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.
The Bread Winner
Jurassic 5 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No
Should I mentioned that your life's is a vital part of your body in competition
With the T to the U N A bread winner
Lyrical land spinner
That's hitting you dead centres
Should i let ya
No
With the T to the U N A bread winner
Lyrical land spinner
That's hitting you dead centre
(Chali 2na)
Yo!
With three syllables i prepare to blast the beast
And hermetic masterpiece;
Last but not least; hash and hot lease
With gas masks with ease
We smash; you got beef
Intact; give it with wimps lack this grim fact
Heat rocks crack you sheet rocks on impact
No error from syntax; Prepare your fence black
I'm buried within tracks; compare me to Rembrandt
In this world of rap; I'm judged by my sentences
I (Unknown) to explain how immense this is
No senselessness; we condense this stress.
Like the part that make you voodoo
The wicked and wretch; we making your task obsolete
Coming at me sideways like you had lost (Unknown)
Dispersing lots of heat; you got stuck in the hot seat
And got weak with ink; you couldn't spot defeat
[Chorus]
Should i let ya
No
Should I mentioned that your life's is a vital part of your body in competition
With the T to the U N A bread winner
Lyrical land spinner
That's hitting you dead centre
[x2]
(Chali 2na)
Ima' try to rally the troops;
You'll think I'm very offensive
Scenario twists through your stereo system
I set you trippin' and then try to triple my income
Descriptions vary like dinner; this is a Dim Sum
Exempt none; racism is a symptom
People carry tradition like hypnotical victims
"Jurassic get shit done"
Jurassic we kick linguistics like lyrical sex shit
A colony of ants that be fucking up your pick nick
Keeping people addicted while others go undetected
The ones elected to cleanse and disinfect with words
And while we whoop the cry;
Your troop decline
Groups that rhyme be rocking suits that shine
Sometime but with acute design;
How we route this crime
Lose with mind when i up shoot your spine
[Chorus]
Should i let ya
No
Should I mentioned that your lifes is a vital part of your body in competition
With the T to the U N A bread winner
Lyrical land spinner
That'ss hitting you dead center
[x2]
(Phone)
Chali tune...
What's up baby
I don't know what time it is out there
But it's like four o' clock out here
Make sure you tell them niggers that (Unknown) said God of the country of the cotton plant
You heard me?
(Laughter)
(Chali 2na)
Yo, appear hostile;
Flared nostril;
Glare stops you;
Fear caught you; mere talks,
You dared not to
Here are your green trees and red faunto will head hunt you; one stunt, we'll confront you
See something hot has got you stiff as a statue
Ripping in passsion; you tipping in cash when we mash
Poetically outlast you; Will to rock you
Words of god will stop Nosferatu
A boy goes who
To stop your life clock
You might not; get your props toos
With the Jacques Cousteau
Repping the dope; (Unknown) (Unknown)
Words mingle and make you tingle like some peppermint soap
Ripping your throat;
Is a lesson in hope
Listen as if you stepping in soap
I let the
Approach us and;
Ferocious;
And provoke us;
Get choked up, and close up
Well we poke just from (Unknown) bliss
And hope for the people out there who hopeless
Get close up
Approach us;
(Chorus 2x)
Should i let ya
No
Shoulda I mentioned that your life's is a vital part of your body in competition
With the T to the U N A bread winner
Lyrical land spinner
That's hitting you dead center
The lyrics in Jurassic 5's song "The Bread Winner" express the importance of competition in the world of rap and how it is vital to a rapper's career. The chorus emphasizes the idea that one's life is a crucial component of their body that is in constant competition with a breadwinner – someone who is successful and is able to provide for their family. This breadwinner is depicted as a "lyrical land spinner" who hits their target effectively, leaving their competitors behind.
Chali 2na's verse delves into the concept of competing as a rapper, using various metaphors and comparisons to describe the intensity and complexity of the craft. He highlights his lyrical superiority by stating that he is "judged by his sentences" and compares himself to a renowned painter, Rembrandt. Moreover, he alludes to the idea of being underestimated by his opponents, which ultimately works in his favor as he outperforms them. He uses an interesting analogy of ants ruining a picnic to explain how rap has the power to captivate and addict listeners, while also touching upon the themes of racism and tradition.
Overall, the song establishes the idea that competition is an essential part of success in the rap industry and the importance of continuously improving one's skills to become a "breadwinner". The lyrics use vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to convey the intensity and passion that drive the art of rap.
Line by Line Meaning
No
I won't let you interrupt me
Should I mentioned that your life's is a vital part of your body in competition with the T to the U N A bread winner Lyrical land spinner That's hitting you dead centres
Your life is a vital part of your competition with me, the bread winner and skilled lyricist who strikes right in the center of your being
Should i let ya
I won't let you speak now
Yo! With three syllables i prepare to blast the beast And hermetic masterpiece; Last but not least; hash and hot lease With gas masks with ease We smash; you got beef Intact; give it with wimps lack this grim fact Heat rocks crack you sheet rocks on impact No error from syntax; Prepare your fence black I'm buried within tracks; compare me to Rembrandt In this world of rap; I'm judged by my sentences I (Unknown) to explain how immense this is No senselessness; we condense this stress. Like the part that make you voodoo The wicked and wretch; we making your task obsolete Coming at me sideways like you had lost (Unknown) Dispersing lots of heat; you got stuck in the hot seat And got weak with ink; you couldn't spot defeat
I prepare to demolish the competition with my lyrical mastery, as I crush any opposition with ease and precision. I don't make errors of syntax, and my skill is like art. We render our opponents obsolete and make them fall apart, even when they come at us with heat. We strike at the heart of defeat.
Should i let ya
I won't let you talk now
Ima' try to rally the troops; You'll think I'm very offensive Scenario twists through your stereo system I set you trippin' and then try to triple my income Descriptions vary like dinner; this is a Dim Sum Exempt none; racism is a symptom People carry tradition like hypnotical victims
I try to rally people with my lyrics and make them take action, but some may find my messages offensive. Our songs have various interpretations, like a Dim Sum, but racism is a symptom of larger problems in society, and people follow certain traditions like hypnotized victims.
Jurassic get shit done
We, Jurassic 5, get things done with our lyrics and music
Jurassic we kick linguistics like lyrical sex shit A colony of ants that be fucking up your pick nick Keeping people addicted while others go undetected The ones elected to cleanse and disinfect with words And while we whoop the cry; Your troop decline Groups that rhyme be rocking suits that shine Sometime but with acute design; How we route this crime Lose with mind when i up shoot your spine
We use our linguistic skills as if it's sexual ecstasy, and we swarm like ants to ruin your gathering. We take control of people's minds with our addictive music while others fail to notice. We have been elected to use our words to clean up society, and while some may weep, others may decline in opposition. We, the rhyming groups, may appear glamorous, but our designs are precisely aimed, and we tackle this criminal world with our minds, like an upshoot to your spine.
Should i let ya
I don't want to hear you talk now
Chali tune... What's up baby I don't know what time it is out there But it's like four o' clock out here Make sure you tell them niggers that (Unknown) said God of the country of the cotton plant You heard me? (Laughter)
Chali is telling someone to play music, and he's jokingly telling them to tell others that he's the God of cotton in the country. He asks if they heard him and laughs.
Yo, appear hostile; Flared nostril; Glare stops you; Fear caught you; mere talks, You dared not to Here are your green trees and red faunto will head hunt you; one stunt, we'll confront you See something hot has got you stiff as a statue Ripping in passsion; you tipping in cash when we mash Poetically outlast you; Will to rock you Words of god will stop Nosferatu A boy goes who To stop your life clock You might not; get your props toos With the Jacques Cousteau Repping the dope; (Unknown) (Unknown) Words mingle and make you tingle like some peppermint soap Ripping your throat; Is a lesson in hope Listen as if you stepping in soap I let the Approach us and; Ferocious; And provoke us; Get choked up, and close up Well we poke just from (Unknown) bliss And hope for the people out there who hopeless Get close up Approach us;
I dare you to challenge me, but I warn you that I will come after you like a hunter. The heat of the moment may stun you and paralyze you with fear, but we're ripping through our music with intense passion and making you pay for it. We will last forever poetically, and we're unstoppable like words of God. We rip through the competition like it's soap, and we do it with a sense of hope for those who are hopeless. We stand here, waiting for you to approach us, and we're ready to attack with unmatched ferocity.
Should i let ya
I don't want to hear you talk anymore
Contributed by Lucy B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.