The group debuted for TVT Records in 1995 with the single for Unified Rebelution. Their acclaimed position in the 1990s alternative hip-hop movement, alongside artists including Company Flow, Black Star and Kool Keith, was confirmed when the Jurassic 5 EP was released in December 1997.
The EP was later repackaged with additional tracks and released in December 1998 as the band's full-length debut album, entitled Jurassic 5 LP.
The tracks harked back to the old school attitude of New York's Native Tongues Posse, the seminal late 1980s coalition of artists who reaffirmed rap's social agenda, which included De La Soul, the Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest. This was evident on the song Concrete Schoolyard ("Let's take it back to the concrete streets/Original beats from real live MCs"), and the album even provided the troupe with a surprise UK Top 40 single when it reached number 35 in November 1998. The other stand-out track, Jayou, was built around a hypnotic flute loop from Pleasure Web's Music Man Part 1 (Music Man Part 1).
In 1999, Jurassic 5 signed to Interscope Records, who re-released the Jurassic 5 EP. This was followed by their second album (their first on a major label), Quality Control.
In 2002, they released their third album, Power In Numbers, which was followed by touring with the newly-revived Lollapalooza festival in the summer of 2003.
Their latest album, Feedback, was released on July 25, 2006.
Acetate Prophets
Jurassic 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The depths of a kinship
Where women and men begin with, and then slip
My pen drips as I scribble my thoughts
On thin strips of emotion
A fraction, seduction, attraction,
Eruption of passion corrupts it
Life lasting friendships involved
But that's why we built these walls
[Chorus]
We've been friends for a long time
A very close friend of mine
Love you like you was mine
But respect the thin line
Love you like you was mine
Think about you all the time
Very close friend of mine
But respect the thin line
Opposites attract
When the female and male come in contact
Sticky situation in fact
Trying not to let the feelings catch
But there's a thin line between both of ya'll
So you respect that
And entertain an idea but get brought
Back to reality
And could you really live with that
Decision, based on intuition
You love and keep it distant
Hug and kiss the friendship
An ongoing friendship
We was people to begin with
Disrespect was not intended
But your feelings sparked a sentence
Sometimes you're too intense
In your quest to invent
The perfect man
Please understand my rhyme is your repent
[Chorus: x2]
Too bad that we became friends first
And I'm not an expert on how relationships work
But, from the minute it was known
It changed the whole tone
The way we spoke on the phone
Yo, it was cool but I felt it wasn't enough
And I was stuck when your moms would pick it up
Over you all my buddies would swoon
But I felt we were in tune
You let me up in your room (damn)
But to me girl you're still off limits
No matter all the times that I hinted
Infatuation was authentic
But yo I just pretended
So I wouldn't lose the friendship
Maybe I should spill all my guts
Or write a letter, then tear it up
Or do a song just to say what's up
I want just a touch
[Chorus]
I can't do this anymore
See my heart just falls out when you walk in the door
Friendship turned into love
On some weak tip
See I can't comprehend even if I knew it
Can't do justice with these things that I'm feeling
You've got someone else don't want to be caught stealing
Hell, if she knew she would never leave us alone in the room
Yo, this was a lesson in friendship
I stress in this sentence
Should women and men be friends first
And then slip
My pen drips as I scribble my thoughts on thin strips of emotion
Opposites attract
And best friends make a perfect match
If you only knew that
Once you cross ain't no turning back
The minute you let him in it and he hit that
That's that
We was people to begin with
But you was too relentless
Jeopardizing kinship
Respect is intended
Resolve is my intent
While we've got an in
I'm trying to salvage a friendship
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Jurassic 5's song "Acetate Prophets" discuss the complex nature of friendships between men and women, especially when there is an attraction present. The rapper highlights the importance of respecting the thin line that exists between platonic and romantic relationships. The opening line of the song is, "this is a lesson in friendship, the depths of a kinship," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The song discusses the difficulties of navigating the blurred lines of a friendship, especially when feelings of attraction and infatuation are present.
The second verse goes on to say that "opposites attract" and that there is a "thin line between both of ya'll." The rapper goes on to describe how it is important to respect that line and not let feelings get in the way. The chorus repeats the phrase "we've been friends for a long time, a very close friend of mine, love you like you was mine, but respect the thin line," which reinforces the importance of boundaries in such relationships. The final verse speaks to the difficulty of hiding feelings and the insecurity and fear of ruining the friendship if the feelings are revealed.
Overall, the lyrics of "Acetate Prophets" demonstrate the importance of respecting boundaries and the difficulty of navigating complex relationships, especially the ones that involve both men and women.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, this is a lesson in friendship
The song is a lesson on how a strong friendship could either stay strong or be crossed for love.
The depths of a kinship
Describing a strong bond between friends.
Where women and men begin with, and then slip
The fine line between being just friends to being lovers.
My pen drips as I scribble my thoughts
On thin strips of emotion
The songwriter is able to translate his emotions into words.
A fraction, seduction, attraction,
Eruption of passion corrupts it
The emotion that starts as a fraction can lead to uncontrollable passion.
Life lasting friendships involved
Would love to cross the line
But that's why we built these walls
Even if they want to cross the line and be lovers, they build walls and separate each other to maintain their friendship.
We've been friends for a long time
A very close friend of mine
Love you like you was mine
But respect the thin line
The songwriter has a strong bond with the person he loves but also knows the importance of the thin line between friends and lovers.
Opposites attract
When the female and male come in contact
Sticky situation in fact
Trying not to let the feelings catch
But there's a thin line between both of ya'll
So you respect that
And entertain an idea but get brought
Back to reality
And could you really live with that
Decision, based on intuition
You love and keep it distant
Hug and kiss the friendship
The feelings of attraction are strong and sticky, but they try to battle them and keep them at bay. They respect the thin line that separates them, they entertain the idea of being together but ultimately are brought back to reality knowing that it would be difficult to make it work. They love each other but decide to keep it distant and hug and kiss their friendship.
An ongoing friendship
We was people to begin with
Disrespect was not intended
But your feelings sparked a sentence
Sometimes you're too intense
In your quest to invent
The perfect man
Please understand my rhyme is your repent
Their friendship has been long-lasting, and they were just people who wanted to be friends. The songwriter was not intending to disrespect their friendship, and their feelings sparked the conversation, and sometimes the person he loves is too intense in their quest to find the perfect man. The songwriter's rhyme is his way of saying sorry.
Too bad that we became friends first
And I'm not an expert on how relationships work
But, from the minute it was known
It changed the whole tone
The way we spoke on the phone
It's difficult that their friendship came first, and he doesn't know how to navigate their relationship. From the moment they realized their feelings, their dynamic changed, and even the way they spoke on the phone was different.
Yo, it was cool but I felt it wasn't enough
And I was stuck when your moms would pick it up
Over you all my buddies would swoon
But I felt we were in tune
You let me up in your room (damn)
But to me girl you're still off limits
No matter all the times that I hinted
Infatuation was authentic
But yo I just pretended
So I wouldn't lose the friendship
Maybe I should spill all my guts
Or write a letter, then tear it up
Or do a song just to say what's up
I want just a touch
The songwriters liked her so much, even his friends swooned over her. He felt they were in tune, but she was off-limits, even with all the hints he was dropping. His infatuation for her was real, but he chose to pretend it was not to avoid losing their friendship. He considers telling her or writing a letter, but he only wants to touch her.
I can't do this anymore
See my heart just falls out when you walk in the door
Friendship turned into love
On some weak tip
See I can't comprehend even if I knew it
Can't do justice with these things that I'm feeling
You've got someone else don't want to be caught stealing
Hell, if she knew she would never leave us alone in the room
For the songwriter, he cannot hide how he feels anymore, and the mere presence of the person he loves makes his heart fall out. He admits that their friendship has turned into something more. His emotions overtake him, and he feels like what he is feeling is weak. He is unable to comprehend what he is feeling, but he knows he doesn't want to ruin what she has with someone else. He doesn't want to steal her away, and he feels they can't be alone in a room because she might find out how he really feels.
The depths of a kinship
Restating the first line to emphasize the profoundness of strong friendships.
Opposites attract
And best friends make a perfect match
If you only knew that
Once you cross ain't no turning back
The minute you let him in it and he hit that
That's that
Strong friendships often lead to perfect matches, and if they knew that, there would be no turning back once they cross the line. Once they let the person in, and they become physically intimate, it's over.
We was people to begin with
But you was too relentless
Jeopardizing kinship
Respect is intended
Resolve is my intent
While we've got an in
I'm trying to salvage a friendship
They were people before they became friends, but the person he loves was too relentless and jeopardizes their friendship. The songwriter intends to respect the thin line and tries to salvage their friendship while they have a chance.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Charles L. Stewart, Courtenay D. Henderson, Dante Lamar Givens, Lucas Christian MacFadden, Marc F. Stuart, Mark Ali Potsic
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind