Search - Jean Grae :: This Week

Change Gon Come

Jean Grae | Brooklyn, NY | 10/08/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Man..

What a good album.

Could it be that I'm biased because I wrote it? Possibly.. but let's not stray from the point here.

I really enjoyed making..err. listening to this piece of work, some things caught me by surprise. All in all a solid venture.

I would have really liked to hear LoveSong Pt 2 on here though.

Since I'm the only one who has heard it, I guess that's why no one else brought it up.

Thank you everyone for making this a success thus far.

Buy this dang album.

It has zero net carbs.



*side note: I kind of wanted everyone to feel out the second half of the album.. choose what days felt like what songs to you.. Although I would definitely say that by the time you get to 'You Don't Want It" you should be on Friday.

That's all my good people. Thank you again.



I wonder if they will keep this review up?

Can an artist review their own album????



Jean "Jeanius" Grae"

Words can't even describe.

P. T. J. | Detroit MI | 01/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Jean Grae is without a doubt one of the most intelligent emcees of the entire decade. Part of what makes Jean Grae so incredible is her versatility. Her battle raps are untouched in lyrical power ("You Don't Want It" and "Style Wars"), and on the flipside, her love seranades ("Give It Up") and touching heart-to-heart confessions ("P.S.") evoke more emotional stirrings since Talib Kweli's "Where Do We Go". Part of her real potency is that everything she says, all the way down to her gritty battle-rhymes, are completely real. Coming from a South African family and having lived in New York for a good part of her life, the cultural background of Jean Grae lends itself to her incredible lyrical array of talents.



A personal favorite of mine, I already expected great things when I picked up this CD. I remember hearing "The Bootleg of the Bootlegs EP", a superb exhibition of her talent, and hoping that "This Week" would live up. I had already heard the remix of her "Style Wars" on Talib Kweli's "The Beautiful Mixtape", and was eagerly anticipating the real thing. After track two, I was stunned and found myself hitting the rewind button at least three times before moving on to track 3. My favorite emcee for as long as I can remember has been Talib Kweli, and up until now, I have searched long and hard for an equal to his lyrical intelligence. In 2002, I stumbled across Masta Ace's "Disposable Arts" (also an incredible album) and heard Jean Grae featured on one of his better cuts. After that, I was hooked.



Hailing from Detroit, it's hard to really find myself captivated by the run-of-the-mill rap that is so often heard on the radio, boasting over uncreative production their unlimited wealth, fame and sex-appeal. Jean Grae's grounded flow feels like a much needed dousing of cold water in an atmosphere sweltering with the excessive hot-air blown by so many unqualified emcees. On her track "The Wall", Jean Grae says quite frankly "Stop looking for answers, I'll stand firmer than granite/there are deeper ways to tell you all the s*** that I feel/and maybe just for the sake of stories nothing is real/and maybe just everything I said was never the deal/and I never revealed the true reflection I'm keeping it sealed/." She keeps everything in perspective and brutally honest. She warns her fans that the only Jean they will ever know is the one she gives them, yet even then, you can't help but feel that so many of her songs come straight from the heart. "P.S.", a soulful apology to those she's wronged is one of her more moving cuts, "Watch Me" is an exulting, witty track chronicling her travels to where she is now, "Give It Up" is a love song that I adore simply because I can personally relate, and the bonus track "Don't Rush Me" is one of the best self-exploratory songs I've heard in a long time, over which Jean runs through her faults and accomplishments. One more thing that can be said for Jean, is that while it's clear that she's come to terms with the struggles of her life, she doesn't seem to take anything too seriously, and is careful to balance her emotional exhibitions with a dose of her adroit sense of humor.



The power behind her talent is the fact that nothing she does is too heavy-handed. Her emotional poetry-flowing cuts are careful not to overplay the moment, and as a result, are able to connect with the listener in a very real, very personal, and very unpretentious way. Similarly, her battle-rhymes hold behind them such potent anger, it's tangible. Like a caged lion, Jean Grae is the music industry's most talented female emcee trapped in the bowels of underground hip-hop. Between her perfectly balanced flow, her colorful versatility and her uncompromising lyrics that never stray from reality, Jean Grae has forever cemented her place in the music industry. I challenge any emcee famous or otherwise aspiring to even attempt to equal Jean's bitingly sharp lyrical talent. I just don't see it happening.



P.S. Jean gives incredible concerts. I saw her at St. Andrews hall with Athletic Mic League and Diverse as the warm-up show. Yeah, as always, Diverse was hyped and Athletic Mic League gave a great show, but Jean killed 'em all. She interacted with the crowd, made us laugh, even came down to do the electric slide with us. I was right in the front row, and it was one of the greatest, most personal concerts I've ever been to. It had that real hip hop, real underground feel. If she comes through you're town, be sure to catch her."

Introducin...........For the First/Second Time

William m Coles | BALTIMORE, MARYLAND United States | 12/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Like the intro. states introducing Jean Grae and then again. But now she is here for more of you underground heads to appreciate. THis is a very thought provoking CD and really lets you get into her head. Besides the few tracks boastin, which is no harm for an MC to state their claim, this is truly tangible material for those ladies out there who may need a little help defining what it is to be a young female. The beats and musical arrangements are also tasteful helping to bolster the flow and transcind the message. Jean Grae is like that and appears so patient with articulating and fine tuning her position with such clarity."