Jean Grae is what hip-hop has been missing. In an industry where egos, imagery

and false lifestyles are the recipe for record sales, Jean Grae remains true to

herself with "Jeanius". Produced entirely by 9th wonder, Jeanius is an album

full of head nodding beats mixed with flawless well delivered lyricism. On the

Intro Jean raps, "please don't be mad at me I'd rather be liked/ Cause your

opinion really matters automatically, sike/" as a forewarning to critics that

she could care less what they have to say. It's this kind of rebel against the

status quo mentality that makes Jean stand out. She refuses to give in to the

mainstream formula of thoughtless verses backed with catchy senseless hooks.

Instead Jean opts to give her audience substance. On "My Story" Jean takes the

listener on a journey in first person persepctive and talks about the emotions

and regrets of abortion. Listen to this track and it's obvious that Jean's

strength as a rapper comes from her willingness to be vulnerable. This

display of imperfection allows listener to identify more with Jean as a person

and not just some out of touch superstar. On "#8" Jean goes hard and shuts down

anyone that says she is not a true lyricist. "#8" is two minutes and twenty

four seconds of lyrical slaughter and serves as a warning shot to the industry

that she can hold her own. Lyrically Jean Grae is what the game has been

missing. It's been a while since we've heard this type of content from a

female rapper. Saying that Jean Grae can rap is an understatement and this

album is proof that female rappers bring just as much to the table as their

male counterparts. Overall Jeanius is a great listen and should satisfy

all lovers of good hip-hop music. The musical backdrop 9th provides coupled

with Jean's impeccable rhymes show the importance of chemisty between artist

and producer. This album flows seamlessly from song to song and sets the

precedent of a what a great hip-hop album should sound like. Jeanius is truly

genius.