SHAZAM

As one of hip-hop's most charismatic contemporary crews, Jurassic 5 have been laying down positive lyrics with true school-influenced rhyme schemes for years. Album three is more of the same from the tight-knit quintet of MCs, but that's certainly no complaint. With solid production from DJ Nu-Mark, Salaam Remi, and Scott Storch, the J5 prove themselves to be the masters of feel-good backpack rap. While some hip-hop purists may be quick to point out the crossover feel of this record (which includes two guest spots from the Dave Matthews Band), Jurassic 5 manage to stay true to their original sound, making the offbeat collaborations work and putting down some of the most consistently clever flows of hip-hop's third decade. ~ Matt Rinaldi, Rovi