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Jean Grae

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This article is about the musician. For the X-men character, see Jean Grey.
Jean Grae

Jean Grae (real name Tsidi Ibrahim, also known as What? What?, born November 27, 1976)[1][2] is a hip hop artist from New York.

Biography

Early life

Born in Yaounde, Cameroon on November 27, 1976, the daughter of South African jazz musicians (her father and mother are the celebrated musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim), she studied Vocal Performance at the LaGuardia School of Music & Art before majoring in Music Business at New York University.[1][3] She also did some modeling during her teen years.

Early career (1996-1998)

After working with groups including Ground Zero, she joined a hip hop music group called Natural Resource in the mid-1990s,[2] along with rapper Ocean. In 1996 they released a pair of 12-inch singles called Negro League Baseball [3] b/w "Bum Deal" b/w "They Lied," and "Bum Deal (remix)" b/w "They Lied (remix)" b/w "I Love This World" on their own label Makin' Records.[1] She also appeared on singles by fellow Makin' Records artists Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed, and on the O.B.S. (Original Blunted Soldiers) double 12-inch single alongside crew members Pumpkinhead, Bad Seed, and Meat-pie, and produced much of the material released on the label under the pseudonym Run Run Shaw. During this period she established strong ties with the Brooklyn Academy crew, with which she would appear throughout her career.

Solo career (1998-2004)

Natural Resource dissolved in 1998, after which Ibrahim changed her stage name from What? What? to Jean Grae, a reference to the X-Men character Jean Grey.[4] Under her new moniker, she released her first LP—Attack of the Attacking Things—in 2002, and followed it in 2004 with This Week.[4] Throughout her career she has also recorded tracks with numerous major hip hop artists, Atmosphere, The Roots, Talib Kweli, The Herbaliser, Da Beatminerz, Phonte, Mr. Len, Masta Ace, Vordul Mega, C-Rayz Walz, Mos Def, and Immortal Technique among them.

Jean has recorded an unreleased album with celebrated North Carolina producer 9th Wonder, of Little Brother fame, entitled Jeanius. This unfinished record was leaked on the internet, and subsequently work was stopped on this album.[5] However, at the release party for 9th Wonder's Dream Merchant Volume 2 album she stated that Jeanius was still going to be released. This album was eventually released first through Zune Live Marketplace two weeks before its disc release on July 8, 2008.[6] The album features the track "My Story", about the abortion she had as a teenager.[7] Her rapping on the album was described by Robert Christgau as "remarkable for its rapidity, clarity and idiomatic cadence. The writing has a good-humored polysyllabic literacy."[8] Elsewhere, it's been reported that her proposed fourth album, provisionally titled Phoenix has gone into production. It has been reported by several camp insiders that 9th Wonder will handle the lion's share of the production duties with unknown UK producer Passion hifi and NY resident Clinikal providing a beat each.[citation needed]

Blacksmith Music (2005-present)

Previously signed to Babygrande Records, she signed a deal in 2005 with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records. On 28 April 2008, Jean Grae posted a blog on her MySpace page saying goodbye to her fans.[9] She later cited disenchantment with the music industry and desire to start a family as the reasons behind the 'retirement' and said that she was working on new material and still wanted to continue in music: "You know what? I need that Grammy. I think I might be able to stop after that".[10] In July 2008, Talib Kweli posted a blog explaining Grae's album, mentioning that she was not retiring. The blog ends encouraging fans to purchase the album, referring to Grae as "one of the last true MCs left." Grae returned to doing live performances later that year.[11]

On September 18, 2008, Jean Grae posted a Craigslist ad offering her creative services for $800/16 bars.[12][13] On her MySpace blog entry, she states, "I don't wanna complain anymore, I just wanna change some things about the way artists are treated and the way you guys are allowed to be involved, since it IS the digital age."[14]

Discography

Albums

Other song appearances

  • Cormega- The Bond (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Immortal Technique- The Illest (ft. Jean Grae and Pumpkinhead)
  • Immortal Technique - You Never Know (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Akir - Tropical Fantasy (ft. Jean Grae)
  • High & Mighty - Hands On Experience (ft. What?What?, Kool Keith and Bobbito)
  • Tek 9 - Keep It Hot (Ft. What?What?)
  • Tek 9 - Bruklon (Ft. What?What?)
  • Mr. Lif - Post Mortem
  • Atmosphere- Insomnia 411 (ft. Roosevelt Franklin and Jean Grae)
  • The Herbaliser - Blow Your Headphones - The Blend
  • The Herbaliser - Blow Your Headphones - New + Improved
  • The Herbaliser - Blow Your Headphones - Bring It
  • The Herbaliser - Very Mercenary - Mission Improbable
  • The Herbaliser - Very Mercenary - Let It Go
  • The Herbaliser - Take London - Nah' Mean, Nah'm Sayin'
  • The Herbaliser - Take London - Generals
  • The Herbaliser - Take London - Close Your Eyes
  • The Herbaliser - Take London - Twice Around
  • The Herbaliser - Take London (second edition's bonus disc) - More Tea, More Beer
  • The Herbaliser - Take London (second edition's bonus disc) - How To Keep A Girlfriend
  • The Herbaliser - Same As It Never Was - Street Karma (A Cautionary Tale)
  • Talib Kweli - New York Shit (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Talib Kweli - Say Something
  • Cannibal Ox - Swing Blades (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Soul Daddy - No Drank (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Wale - Goodbye (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Diverse - Under the hammer (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Joell Ortiz - So Wrong (ft. Talib Kweli, Brother Ali & Jean Grae)
  • Talib Kweli - Uh Oh (ft. Jean Grae)
  • Pharoahe Monch - Assassins (ft. Jean Grae & Royce the 5'9)

References

  1. ^ a b c Salazar-Moreno, Quibian "Jean Grae Biography", Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation
  2. ^ a b Warren, Jamin (2005) "Jean Grae", Pitchfork Media, 26 April 2005
  3. ^ a b AskMen.com; Jean Grae Biography. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  4. ^ a b Crockett, Stephen A., Jr. (2008) "Grae's Anatomy", The Root, 13 August 2008
  5. ^ Johnson, Christopher (2008) "Jean Grae: 'I Am Hip-Hop'", NPR Music
  6. ^ Heaton, Dave (2008) "Jean Grae Jeanius", PopMatters
  7. ^ Remington, Alexander F. (2008) "JEAN GRAE "Jeanius" Blacksmith", Washington Post, 5 December 2008
  8. ^ Christgau, Robert (2008) "Jean Grae Shows There's No Better Femcee", NPR Music
  9. ^ AllHipHop.com; Jean Grae Retires From Hip-Hop?. Retrieved on 2008-05-07.
  10. ^ Harvilla, Rob (2008) "The Trials of Jean Grae", Village Voice, 8 July 2008
  11. ^ Chinen, Nate (2008) "A Hip-Hop Classicist Defies Her Meager Turnout", New York Times, 1 December 2008
  12. ^ Craigslist.org; Jean Grae Will Do Original Verses..For $$$, lol. Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
  13. ^ Michaels, Sean (2008) "Jean Grae becomes a hip-hop mercenary", The Guardian, 24 September 2008
  14. ^ JEAN GRAE IS FOR SALE. Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
  15. ^ "Jean Grae - R.I.P. feat. Talib Kweli & Styles P (prod. Ski Beatz) MUSIC VIDEO Off her upcoming project Cookies Or Coma". Real Hip Hop Forever. 2011-3-31. Retrieved 2010-3-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)

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