If you pay attention to the rhyming schemes on any of Jurassic 5’s 12-inches, b-sides, EPs or LPs, it’s most likely you’ll remember Chali 2na’s booming baritone or Soup’s playful perspicacity. Maybe Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark’s kiddie-record-cum-hip-hop-acid-trip production, if you dig beat-making.

Talking with Marc 7, it almost seems he enjoys using his status on the vocal periphery to his advantage, as the soft-spoken emcee converses the same way he kicks rhymes — smooth, unassuming and bit restrained, all in buildup to a moment where he drops an alliterative gem of knowledge.

“We got something more to say than just women, weed and wine,” he simply says in explaining J5’s appeal and rapidly diversifying fan base.

The title of the group’s latest record, Power in Numbers, is a nod to all those who’ve helped Jurassic 5 move on up.

“It’s all about the fans and how they helped us build our reputation and fame,” he adds.

This may sound like pandering, but it’s rather difficult not to want to continue helping the (six) members of the group, who include rappers Chali 2na, Zaakir (a.k.a. Soup), Akil and Marc 7 and DJ/producers Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark.

When Jurassic 5 dropped its self-titled EP in 1997, the members put themselves alongside acts like Dilated Peoples and Blackalicious as major voices in the post-gangsta sound of hip-hop on the left coast.

Jurassic 5 turned heads as much as it made them nod, paving the way for the release of the group’s debut LP, Quality Control, on Interscope three years later. The album’s title is a reference to J5’s insistence on maintaining the integrity of its musicianship, even though the crew was now on a major label and sneaking its way into the mainstream.

With moderate financial success and exposure to a key demographic (devoted heads from coast to coast must have shuddered in terror as they watched Carson Daly’s eyes beam in pseudo-excitement as he announced the next video on “TRL” would be from Jurassic 5), they faced the classic hip-hop paradox — go bigger than gold, and you’re a sellout; sell records to just your boo and her grandma, you go hungry.

Marc 7 drops another gem in describing the album’s reception and the group’s reaction: “No one was expecting anything — blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not be disappointed.”

Still, because of the fact that, by fall 2000, Quality Control could be found alongside Jordan Knight in many a suburban girl’s CD rack, J5 received their fair share of flack from purists.

“They know as long as the music is there, it’s just talk to me. They’re not in the position we’re in, so I don’t have time for that petty stuff,” Marc says of his detractors. It was clear they’d have to take it back to the essence of cuttin’ and rhymin’ in the flesh to prove themselves.

With this in mind, Jurassic 5 pushed on with a Berry Gordy-like zeal to appeal simply to people who love good music. The group toured relentlessly here and abroad, accompanying package tours ranging from Smokin’ Grooves to the Warped Tour.

The live stage is not always the most accepting of proving grounds, however.

“[On the Warped Tour], we had to deal with cats throwing shit at us from the crowd. We were definitely fighting for respect,” Marc says of their early crossover attempts.

Europe and Asia were different stories, though: “They see us so seldom, so it’s such a huge thing. In Japan, we were playing ‘The Influence’ and everybody knew the words.”

Of their steady rise to prominence, Marc 7 claims, “It was all good, but we’re still not where we wanna be. Makin’ records is always a learning process, so every album is always a step up.”

Power in Numbers, then, definitely shows J5 stepping closer and closer to where it seems it wants to be. Like Quality Control, the album is another old-school tinged head-nodder, showcasing equal parts lyrical acuity and Cut Chemist’s obsessive crate-digging.

The first single, “What’s Golden,” has a deep bass groove while the emcees wax philosophical on the days of yore. While this yearning for yesteryear has always been a critique of the group’s music, let’s face it — the members of Jurassic 5 are not claiming to reinvent the wheel, they’d just like to fix a couple of its rusty spokes.

The album is deeply grounded in Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark’s fondness for the old-school, but Marc 7 is quick to point out the effect of his DJs on the crew’s lyrical growth.

“Lyrically, the emcees are better, faster and smarter, but the way we make our music really depends upon where the beat takes us. Cut and Nu will make a beat, and what’ll spark the song could be an array of different things — there’s really no formula. But the beat definitely drives us. That’s the reason why none of our songs really sound the same.”

Indeed, the rapid-fire delivery in songs like “A Day at the Races” sounds like Das Efx resurfacing in the bay-area, while “High Fidelity” combines J5’s trademark harmonizing with lyrics that sound like the answer key to hip-hop’s dopest crossword puzzle.

Although some tracks represent somewhat of a departure, the sound of Jurassic 5 continues to evolve into that of the ultimate party jam, while still managing to stay true to what’s golden.

But don’t look for words of wisdom from Marc 7 to explain the group’s success, and don’t feel the need to listen closely for a lyrical gem from him, Chali 2na, Zaakir or Akil. Power in Numbers is all jewels.