madtheory's Full Review: Jeanius by Jean Grae/9th Wonder
What the hell happened to all the female emcees?
For most of Hip-Hop music's timeline there has been a significant feminine presence, often a respectable and necessary counterpoint to fierce, unchecked masculinity. With the exception of video eye candy, women appear to have all but disappeared from modern rap. Presumably the unrestrained effeminacy of the dudes on the mic nowadays essentially renders a womanly viewpoint redundant.
Fortunately for heads that appreciate the intrinsic value of at least a little bit of genuine estrogen in Hip-Hop, Jean Grae and a small number of others are still open for business. Veteran and still relevant, the Cape Town-born New York bred rhymer is easily amongst the most skilled and versatile rappers regardless of gender.
For her 2008 release, Jeanius, she shows fans why this nickname is so appropriate. With Little Brother beatmaker 9th Wonder supplementing her words with his trademark soulful, sample-driven soundbeds, she flaunts her ability to artistically explore cerebral and reflective topics, then change up and lyrically drive Jimmy Choo shoes hard to the groin of your favorite rapper's favorite rapper.
Following a short intro, the album moves right into "2-32's" featuring upcoming emcee Daily Planet. Here the two trade sharp invective, although DP's verse is prefaced with a far-too-long Chappellian ‘turn my headphones up' moment that Jean has to cover for. Still the song is very tight; Grae and DP's effortlessly articulated venom intermingles well with 9th's warm blend of soul guitars and electric keys. Jean's signature sh*t talk continues with "This World," her verses sharply contrasting the fluid strings and buoyant bass groove with abrasive battle lines: "controversy works, and plus I've got a p***y/ but even with that, people scared to push me/ who's the p***y first? A f****ing hertz you'll have to share a space with/ I'll get used to rocking ankle bracelets."
A few Justus League collaborations are expected with 9th Wonder behind the boards for this project, and Jeanius does not disappoint in this regard. Little Brother's Phonté joins Jean on the expectant "The Time is Now," though the two's improvised "Solid as a Rock" ad-libbing in the denouement is almost as enjoyable as the song itself (perhaps a Percy Miracles/JG duet album is in order?). The LB frontman returns on "Think About It," but only to bookend the brash horns and defiant drums with humorous tirades. Lyrically this is all Grae on fire, lighting up the mic with an array of clever punchlines and metaphors.
Despite her ample proficiency for braggadocio in general, Jean Grae is equally as on point when reflecting on the more weighty topics in her life "Don't Rush Me" is a solid example of this introspection, the Jeanius reflecting on her personal and professional journey thus far while looking ahead to the distance she still has yet to travel. This track actually appeared on a previous JG release, This Week, although 9th inexplicably chose change one of the layers to a synth loop instead of the original sampled melody (legal reasons presumably). Also, "Billy Killer" is an especially powerful offering, Grae imparting the pain of seeing her man trudge through the day-to-day grind of supporting her career. 9th displays again why he's one of the best in the business by artfully chopping an agonized blues vocal sample and cheerless melody to add further depth to Grae's already evocative words.
All in all, heads who are lamenting the loss of the feminine voice in rap or Hip-Hop music that revolves around actual lyrics and beats should check out Jeanius. Jean and 9th Wonder's combined effort here stands as proof that someone, somewhere remembers what made the artform so captivating in the first place. Make sure you cop the album; even the cover art is worth it.
Track Listing 01. Intro 02. 2-32's feat. Daily Planet 03. Don't Rush Me 04. My Story 05. The Time is Now feat. Phonté 06. Billy Killer 07. Think About It 08. #8 09. American Pimp feat. Median 10. This World 11. Love Thirst 12. Desperada 13. Smashmouth feat. K. Hill, Edgar Allen Floe, and Joe Scudda
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