Marc 7 Interview
November 2002
MVRemix: Is it true that at the time of the group's conception, Chali 2na's girlfriend (at the time) came up with the name for the group?
Marc 7: Yeah, that's very true. She was actually making a joke off of our single. You sound like the fantastic five, but you should be the "Jurassic" 5. We were just like "Whoa, that's tight." That was the name we were looking for; "That's the name!"
MVRemix: How has the "Power In Numbers" tour been so far?
Marc 7: Man, its been very successful. It seems like its been non-stop, all the shows have been sell-outs. We feel good with what we're doing, the crowd is leaving with a good response. Its been very, very positive, as far as doing promotion for us. It's the whole campaign. I mean we're only a month in and we've done a bunch of television; we've done a bunch of late night shows. We've done radio shows. Its just been a lot more exposure for Jurassic 5 in general.
MVRemix: So, what's the relationship between Breakstra, Ozomatli and Jurassic 5?
Marc 7: The LA music community is very small. Basically we all jam with each other throughout all of the caring groups. Road dawg used to jam with the Delivery Commity who were myself, Chali 2na and Cut Chemist. We knew him for a while; he used to play bass with us. We all just knew each other initially and then we all broke off and did our individual things. That's the affiliation.
MVRemix: How did Zaakir land a role on 'Fast Lane'[television show]?
Marc 7: He was pursuing acting and he always wanted to do it so...I think it more so came to Marcos Siega who's the Director for our video 'The Influence.' On that particular episode of 'Fast Lane,' he had spoken to Soup(Zaakir) being that during the making of 'The Influence' they had discussed that he had something coming up. When he did, he said he'd give him a call. He stayed true to his word.
MVRemix: Are there any plans for yourself or any other members of the group to pursue acting?
Marc 7: Anything is possible, we'll just have to see what comes our way.
MVRemix: J5 often get compared to the Cold Crush Brothers, what do you think of that?
Marc 7: I consider it a compliment. I can understand where that comes from with the harmonies and things of that nature, but I definitely think the Cold Crush Brothers are in a league of their own.
MVRemix: 20 years from now, what do you want J5 to be remembered for?
Marc 7: Just a solid group who always put out great albums, and were dedicated to our work as well as being one of the livest shows in Hip Hop.
MVRemix: Now there was some controversy associated with the track "One Of Them" that emerged in Entertainment Weekly[complaints regarding Juju's comments about homosexuals]. Do you have any comments on that?
Marc 7: My stand on this is basically - I'm not gonna sit and be jumping around the issue or things of that nature. The reference was made not about anybody that was gay or disrespecting gay people at all. Another thing is, I can't tell another man what to write. When I invite him on my track, he has the right to say whatever he wants. I'm not gonna even get into the whole gay issue with J5 because we all know that ain't true about us. The bottom line is, you can't please everybody. Somebody's always gonna find something. I'm not gonna make it like we're always gonna offend somebody. Because we're not offending people outright, people are looking for shit just to make up about this particular issue.
MVRemix: Has Jurassic 5 changed management since "Quality Control"? Because I've noticed you've gotten a lot more exposure and a lot more endorsement deals occurring since the release of "Power In Numbers"
Marc 7: We actually still have the same manager whom we've always had from the beginning but he is a part of a firm right now which is a management team. Same management, different management company.
MVRemix: What do you think of The Beatles?
Marc 7: The Beatles? I think that they were very talented. Incredible writers.
MVRemix: Who inspires Jurassic 5?
Marc 7: I can't speak for all of the group, but as far as me - any Hip Hop inspires me a lot. That was my blueprint for doing Hip Hop - the Rakim's, the BDP's, the Tribe Called Quest's, the Big Daddy Kane's of the world. That was my blueprint to what Hip Hop was. It was what made me into the artist I am today.
MVRemix: Do you have any idea how Cut Chemist and Numark come up with the concepts for the instruments that they create and use?
Marc 7: They're just two sick people. They just test the limits - everything is possible in this group. That's why I like being in it, because we'll try "it."
MVRemix: With regards to your videos, they tend to be very original in terms of their concepts and the way they're executed - who are behind the ideas or the general choreography...the group or the director?
Marc 7: The group, definitely. All the videos that you've seen - its been a 50/50 thing with the group and the director. We won't work with any director that's just trying to come in and dominate their idea. It doesn't happen that like that with us. If anything, we come together and we'll make up the concept then we'll build on the idea he has. We'll meet half way and we'll just measure ideas together. Its been that way since the beginning with all our videos and will continue to be.
MVRemix: Do you think J5 will do much more with Percee P? Are you going to be on his album?
Marc 7: I hope so, I hope he'll give us a call. We'd be more than willing to once again work with him. Percee P is a great guy.
MVRemix: In the light of the recent murder of Jam Master Jay, a lot of controversy has surfaced about Rap and Hip Hop once again being influential to gangs and violence in general. Do you feel that this music can be responsible for this violence?
Marc 7: That's really hard, I think it boils down to people. I really can't blame it on music. That's kind of a cop out to me. I think that people have these things in their mind that they're going to do regardless, it's just embedded in them. To blame it on the music is too easy, you've got to blame it on the person. There have been killings by people who don't listen to rap.
MVRemix: What's your perspective on the way J5 are now perceived as a group in terms of where they are at a level. People shun Linkin Park, but respective them also, however, they're very well known and consider as being a part of the mainstream. Where are J5 now, do you still consider yourselves "underground"...do you think you're getting to the "mainstream" audience...
Marc 7: We're definitely not underground. That was done when the EP was out, when we signed the deal with Interscope. Those days were done. I don't know where we are, I believe somewhere in the middle. We're not "underground" but we're not "over-ground." I don't know where our place is, I just know we're doing music. Good music as best we can. Whatever people saw or whatever people want to sentence us as, we don't really worry about that because that's something that's out of our hands.
MVRemix: Was the track "Thin Line" at all autobiographical or mostly hypothetical?
Marc 7: It was autobiographical. Their parts were off of experiences; my part was based off of an experience with a particular woman. The other guys dealt with situations that they had dealt with.
MVRemix: Will there be any solo releases emerging from the group?
Marc 7: I think so, I definitely think so.
MVRemix: Are there any in the works?
Marc 7: 2na is working on something, I'm working on something. Right now I'm working with DJ Rhemattic. Akil's working on something; everybody has something in the works. Cut Chemist has an album that he's working on. Numark has something...
MVRemix: Any last comments you'd like to make to any fans/potential fans that are going to read this?
Marc 7: Hip Hop is in a weird state right now, there's a lot of artists that definitely need to have the consumer buying their records. It's really crucial; I'm down with everybody downloading stuff off the internet. But, definitely go and support artists. Whether local, or national.
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