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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
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Quality Control
by Jurassic 5
Although Los Angeles-based rappers Jurassic 5 formed in 1995, 2000's "Quality Control" is their first full-length release.
| LABEL: |
Interscope |
| RELEASE DATE: |
06 June 2000 |
| DISCS: |
1 disc |
| GENRE(S): |
Rap |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
90
Billboard
Along with absolutely stunning MC'ing across the board, "Quality" heralds the long-awaited return of the DJ to street hip-hop.
90
Spin Cycle
The refrains and horn tracks of "Quality Control" are all the ammo you'll need in your next argument about the rejuvenation of hip-hop.
90
Mojo
This is a truly freeflowing masterpiece that stands shoulder to shoulder with Mos Def's 'Black On Both Sides.'
90
The Onion (A.V. Club)
In the hands of a lesser group, such retro affectations would be little more than a clever gimmick... In the hands of Jurassic 5's four gifted rappers and two enormously promising DJs and producers, however, it's a brilliant musical strategy that draws on the energy and enthusiasm of the old school to take hip-hop in new, exciting, unexpected directions. A flat-out great full-length debut.
90
All Music Guide
Quality Control hits all of the same highs as Jurassic 5's excellent EP of three years earlier...
85
Wall of Sound
Moves with a quick tempo that whips through the album's 15 songs and assorted skits.... There's something innately joyous about many of the group's songs, whether it's how the J5 MCs play verbal double-dutch over the pulsating "Jurass Finish First" or the assembly of sampled snippets that drive the playground anthem "Monkey Bars."
80
MTV.com
Spare as the overall sound of the album is, the interplay between the rhythms, samples and voices is vibrant and eloquent...
80
CDNow
It is truly exciting stuff from a group that represents a sagging genre's vitally bright future.
80
Ink Blot Magazine
There are echoes of every good movement in rap history on Quality Control, from old-school to Def Jam to Native Tongues all the way to Wu-Tang...
73
Pitchfork
What sets the Jurassic 5 apart from the dead sea of generic hip-hop crews is their sheer charisma.... Quality Control serves as a fine follow-up to the Jurassic 5's self-titled 1999 EP, with more than its fair share of top-shelf tracks.
70
Neumu.net
Jurassic 5 deliver on this, their major-label debut.
70
Rolling Stone
The lyrics are down-to-earth and positive -- almost wholesome -- but Quality Control's overall vibe is uncompromisingly intense and hard to resist.
70
Village Voice
As they proved on their debut EP a couple of years back, Jurassic aren't just Furious Five retro: They summon visions of lightly rocking grace like "I'll Take You There," the intro to "Dance to the Music," or the Harlem Globetrotters passing the ball around to "Sweet Georgia Brown." Like the more serious underground hip-hop acts, though, in the end they're not quite sure what to do with themselves beyond boasting.
60
New Musical Express
Despite the fluid interplay of the four MCs and J5's evolving musicality, 'Quality Control' lacks the singalong pop immediacy of 'Jurassic 5'.... Quality then. But it's not the old-skool classic we'd hoped for.
60
Select
Quality Control' finds them treading water with a set of technically crisp but strangely uptight tracks that neither appeal nor enthrall. [July 2000, p.108]
60
Resonance
Problem is, the harmonic rapping takes the edge off otherwise hard-hitting tracks. [#28, p.63]
50
Sonicnet
Why is Quality Control -- an album no doubt many will love simply because of its hip- hop politics -- so damn bland? For all their good intentions, J5's results are so monochromatic, of such a singular focus on staying true to a specific kind of hip-hop blueprint, that even the inclusion of grinning left-field randomness... lacks the fun it means to inject.
The average user rating for this album is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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