Jean Grae

Biography

Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known professionally as Jean Grae, is a South African-born American musician and writer. She emerged in New York City's underground hip-hop scene and developed an international following. Throughout her music career, her distinctive style and lyricism gained recognition, with artists such as Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, and Black Thought of 'The Roots' expressing admiration for her work.

Early life

Jean Grae was born Tsidi Ibrahim, in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 26, 1976. The child of South African jazz musicians Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim, Grae was raised in The Hotel Chelsea, Manhattan where the family moved after her birth. Grae studied vocal performance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, before briefly studying music business at New York University.

1996–1998: Career beginnings

Grae joined a hip hop group called Natural Resource along with rapper Ocean and disc jockey James "AGGIE" Barrett. In 1996, they released two 12-inch singles on their label, Makin' Records. They appeared on singles by Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed, as well as on the O.B.S. (Original Blunted Soldiers) double 12-inch single. She produced much of the material released under pseudonym "Run Run Shaw".

1998–2004: Solo career

Natural Resource dissolved in 1998, after which Jean changed her stage name from What? What? to Jean Grae, a reference to the X-Men character Jean Grey. Grae released the LP Attack of the Attacking Things on August 6, 2002, and released This Week×This Week21 September 2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 16 tracks1Intro2:332A-Alikes3:463Cuervo Loco (skit)1:384Going Crazy4:465Style Wars4:056Not Like Me4:007Supa Luv4:598Whatever4:139Give It Up2:2310The Wall4:5811Before the Spot (skit)1:2512You Don't Want It4:4413Watch Me4:2714P.S.5:2015Fyre Blazer3:4016Don't Rush Me4:33 on September 21, 2004. She has recorded with major hip-hop artists such as Atmosphere, The Roots, Phonte, Mr. Len, Pharoahe Monch, The Herbaliser, Masta Ace and Immortal Technique.
Grae recorded an album with North Carolina producer 9th Wonder, entitled Jeanius×Jeanius2004 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks · 2 discsDisc 1A1Intro2:00A22-32's4:07A3Don't Rush Me4:14A4My Story4:32B1The Time Is Now3:44B2Billy Killer3:54B3Think About It4:06B4#82:25Disc 2C1American Pimp3:12C2This World3:07C3Love Thirst5:44C4Desperada3:08D1Smashmouth5:14D2Love Thirst (remix)3:35D3That's Whats Up Now3:43; the unfinished recording was leaked online, and work stopped. However, at a release party for 9th Wonder's Dream Merchant Volume 2, Grae stated that Jeanius was still going to be released. It was released on June 24, 2008, on Zune Live Marketplace, then on disc on July 8, 2008. Grae's rapping was described by Robert Christgau as "remarkable for its rapidity, clarity and idiomatic cadence. The writing has a good-humored polysyllabic literacy."

2008–present: Freelance

On a blog, Grae stated: "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." Since then, Grae's music has been self-released through the artist's website and Bandcamp.
On June 25, 2011, Grae released a free mixtape entitled Cookies or Comas×Cookies or Comas23 June 2011 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Casebasket3:242RIP3:563Imagine1:524I Rock On3:505Uh Oh4:096Live Up3:567Assassins4:248Jeanie Rules1:339Blame Game3:1010Killing Em3:1711You Don't Like It5:00, which features guest appearances from Styles P, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch; it also includes "Assassins" from Monch's W.A.R. album and "Uh Oh" From Talib Kweli's Gutter Rainbows. This was followed by the 10-track Dust Ruffle on January 2, 2013, featuring unreleased songs from 2004 to 2010. Between October and November 2013, Grae released EPs titled Gotham Down Cycle 1: Love in Infinity (Lo-Fi), Gotham Down Cycle II: Leviathan, Gotham Down Cycle 3: The Artemis Epoch. In December 2013, Grae combined them into Gotham Down Deluxe.
Grae branched out from music, releasing audiobook The State of Eh in January 2014, and writing, directing and starring in the online sitcom Life with Jeanie. In 2013, Grae had a supporting role in indie film Big Words and in 2015 appeared on the And The Crime Ring episode of CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. On October 2, 2016, Grae hosted the Golden Probes. On September 9, 2018, Grae and Quelle Chris released their 15 track joint album Everything's Fine, rated by Rolling Stone as the 22nd best Hip Hop Album of 2018.
Grae identifies as gender transcendent and uses she/her pronouns. Grae's rapping style relies on a complex interplay of shifting rhythms and slanted rhymes. An analysis by Matt Daniels for The Pudding indicated that Grae uses a higher-than-average range of vocabulary in her lyrics.

Studio albums

Attack of the Attacking Things (2002)
This Week (2004)
Jeanius (with 9th Wonder) (2008)
Everything's Fine (with Quelle Chris) (2018)

Compilation albums

Dust Ruffle (2012)
Gotham Down Deluxe (2013)

EPs

The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP (2003)
Ho x 3: A Christmas Thingy (2012)
Gotham Down: Cycle 1: Love In Infinity (Lo-Fi) (2013)
Gotham Down: Cycle II: Leviathan (2013)
Gotham Down: Cycle 3: The Artemis Epoch (2013)
jeannie (2014)
#5 (2014)
The State of Eh. A Read Along Album Book Thing. By Jean Grae (2014)
That's Not How You Do That: An Instructional Album for Adults (2014)
That's Not How You Do That Either: Yet Another Instructional Album for Adults (2015)
iSweatergawd (2015)
Saix (2015)
Jean Grae's CHRISTMAKWHANNUVUSWALIYEARS (2015)
MERRYPOCALYPSE (with Quelle Chris) (2016)
Sevvin (2016)

Mixtapes

The Official Bootleg (2003)
The Grae Files (2004)
The Grae Mixtape (2004)
Hurricane Jean The Mixtape (2005)
Hurricane Jean: The Jeanius Strikes Again (2005)
Cookies or Comas (2011)