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Jean Grae

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Biography

About|the musician|the X-men character|Jean GreyInfobox musical artist| image =| name = Jean Grae| background = solo_singer| birth_name = Tsidi Ibrahim| birth_place = Cape Town , South Africa | birth_date = birth date and age|1976|11|26 Citation needed|date=May 2008| death_date =| origin = New York City | instrument =| genre = Hip hop music|Hip hop | occupation = Rapping|Rapper , Hip hop production|Producer | years_active = 1996–present| label = Third Earth Music (2002–2003)
Babygrande Records (2003–2005)

Blacksmith Records / Warner Bros. Records (2005–Present)
| associated_acts = Sathima Bea Benjamin , Abdullah Ibrahim , Talib Kweli , Atmosphere (band)|Atmosphere , 9th Wonder , Pharoahe Monch , Styles P , Masta Ace , Immortal Technique , Pumpkinhead (rapper)|Pumpkinhead
| website = http://www.jean-grae.com/ Official Site Jean Grae (born Tsidi Ibrahim,cite web|last=Salazar-Moreno|first=Quibian |url=Allmusic|class=artist|id=p531115/biography|pure_url=yes|title=Jean Grae Biography|work= Allmusic cite web|last=Warren|first=Jamin|url= http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/6027-jean-grae/|title=Jean Grae|work= Pitchfork Media |date=26 April 2005 November 26, 1976), formerly known as What? What? , is an United States|American Hip Hop Music|hip hop artist who hails from South Africa . She rose to prominence in the underground hip-hop scene in New York City, and has since built an international fanbase.

Biography


Early life


Grae was born in Cape Town , South Africa on November 26, 1976, the daughter of South African jazz musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim . She was raised in New York City because her parents relocated there after her birth. She studied Vocal Performance at the La Guardia High School|LaGuardia School of Music & Art before majoring in Music Business at New York University . She later dropped out after 3 weeks of class because she already knew what her professors were teaching her.cite web|url= http://www.askmen.com/celebs/women/singer_250/287_jean_grae.html |title=Jean Grae Biography|accessdate=October 3, 2008

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, along with rapper Ocean and DJ James "AGGIE" Barrett. In 1996 they released a pair of 12-inch single s called "Negro League Baseball" 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. She also appeared on singles by fellow Makin' Records artists Pumpkinhead (rapper)|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 .Crockett, Stephen A., Jr. (2008) " http://www.theroot.com/views/graes-anatomy Grae's Anatomy", The Root (magazine)|The Root , 13 August 2008 Under her new moniker, she released her first Vinyl record|LP — Attack of the Attacking Things —in 2002, and followed it in 2004 with This Week . Throughout her career she has also recorded tracks with numerous major hip hop artists, Atmosphere (music group)|Atmosphere , The Roots , Talib Kweli , The Herbaliser , Da Beatminerz , Phonte , Mr. Len , Masta Ace , Vordul Mega , C-Rayz Walz , Mos Def , Styles P , Pharoahe Monch and Immortal Technique among them.

Grae has recorded an unreleased album with celebrated North Carolina producer 9th Wonder , of Little Brother (band)|Little Brother fame, entitled Jeanius . This unfinished record was leaked on the internet, and subsequently work was stopped on this album.Johnson, Christopher (2008) " http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=94714348 Jean Grae: 'I Am Hip-Hop'", NPR Music 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. 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."Christgau, Robert (2008) " http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php? storyId=95263555 Jean Grae Shows There's No Better Femcee", NPR Music 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 , English producer DJ SonicBass and NY resident Clinikal providing a beat each.

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. http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2008/04/27/19740972.aspx AllHipHop.com; Jean Grae Retires From Hip-Hop? . Retrieved on 2008-05-07. 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".Harvilla, Rob (2008) " http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-07-09/music/the-trials-of-jean-grae/ The Trials of Jean Grae", Village Voice , 8 July 2008 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.Chinen, Nate (2008) " http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/arts/music/02grae.html? _r=1 A Hip-Hop Classicist Defies Her Meager Turnout", New York Times , 1 December 2008

On September 18, 2008, Jean Grae posted a Craigslist ad offering her creative services for $800/16 bars. http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/crs/845951471.html Craigslist.org; Jean Grae Will Do Original Verses..For $$$, lol. Retrieved on 2008-09-19.Michaels, Sean (2008) " http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/sep24/urban.netrich Jean Grae becomes a hip-hop mercenary", The Guardian , 24 September 2008 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." http://www.myspace.com/jeangrae JEAN GRAE IS FOR SALE. Retrieved on 2008-09-19. On June 23, 2011, after an almost 4 year hiatus, Grae released a free mixtape titled Cookies or Comas which features guest appearances from Styles P, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch, it also includes the highly praised tracks "Assassins" from Monch's W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)|W.A.R. album and "Uh Oh" From Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows . http://www.ology.com/music/download-jean-graes-cookies-or-comas-mixtape

Discography


Albums


  • Attack of the Attacking Things (2002)

  • The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP (2003)

  • This Week (album)|This Week (2004)

  • The Orchestral Files (2007)

  • Jeanius with 9th Wonder (2008)

  • The Evil Jeanius (with Blue Sky Black Death ) (2008)

  • Cake or Death (2012)


    • Mixtapes


  • Cookies or Comas (2011)


    • 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)

  • The 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 (music group)|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)

  • Ski Beatz – Prowler 2 (ft. Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, Joell Ortiz & Mos Def)

  • Wale (rapper)|Wale – Goodbye (ft. Jean Grae)

  • Diverse – Under the hammer (ft. Jean Grae)

  • Joell Ortiz – So Wrong (ft. Talib Kweli, Brother Ali & Jean Grae)

  • Lil B – Base 4 Ya Face (ft. Jean Grae & Phonte)

  • DJ Jazzy Jeff – Supa Jean (ft. Jean Grae)


    • References


    Reflist

    External links


  • MySpace|JeanGrae

  • http://www.discogs.com/artist/Jean+Grae Jean Grae Discography on Discogs

  • http://www.urbanlyrics.com/j/jeangrae.html Jean Grae Lyrics


    • Persondata | NAME =Grae, Jean
    | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Ibrahim, Tsidi
    | SHORT DESCRIPTION = Hip hop musician
    | DATE OF BIRTH =1976-11-27
    | PLACE OF BIRTH = Cape Town, South Africa
    | DATE OF DEATH =
    | PLACE OF DEATH =
    DEFAULTSORT:Grae, Jean Category:South African rappers
    Category:Female rappers
    Category:1976 births
    Category:Living people
    Category:Coloured South African people
    Category:African American rappers
    Category:Underground rappers
    Category:Cameroonian emigrants to the United States

    cs:Jean Grae
    de:Jean Grae
    fr:Jean Grae
    sw:Jean Grae

    Copyright Citations

    This article is licensed under the GNU License
    Click here for original article: Jean Grae

    Jean Grae Photo by: 3.bp.blogspot.com



          

    		  
       
     
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