Hip-Hop has been dying from several different diseases over the last decade. There has been an overall lack of creative talent being promoted by the record companies as each label falls over the previous in a rush to bring us the latest fad in cRap music. Sellout ringtones to soulless robotic voice machines. From anthems that create dance crazes to crazed cough medicine filled anthems. If Hip-Hop still had a heart it was going into cardiac arrest.
More than all of that Hip-Hop was missing one half of its very essence. There hasn’t been a first rate female emcee since Rah Digga. My homegirl Lin Que is still on the set out there somewhere, but when was the last time that we listened to a female rap because she had skills and not because we thought (and hoped) that a tittie would pop from her bustier? Enter underground phenom Jean Grae.
Jean Grae was bringing lyrics back from the beginning of her career. She is a devoted Hip-Hop head which means that she is a fan of all music. I started to really listen to Jean Grae after she did the ‘No Sleep ‘Til Brooklyn’ remix single with GAME Rebellion. All you underground Hip-Hop heads (RAFI) knew about this chick like ten years ago. I’m glad for her that she is finally becoming an overnight success. Without Rah Digga or Lauryn Hill the game has been in a shambles. Jean Grae can’t bring rap back all the way by herself, but when I see artists like Joell Ortiz, Phonte, Wale, Immortal Technique and Jean Grae I know that real Hip-Hop lives on.
Copp Jean Grae and 9th Wonder’s new album ‘Jeanius’ on iTunes.
Don’t Rush Me
This World
My Story
Love Thirst
‘Jeanius’ album covers via 2DopeBoyz
My personal fave is her rip of Jay-Z’s “U Don’t Know”. It’s top shelf fight music,
Plus she grew up in the Chelsea Hotel.
thanks for this post. I’ll check for the album… seeing these mock-ups of classic hip hop album covers reminds me of why I feel bad for the current generation of hip hop music fans – they will never know true dope ass hip hop. I’m glad I got to be a part of the original rise of hip hop and got to experience that shit… I used to let my tapes rock till my tapes popped, school bus riding all through 88-94, shit kept me going.
I saw Jean rock North by Northwest, a swanky restaurant/bar, out in Germantown here in Philly 3-4 years ago and it was one of the best shows of my life. There was probably under 100 heads there, almost all male, and she had grown ass men doing the two-step, clapping their hands, laughing and throwing up middle fingers. I hope she doesn’t retire, and I hope Kweli gives her the proper push on Blacksmith.
The video for “Love Thirst” is hardbody. Jean’s joints on that MCEO mixtape were straight nutcakes.
Dallas, you look at my Facebook hip-hop pics you will see shots of Jean back in 1998 when she was down with Natural Resource.
@ wax says: “seeing these mock-ups of classic hip hop album covers reminds me of why I feel bad for the current generation of hip hop music fans – they will never know true dope ass hip hop.”
So true, though it makes me feel old saying it. I was at the J-Live gig in Switzerland last week, the audience was typical backpacker crowd. When he finished his performance, he went behind the decks and did an hour of classic Hip Hop – but damn none of the kids knew the tunes. I was the only dude rapping all the words, there was even a kid with a Black Sheep throwback t-shirt who didn’t recognise Flavor of the Month.
Jean is the GOAT female emcee. Lauryn is like a distant 2nd. I’ll debate this all day.
When I hear females complain about hip hop is sexist, I put Jean on and say; if you supported this instead of fuckin’ Trina things would be different, but for the most part they can’t comprehend. They just shut up ashamed they’ve never heard of Jean Grae. I’ve been doing that since the 90s.
Peace to SAS but Blacksmith needs to put 110% behind Jean. What’s the fucking hold up.
I don’t know, fuck it.
Points for the Das Efx cover.
Yo D, thanks for the post!
best.album.covers.
I’ve been saying how Jean Grae is a case study on how most music TIs must be morons.
There is a major label market for at least 1 woman rapper with actual great rapping skills, & that doesn’t rap about hoeish shyt while half-naked in videos. Lauryn Hill proved this to be the case circa 1998.
“the biggest no brainer on planet earth” (c) some mortgage financing dude on radio advertisements
EGC,
We have spoken on this topic previously. The consumer market that Lauryn Hill was released into is 180 degrees different from the market that exists today. Lauryn also had the success of her former band to bolster her debut.
I do believe the tI’s will take notice if Jean Grae does some sufficient numbers. If she doesn’t then we only have ourselves to blame.
Frankly, I’m sick of Trina and her ilk. My vote (dollars) are going to the real Miss Rap Supreme – Jean Grae.
Plus her stage name is from the G.O.A.T. comic book super heroine.
I saw that PE cover before but I’m bugging off that DAS/EFX jawn. . .
Truth be told, I never really heard enough of Jean Grae to sign-off on her, but I’ll try to put that on my summer GTD folder.
I am definitely going to buy this. After reading the comments, I’m too hyped. I heard of her before. Can’t say that I recall one of her joints though.
Dallas, good hook up on the courvosier glasses!!!
@MHB: She destroys U Don’t Know. One of the rare times Jay got outdone on his own track. The best part is when she finishes and says “someone get this woman a drink.”
@DP: I didn’t know you were a fan. I just finished burning you her catalog. When you did your pre-Miss Rap Supreme post about the lack of femcees, you hadn’t heard her. You still want the CDs
Jean’s a long-time favorite of mine. Hope that retirement talk is…well just talk.
Encyclopedia Black,
Def hit me off with that package[ll].
When you blow into NYC next I will take that unless you can afford to put some postage on an envelope (I respect the fiscal deficits of those pursuing higher education).
Jean Grae been on my radar but I never really went in on her work. I heard that joint ‘Love Thirst’ at a little house party cookout and I might have had one too many ribs dipped in the kush chipotle sauce…
Anyhoo, I been waiting for this shit for rap music. It’s time for hip-hop’s Princess Leia to be a lady again and not Fisty Scent.
Jean Grae > any female emcee you could possibly think of
Go Cop “Attack of the Attacking Things” the shit is brilliant.
It’s probally too late but a Jean Grae reality show would be a good look.
Lanski,
Get with the word prA’li and save yourself some keystrokes.
Rah Digga = GFROAT
this album is dope as hell
The Dallas said “EGC,
We have spoken on this topic previously. The consumer market that Lauryn Hill was released into is 180 degrees different from the market that exists today. Lauryn also had the success of her former band to bolster her debut.”
Disagree 100% Recently (say 2006-8) there has been at least decent major label market (in terms of sales) for several dude rappers that could be roughly categorized
1 have good rap skills
2 have some interesting non-thuggish subject matter
3 good beats
There’s at least 4 matching this category, Black Thought (The Roots), Common, Dou-che Fiasco, Kweli. Count it as 5 if Kanye West counts as having good rap skills.
I see Jean as being in the same category. If there’s 4+ males in this category, the major label market can support a mere 1 female in this category.
It’s as if music industry TIs never took marketing 101, which would never fly in other industries. Take enterprise software, where “major label” means basically SAP & Oracle. If the “penetration” [||] of ERP software in manufacturing is 5X+ that of retail, the TIs in Germany & San Fransisco will be making PowerPoints tambout “the retail space is wide open & underserved”. If this doesn’t happen, some enterpreneur will form a startup to address this “space”. If they are very successful, they might even become “major label” themselves 5+ years later. If they are kinda successful, they will be acquired Borg-style by SAP or Oracle, so these Borgs will at least by then be addressing this “space”.
Maybe that’s the problem with music, it’s seemingly impossible for indy labels (the “entrepreneurs”) to address unserved areas & become “major label TIs” themselves.
EGC,
You should raise the stakes and disagree 200% since you missed the point totally because Jean Grae does NOT fit the category of of the rappers you just mentioned. It isn’t simply the CONTENT that creates the market for the artists you mentioned but their particular pedigrees in that relation…
Thought has the Roots and a gang of fucking studio albums
Common has fifteen years in the music business
Lupe is a d-bag that no one likes
Talib is one half of the backpacker gospel duo
Jean Grae comes into a market where her biggest fans DON’T BUY MUSIC.
They DL it. They Torrent it. They RapidShare it.
Why would a major (or minor for that matter) music label embark on what appears to be a losing endeavor?
Musicians are becoming like every other artist or information provider who better keep their day job on and popping if they still want to have health coverage. For some of them, like Jean Grae for instance, she might have to do other things to keep a roof over her head to supplement her Hip-Hop vocation. This may mean that we won’t get to hear as much material from her as the artists that sell their lollipops on iTunes.
I think Jay is making the right moves in his new venture(not that I credit with building it on his own.)…but the reality is that people are NOT buying music anymore, they DL. SO flip the model and use the meager record sales (soundscan) to sell your concerts, people still pay money to go to them (even backpackers!) It worked for the grateful dead, it may work in hip hop. I hear Fifty and Diddy are trying to get similar situations started….
I actually purchased each of her records/mixtapes…except for Jeanius which I got procured by other means when it got leaked, bootlegged and shelved about five or so years ago. And I’ll be buying the official versions of Jeanius to have all those dope album covers.
@DP: I actually got myself a job like Calvin, word to Burger King. Oddly enough I work in the mailroom, so keep an eye out for that package [II]. Same address as the envelopes you sent, right?
Rah Digga is/was (I’ll give her an is) tight, but she jaded her Lyrist Lounge emcee status when she understandably went for the “rapper” cake and started dressing all crazy to appease Viacom’s standards and practices. I was feeling her when she was running with South Orange Lauryn and Young Z; with Flipmode not so much.
Can’t – forget – New – Jersey ©
So I disagree, I think Inga is pra’li (thanks) the best female “rapper” of all time however Jean remains the fucking Phoenix of female emcees.
The public needs to be exposed to Jean’s personality to get her music then feel compelled to buy it. I think that’s how she can at least go gold in this climate.
More Burberry pajamas; less Batgirl.
Dallas, you got fuckin nice taste in music.
You and my CD deck would get along very well.
….yeah.
I enjoy reading a post that can make people think. Also, thank you for permitting me to comment!