Jean Grae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean Grae
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Grae performing in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Tsidi Ibrahim |
| Also known as | What? What? |
| Born | November 26, 1976 Cape Town, South Africa |
| Origin | New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1990–2020 |
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Tsidi Ibrahim (born November 26, 1976), known by her stage name Jean Grae, is a talented artist and writer from New York City. She became a well-known figure in the city's underground hip-hop scene and gained fans all over the world. Many famous artists, like Talib Kweli, Jay-Z, and Black Thought from The Roots, have said they admire her unique style and clever lyrics.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jean Grae was born as Tsidi Ibrahim in Cape Town, South Africa. Her parents, Sathima Bea Benjamin and Abdullah Ibrahim, were famous jazz musicians. Soon after she was born, her family moved to New York City and she grew up in Manhattan.
For high school, Grae attended the famous Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, where she studied singing. After graduating, she briefly studied the music business at New York University.
Music Career
Starting Out in a Group
In the mid-1990s, Grae started her music career in a hip-hop group called Natural Resource. She used the stage name What? What? back then. The group released a few songs on their own record label. Grae also produced many of their tracks, showing her talent behind the scenes.
Going Solo and Finding Her Name
After Natural Resource broke up in 1998, she began her solo career. She changed her stage name to Jean Grae, which was inspired by the powerful comic book character Jean Grey from the X-Men.
As a solo artist, she released her first album, Attack of the Attacking Things, in 2002. Her next album, This Week, came out in 2004. During this time, she worked with many major hip-hop artists, including Atmosphere, The Roots, and Immortal Technique.
The 'Jeanius' Album
Grae worked with producer 9th Wonder on an album called Jeanius. Before it was finished, an early version was leaked online. Even though this was a setback, they decided to finish the album. It was officially released in 2008.
One critic, Robert Christgau, praised her rapping on the album. He said her style was amazing because of how fast and clear it was, and he also complimented her smart and funny lyrics.
Becoming an Independent Artist
Around 2008, Grae decided to change how she released her music. She wanted more control over her work and a better connection with her fans. She started releasing her music herself through her website and Bandcamp. This allowed her to share her art directly with the people who supported her.
In 2011, she released a free collection of songs called Cookies or Comas. She continued to release new music, including several shorter albums called EPs.
Beyond Music
Jean Grae is a multi-talented artist who has worked on many projects outside of music. In 2014, she released an audiobook called The State of Eh. She also wrote, directed, and starred in her own online comedy show, Life with Jeanie.
She has also acted in movies and on TV. In 2013, she had a role in the movie Big Words. In 2015, she appeared on the CBS TV show 2 Broke Girls. In 2018, she and fellow artist Quelle Chris released a joint album called Everything's Fine. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the best hip-hop albums of the year.
Grae's rapping style is known for its complex rhythms and clever rhymes. A study of her lyrics showed that she uses a very large vocabulary in her songs, more than the average rapper.
Discography
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)
- ... 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)
