Jean Grae (formerly What? What?; real name Tsidi Ibrahim) is an American hip hop artist. Blacksmith Records is a record label headed by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. ... Warner Bros. ... Abdullah Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand, formally known as Dollar Brand (from a popular brand of matches), is a South African pianist and composer who was born in Cape Town in 1934. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practising the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ...

Biography

Born in Cape Town, South Africa on November 27, 1976, the daughter of jazz musicians (her father is the celebrated Abdullah Ibrahim), she studied Vocal Performance at the High School of Performing Arts before majoring in Music Business at New York University. Grae later joined a hip hop music group called Natural Resource, and in 1996 they released a pair of 12-inch singles called Negro League Baseball b/w "Bum Deal" b/w "They Lied," and "Bum Deal(remix)" b/w "They Lied(remix)" b/w "I Love This World" on the label Makin' Records. She also appeared on singles by fellow Makin' Records artists Pumpkinhead and Bad Seed, and on the O.B.S. (Original Blunted Soldiers) double 12-inch single alongside crew members Pumpkinhead, Bad Seed, and Meatpie, and produced much of the material released on the label under the pseudonym Run Run Shaw. During this period she established strong ties with the Brooklyn Academy crew, with which she would appear throughout her career. City motto: Spes Bona (Latin: Good Hope) Location of the City of Cape Town in Western Cape Province Province Western Cape Mayor Helen Zille Area  - % water 2,499 km² N/A Population  - Total (2004)  - Density Not ranked 2,893,251 1,158/km² Established 1652 Time zone SAST (UTC+2... November 27 is the 331st day (332nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... Jazz is a style of music which originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States at around the start of the 20th century. ... Abdullah Ibrahim, born Adolph Johannes Brand, formally known as Dollar Brand (from a popular brand of matches), is a South African pianist and composer who was born in Cape Town in 1934. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ... 12 single for U2s Beautiful Day The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record came into existence with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... 12 single for U2s Beautiful Day The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record came into existence with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ...

Natural Resource dissolved in 1998, after which Ibrahim changed her stage name from What? What? to Jean Grae, a reference to the X-Men character Jean Grey. Under her new moniker, she released her first LP—Attack of the Attacking Things—in 2002, and followed it with two more album releases over the next two years. Throughout her career she has also recorded tracks with numerous major hip hop artists, Atmosphere, The Roots, Talib Kweli, The Herbaliser, Da Beatminerz, Phonte, Mr. Len, Masta Ace, Vordul Mega, C-Rayz Walz, and Immortal Technique among them. The X-Men are a group of comic book superheroes featured in Marvel Comics. ... This article or section on a comics-related subject may need to be cleaned up and rewritten because it describes a work of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Roots, also known as The Legendary Roots Crew, The Fifth Dynasty, The Square Roots and The Foundation, are an influential, Grammy winning Philadelphia-based hip hop group, famed for a heavily jazzy sound and live instrumentation. ... Talib Kweli (born Talib Kweli Greene in Philadelphia, PA on October 3, 1975) is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. ... The Herbaliser is a Jazz / hip-hop band formed by Ollie Teeba and Jake Wherry in England during the early 90s. ... Da Beatminerz are a hip-hop production duo from Brooklyn, New York. ... Phonte (b. ... Mr. ... Masta Ace (born ) is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. ... Vorduls solo album debut, Revolution of Yung Havoks Rapper Vordul Mega (a. ... C-Rayz Walz is a rapper from New York. ... Felipe Coronel (born February 19, 1978), better known as Immortal Technique, is a hip hop MC and political activist. ...

Jean has recorded an unreleased album with celebrated North Carolina producer 9th Wonder, of Little Brother fame, entitled Jeanius. This unfinished record was leaked on the internet, and subsequently work was stopped on this album. She plans to record another, to be called Phoenix. Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (901 km)  - % water 9. ... 9th Wonder (b. ... Little Brother is an American hip-hop group from North Carolina that consists of Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder. ...

Previously signed to Babygrande Records, she signed a deal in 2005 with Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records. Babygrande Records is an independent hip-hop record label based in New York City. ... Talib Kweli (born Talib Kweli Greene in Philadelphia, PA on October 3, 1975) is an American rapper from Brooklyn, New York. ... Blacksmith Records is a record label headed by Harlem born Corey Smyth and Talib Kweli of Black Star. ...

Discography

Albums

• Attack of the Attacking Things (2002)
• The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP (2003)
• This Week (2004)

Attack of the Attacking Things is the first album by Jean Grae. ... The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP was released as Jean Graes second album in 2003. ... This Week is an album by Jean Grae, released September 21, 2004 on the Babygrande label. ...

External links

• Jean Grae Discography on Discogs
• Jean-grae.com Official website
• Her official blog
• T.I.R.M. Who Is? Feature