Jean Grae – This Week
By Brian Kayser

No one is messing with Jean Grae right now. No one. With Jean, you’re not just getting someone who knows how to rhyme, but someone who knows how to get the full potential out of herself, from her deep vocabulary to smooth delivery. If you’ve been sleeping on Jean, this is the perfect place to start. Her first album, “Attack of the Attacking Things,” was put out by Third Earth, which pretty much means it wasn’t done right. Her second commercial release, “Bootleg of the Bootlegs EP” was too short. It’s like there weren’t enough tracks to do a full-length, but they wanted to put something out to get a little buzz going. It was dope, but it wasn’t the album. This is the album.
The “Intro” gets things started off right as Jean is introduced and comes out spitting. “A-Alikes” is a bouncy, light track that will have you rewinding to hear everything Jean said. The lead single, “Going Crazy,” produced by Joey Chavez, is another bouncy head-nodder that has Jean letting us into her head. Beware…
“Style Wars” is one of the hardest cuts on the album, as Brooklyn Academy’s Block McCloud comes through on the hook making the only guest appearance. 9th Wonder produces “Supa Luv,” which is a soulful track that has Jean getting open to her audience. The same can be said for “Give It Up.” These are the types of tracks that separate Jean from the pack of MC’s trying to make songs. Sid Romes produces “Watch Me,” which is one of the sickest tracks on the album. The soulful beat matched with Jean’s powerful lyrics make this track worth the purchase of the album. The Midi Mafia produces “You Don’t Want It,” but I don’t think this is that dope of a track. Both parties have come a lot harder on other projects.
Overall, this album is one of the best releases of the year. I can honestly say that this album did not disappoint me. Jean’s first album was dope, her EP was dope, but this is better than both. Jean is not the MC you want to sleep on.