Until Jurassic 5 fans get the reunion on wax they all claim to want, the Los Angeles collective have toured frequently since dropping their 2000 major label debut Quality Control. It’s been around ten years since their last album (2004’s Feedback) and nearly every member from Charli 2na to Cut Chemist dropped solo projects that helped form their individuality. Well, everyone except Zaakir a.k.a. Soup. That changed in February when he dropped his first project Fullee Love which felt less in the vein of J5 and more like 90s R&B with a rap undertones. For Zaakir, it’s finally allowed him to break free from the constraints most artists coming from groups face.
Taking time to speak with HipHopDX, Zaakir explains being proud of getting older, his first solo album and Jurassic 5’s Good Life Cafe days.
Zaakir Says Jurassic 5 Kept Him From Singing
HipHopDX: Really digging the Fullee Love, project man. It’s a cool grown-up rap dance album.
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Zaakir: If you used “grown-up” I know you listened to it. You know with Hip Hop, whatever is poppin’ is what’s poppin’. If society now says if this is what Hip Hop sounds like, this is what Hip Hop is. When you try to do something else, you’re old or whatever.
DX: Funny how in Hip Hop, aging is frowned upon. I don’t think it’s anything wrong with being old.
Zaakir: I don’t, that’s why I keep the same beard. I’m not dying it and getting no six-pack. I’m walking into the venue looking just like this. I’m going to be cool, but I’m going to be a little overweight though I’m trying to get it together. We got to roll with this.
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DX: You along with the rest of J5 have always been true to yourselves. Clearly, that didn’t go away.
Zaakir: Exactly and I just want those who hear it know, if you dig it, dig it. If you don’t dig it, that’s cool. Don’t not dig it because it doesn’t sound like what you’re used to. That’s my number one thing. If you don’t like the lyrics or the beat, great. If it’s because I ain’t Auto-Tuned or you can rarely understand the words I’m saying, don’t get mad because of that.
DX:Though you rap on the album, you do a lot more singing making it sound more R&B. Was that the initial direction?
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Zaakir: Well, I never wanted to rap. I grew up singing and I use to be able to sing a lot better back in the day. I don’t sing as well as I use to, but that’s what I did. That’s what I use to like doing. I sang in the church choir when I was young since my grandmother always had me in the church. That was something I wanted to do. When I had the opportunity to do my thing, I was going where the music took me and if that meant singing, then that’s what it’ll do. If it means rhyming, then that’s what it’ll do. If that means a combination of both, then that’s what I’ll do. I wanted to do it to where still melodic. I’m not breaking down, getting on one knee or sweating. Just doing my thing.
DX: I don’t remember you doing much singing with J5.
Zaakir: They wouldn’t let me. The only time was a song on Power In Numbers called “Hey” which was as sing-songy as it got. I wouldn’t say they were hating on me, but it was close.
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[Laughter]
Remember That Time Fat Joe Got Booed At The Good Life?
DX: And to think, it’s a heavy blur between what’s considered Hip Hop and R&B now anyway.
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Zaakir: Heavy ass blur. The only thing to me is that this is what I’ve been wanting to do, but to come out now and so many people are doing it. Now, you look like you’re trying to fit in. That’s the only dilemma that I don’t really dig. Within that, I do notice a lot more people doing. Correct me if I’m wrong, but they all sound the same. My thing is, I’m going to at least try to do it to where it doesn’t sound the same. Not that it’s better or worse. I’m trying to do that.
DX: I recently revised the This Is the Life documentary about The Good Life Cafe. What was it like being the underdogs for Los Angeles’ Hip Hop scene?
Zaakir: It was dope. Man, it was the best thing in the world. I’m going to be totally honest with you. Only thing is that people didn’t get to see all the different and dope emcees that were in that era. There were a lot of abstract, creative, original styles and the whole nine. People didn’t get to hear it. It was real competitive, it came to a point to where it almost had a Motown vibe. By that, you had all these people in this one building and people started getting signed. So, it was just one of the things like who’s next? Who is going to be next getting signed out of The Good Life? A lot of it was cool because even the rivalries never became physical. To be amongst your peers and be considered good was dope. Before it was Jurassic 5, it was me and another cat who had an old school sound. If you weren’t good, they’d yell.
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DX: Please pass the mic.
Zaakir: Yeah man. They didn’t care who you were. If you were blowing up the previous week then you came in the next week wack.
DX: You know shit’s real when yall are booing someone like Fat Joe.
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Zaakir: Fat Joe came on like, “Yo this is Fat Joe, I’m from New York.” And, that’s when New York was holdin’ it down. He got to rhyming. Let me be honest with you, that first Fat Joe album wasn’t dope lyrically. [Editor’s Note: An opinion that Fat Joe has copped to over the years.] The beats were dope. As he progressed, he got better. That’s when I started liking Fat Joe. Then, I thought he was somebody homie on the hookup. They booed him. There’s another dude Volume 10 who had a joint called “Pistol Grip Pump.” He had his own unique style. I remember when Da Lench Mob with Ice Cube came out with “Guerrillas In The Mist” and it was a blatant bit from Volume 10. It was like how did that happen. Then people started talking about people coming to tape his performance. All I remember is that “Guerrillas In The Mist” sounded just like Volume 10. Like word? It’s like that? The Good Life was dope.
Zaakir Admits To Being Confused For Other J5 Members
DX: I believe last year was the 15-year-anniversary of Quality Control and you guys are still touring a lot. How did you manage to get work done on a project while knocking out show after show?
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Zaakir: It’s like anything. It’s what you like doing. Almost as if you had children, a wife and a job. If you know that juggle, that’s how you do it. A lot of times, we’re strategic about it. It’s not like we just decide to tour. We have to set up schedules, allocate time from when you’re going to do a tour and that other time, you have other things to do. You make it work.
DX:Why decide to put out an EP now?
Zaakir: I put out an EP because people may know of Jurassic 5, even within that, you’d be surprised the members they don’t know. I’m black, and a majority of members are black.
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DX: Outside of Cut Chemist.
Zaakir: Right. My thing is when someone comes to you and says, “Hey so and so” and you’re really Jimmy. I’ve had someone call me someone else from the group. When J5 performs, I personally introduce everyone by name. And, they still are like, “Hey, David right?” Even with J5, I feel like I needed to do an EP to give people a sample and let people know this has nothing to do with J5 just to stand on my own two. It’s so much stuff coming out, I didn’t want to give you seventeen songs of something just out of the blue. Take this, and if you dig it, we’ll progress.
