Jean Grae facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean Grae
Grae performing in 2006
Background information
Birth name	Tsidi Ibrahim
Also known as	What? What?
Born	(1976-11-26) November 26, 1976 (age 48) Cape Town, South Africa
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Died	Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day
Genres	Hip hop progressive rap
Occupation(s)	Multidisciplinary artist and writer
Years active	1990–2020
Labels	Blacksmith Warner Bros. Babygrande Third Earth

Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known as Jean Grae, is a talented artist and writer. She became famous in the underground hip hop music scene in New York City. Her unique music and lyrics made her a favorite emcee (rapper) among many other rap artists. Some famous rappers who admired her work include Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, and Black Thought from The Roots.

Early Life and Education

Jean Grae was born Tsidi Ibrahim in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 26, 1976. Her parents, Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim, were both famous South African jazz musicians. After Jean was born, her family moved to New York City, where she grew up.

Jean studied Vocal Performance at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School. This is a special school for students interested in arts. Later, she started studying Music Business at New York University. However, she decided to leave after only three weeks to focus on her music career.

Starting a Music Career (1996–1998)

In 1995, Jean Grae was discovered by George Rithm Martinez. He invited her to record five songs with his group, Ground Zero. This demo recording was featured in The Source magazine in March 1996. This was a big deal for new artists.

Jean then joined a hip hop group called Natural Resource. The group included rapper Ocean and disc jockey James "AGGIE" Barrett. In 1996, they released two 12-inch singles on their own label, Makin' Records. They also appeared on songs by other artists like Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed. The group also produced music under the name "Run Run Shaw."

Becoming a Solo Artist (1998–2004)

Natural Resource broke up in 1998. After this, Jean changed her stage name from What? What? to Jean Grae. This new name was a nod to the X-Men character Jean Grey.

Jean released her first solo LP album, Attack of the Attacking Things, on August 6, 2002. She then released her second album, This Week, on September 21, 2004. Jean has worked with many major hip-hop artists. These include Atmosphere, The Roots, Phonte, Mr. Len, Pharoahe Monch, The Herbaliser, Masta Ace, and Immortal Technique.

Jean Grae also recorded an album called Jeanius with producer 9th Wonder. The album was not finished when it was leaked online, which means it was shared without permission. This caused work on the album to stop for a while. However, Jeanius was later released on June 24, 2008, online and then on disc on July 8, 2008. Critics praised Jean's rapping for being fast, clear, and full of clever words.

Talib Kweli and Jean Grae in 2010

Freelance Work and Other Projects (2008–Present)

Since 2008, Jean Grae has released her music independently. This means she puts out her music herself, often through her own website and Bandcamp. She wanted to change how artists are treated in the music industry.

On June 25, 2011, Grae released a free mixtape called Cookies or Comas. This mixtape featured other artists like Styles P, Talib Kweli, and Pharoahe Monch. She followed this with Dust Ruffle on January 2, 2013. This album included songs that had not been released before, from 2004 to 2010.

In late 2013, Jean Grae released a series of EPs (Extended Plays) called Gotham Down Cycle 1: Love in Infinity (Lo-Fi), Gotham Down Cycle II: Leviathan, and Gotham Down Cycle 3: The Artemis Epoch. In December 2013, she combined them into one collection called Gotham Down Deluxe.

Jean Grae has also explored other creative fields beyond music. In January 2014, she released an audiobook called The State of Eh. She also wrote, directed, and starred in an online comedy show called Life with Jeanie. In 2013, she had a supporting role in the independent film Big Words. In 2015, she appeared in an episode of the CBS sitcom 2 Broke Girls. On October 2, 2016, Jean Grae hosted an event called the Golden Probes.

On September 9, 2018, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris released their joint album, Everything's Fine. Rolling Stone magazine rated it as one of the best Hip Hop Albums of 2018. Jean Grae is known for her unique rapping style. She uses complex rhythms and clever rhymes. Her lyrics often show a very wide range of vocabulary.

Music Albums and EPs

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 (Extended Plays)

• 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)

Other Songs Featuring Jean Grae