain is Love, Redman's Malpractice and DMX's And Then There Was X.\nThis offering by Jurassic 5 is nothing like those. The rappers pay respect to the underground that bore them. People familiar with their style will immediately recognize their trademark tag-team way of flowing. What some may not recognize immediately is the different format they take with some of their songs. "Remember His Name" displays Akil pretty much on his own, with brief scripts by Chali 2na and Zaakir. Its immediately followed by "What's Golden," J-5's current single, in which the trademark back and forth is displayed. \nThe expected pairing is "DDT," in which Jurassic 5 gives one of the weirdest and most gifted artists around, Kool Keith, his own track (mixed by another underground sensation, DJ Eclipse). Big Daddy Kane also makes an appearance on "A Day at the Races."\nBut the one that caught me off guard was "Thin Line," where Akil, Chali 2na, Zaakir and Marc 7even flow about the struggle of not falling in love with a good female friend, while Nelly Furtado sings the hook and provides her own verse toward the end. Furtado isn't as suspect on a hip-hop album as some other female singers, having already done the remix to Missy Elliott's "Get U'r Freak On." It works out very well for all involved. \nAttention all: Jurassic 5 has not sold out! If anything, the rappers have solidified their position as the best collaboration of MCs around. Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist's beats are also perfectly made for J-5's style. Buy it, burn it, steal it from a friend, but whatever you do, check it out.