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Jurassic 5 brings reunion tour to SoCal next week.

Underrated – that’s probably the best tag we can put on J5. Maybe it’s the light beats, or the squeaky clean lyrics; that collaboration with Dave Matthew’s Band back in 2009 didn’t help, either. But just about everyone who knows J5, loves J5, they just never talk about it. No one does. We’re all still gabbing about one liners from The Chronic while these cats were crushing it for eight solid years from 1998-2006.

Then, as most groups do, Jurassic 5 split up, and each member went their own separate ways. DJs Nu-Mark and Cut Chemist went on to either make gear or tour, respectively. Zaakir, Akil and Marc 7 just kind of disappeared off the face of the earth. The ‘Verbal Herman Meunster’, Chali 2na, went back out on tour, showing up at random bars and mid-range clubs from coast to coast in his free time.

During their absence, tracks from both Quality Control and Power in Numbers remained ubiquitous. “What’s Golden,” for example, can still be heard just about everywhere from movie screens, to commercials, to the sound system on your girlfriend’s Civic. Despite being overwhelmingly unnoticed, it appeared that J5 would continue to influence hip hop for years to come, even if nobody was going to talk about it.

Then something funny happened, a reunited Jurassic 5 ended up on the lineup for Coachella in 2013. Again, nobody really said anything, but the stage was nonetheless packed come show time. Jurassic 5 crushed it with their performance, demonstrating technical skill and showmanship, reminding all involved why this group got back together in the first place.

The show must have felt good for J5 too, because they’re still out on the road. Since the Coachella performance, Jurassic has been touring select cities in the United States and Europe. This summer, however, J5 has launched a full scale reunion tour, and is coming back to SoCal next week. Jurassic 5’s Southern California stops include San Diego on July 8 and Los Angeles on July 9.

The San Diego performance will be held at Humphrey’s Concerts By the Bay, an SD venue from the ‘70s that is typically reserved for more civilized functions, like when the now geriatric Beach Boys come to town. It’ll be interesting; like seeing Lil’ Wayne perform at a golf course.

The L.A. show is going to be at Club Nokia, which should be big. Now that J5’s reunion is official, and the group has significant tour dates under their belt, there is a lot of hype expected around this L.A. performance. There’s not much room to disappoint, as J5 isn’t attempting to peddle any new tracks. If anything, they are putting together audio for a live record that is slated to be released in 2016.

But as always, we shouldn’t be surprised if the group attempts a few new recordings. If it does happen, hopefully said tracks are well thought out. J5 has a solid track record indeed, and it would be a shame to spoil all that for a few more stabs at a hit. Still, they can feel free to bring their tour to town whenever. That’s where they really shine. That’s why next week’s shows are going to kick ass.

For more information, visit jurassic5.com.

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