JURASSIC 5, one of the most respected acts in hip-hop, will soon be no more, according to one of the group's founding MCs.
Soup (aka Zaakir) says the crew's future is uncertain beyond their upcoming tour of Australia and Japan, which includes a Gold Coast show at the Good Vibrations Festival, at Doug Jennings Park, on February 11.
"After the tour, that's basically it," says Soup.
"I don't want to sit here and fake around with it - we're not seeing eye-to-eye right now."
Jurassic 5 formed in Los Angeles in the early 1990s and last year released their fourth album, Feedback. They made their name with a pronounced old-school style - upbeat themes, inventive lyrics and tag-team, harmonised rhyming.
"People see us as a harmonising, loving group, but that's far from the truth," says Soup.
"I'd like to keep it going, but you can't force grown men to do what they don't want to do."
Even with the band's future in jeopardy, Soup says their legendary live shows won't suffer during what is shaping as their final tour.
"I'm hoping people are professional enough to do what they have to do. I think it'll be all right."
Online reviews of the band's recent shows in the UK are strong enough to back his confidence in the fragmenting unit.
According to Soup, members of the group are citing 'all sorts of reasons' for the likely break-up.
"Some people may say it's a creative thing, but I'm not buying it. Some might say business, some might say merchandising, whatever, there's some really stupid s*** - some really childish things - happening," he says.
He says proposed solo projects for various members of the group are also playing a part.
"When it comes down to it, some people here want their own shine, their own thing. If that's what you want, I say 'more power to you'.
"I hope it works out for you - just don't come up with lame excuses (for J5's demise)."
Communication problems are at the heart of the rift, says Soup, who never understood how bands couldn't resolve their internal struggles until he was mic-deep in his band's own.
"I though we'd be a bit better at handling it, but we're not. We're only human," he says.
"Even though we do what we do doesn't mean we're the best communicators. For certain members it's been brewing for a while - I've heard in passing there are things that could have been brought up a long time ago about how people were feeling that weren't said."
* Jurassic 5 play the Good Vibrations Festival at the Gold Coast's Doug Jennings Park on The Spit on February 11 with Beastie Boys, Cassius and more. J5 will also play a MySpace Secret Gig in Brisbane on Monday, February 12. For more details go to: http://www.myspace.com/secretshowsau
source: hiphopsite.com