*** 1/2 JURASSIC 5 “Quality Control” Interscope

This is the type of album that has people who normally don’t listen to rap championing the genre. There isn’t any discussion of gratuitous sex or violence on the 15-cut collection, and far less profanity than on most rap releases.

But all of this is not to say that hip-hop fans cannot enjoy “Quality Control.” Quite the contrary, because this Los Angeles-based sextet has created one of the most promising and pleasing efforts of the year with its debut full-length release. Rappers Akil, Zaakir, Marc 7 and Chali 2Na favor lighthearted, gun-free stories of life in Los Angeles (the cautionary “Lausd” notwithstanding). The four harmonize on a number of the album’s choruses, a tip of the hat of sorts to a number of old-school rap outfits. Jurassic 5 members Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark are aided by Shafiq Husayn on production, concocting a string of soulful, funky, drum-driven beats that avoid the easily recognizable samples which tend to drive the music of many mainstream rap acts. The group takes a decidedly fresh route with its lyrics and its music, standing tall in a hip-hop world where most follow the trends rather than set them.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.