Jeanius

Jeanius is the third studio album by American rapper Jean Grae. She worked on it with hip hop producer 9th Wonder and intended to release it in 2004, but the album leaked prematurely and spawned various pirated versions of the unfinished project. After Grae's record deal with the label, Jeanius was released on July 8, 2008, by Talib Kweli's Blacksmith Records.[1]

Jeanius
Studio album by
Jean Grae
ReleasedJuly 8, 2008
GenreHip hop
Length49:37
LabelBlacksmith
Producer9th Wonder, Khrysis, Fatin
Jean Grae chronology
This Week
(2004)		 Jeanius
(2008)		 The Evil Jeanius
(2008)

Background

Scheduled for release as early as 2004, the album was delayed for unknown reasons and has since been heavily bootlegged on the internet. The album was released on July 8, 2008, on Talib Kweli's Blacksmith music label. The booklet for the album contains faithful recreations of classic Hip Hop album covers,[2] featuring images of Grae and 9th Wonder superimposed onto covers of Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, Das EFX's Dead Serious, Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..., and Black Sheep's A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing.[3]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The A.V. ClubB[4]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A−[5]
Pitchfork Media8.3/10[6]
RapReviews9/10[7]
Tiny Mix Tapes3.5/5[8]
Tom Hull – on the WebB+ ((2-star Honorable Mention)(2-star Honorable Mention))[9]
URB[10]

Andre Barnes of Allmusic called the album "a definitive body of work for both 9th Wonder and Jean Grae — Grae's wit and peculiar charisma are paired with 9th's soulful, sample-heavy production."[1] Alexander F. Remington of The Washington Post felt that 9th Wonder is "not at his best, and as a result the album is merely great rather than classic", but concluded that Grae "proves that she's one of the best MCs alive" with Jeanius.[11] XXL said that she connects with listeners on "an intimate level" with her honesty and "willingness to recount vivid details of painful, haunting past experiences".[12] Pitchfork Media's Nate Patrin wrote that Grae's flow "sounds like a laser-focused, clear-spoken declaration of strength and perseverance", and praised 9th Wonder for tying together all of her "emotional facets" with a "solid, consistent sound".[6]

Although he found its official release "a bit anticlimactic", Mosi Reeves of Spin felt that Grae's "sweet-and-sour lyricism ... still sounds remarkably vibrant", and found 9th Wonder to be "in top form, flipping Phoebe Snow and other soulful '70s samples with emotional fervor."[13] Robert Christgau of MSN Music found her rhymes "jam-packed" and "infinitely smarter about her 'insecurities' and 'moodiness' than her shoegazer counterparts", and gave Jeanius an "A−".[5] Christgau's colleague, Tom Hull, was somewhat less receptive. "Reacting more to the overall vibe", he said Grade is "smart and tight, although this [album] is a bit overwound [and] plagued with guests, who start to get on my nerves."[9]

Track listing
# Title Producer Featured guest(s) Time Samples
1 "Intro" 9th Wonder 2:00
2 "2-32's" 9th Wonder Daily Planet 4:07
3 "Don't Rush Me" 9th Wonder 9th Wonder 4:14
4 "My Story" 9th Wonder 4:31
5 "The Time Is Now" 9th Wonder Phonte 3:43
6 "Billy Killer" 9th Wonder 3:54
7 "Think About It" 9th Wonder 4:06
8 "#8" Khrysis 4:06
9 "American Pimp" Khrysis Median 3:12
10 "This World" 9th Wonder 3:07
11 "Love Thirst" 9th Wonder 5:44
12 "Desperada" 9th Wonder 3:31
13 "Smashmouth" Fatin K Hill
Edgar Allen Floe
Joe Scudda		 4:59

Personnel

Credits adapted from Allmusic.[1]

  • Jean Grae – primary artist
  • Edgar Allen Floe – featured artist
  • Median – featured artist
  • Joe Scudda – featured artist
  • 9th Wonder – featured artist, producer
  • Phonte – featured artist
  • Daily Planet – featured artist
  • Berman Fenelus – photography[14]

Charts
Chart (2008) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[15] 40
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[16] 71

See also

References
  1. Barnes, Andre. "Jeanius - Jean Grae". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  2. Amazon.com: Jeanius: Jean Grae & 9th Wonder: Music
  3. Heaton, Dave (1 August 2008). "Jean Grae: Jeanius". PopMatters. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  4. Matos, Michaelangelo Matos (14 July 2008). "Jean Grae: Jeanius". The A.V. Club. Chicago. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  5. Christgau, Robert (August 2008). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  6. Patrin, Nate (30 October 2008). "Jean Grae: Jeanius". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  7. Woods, Emilee (17 June 2008). "Jean Grae :: Jeanius :: Blacksmith Music". RapReviews. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  8. Reed, Bryan. "Jean Grae - Jeanius". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  9. Hull, Tom (18 August 2008). "Music Week". Tom Hull – on the Web. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  10. "Jean Grae – Jeanius (Review)". URB. West Hollywood. 10 June 2008. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  11. Remington, Alexander F. (5 December 2008). "CD Review - Jean Grae's 'Jeanius'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  12. "Review: Jeanius". XXL. New York: 132. July 2008.
  13. Reeves, Mosi (8 July 2008). "Jean Grae, 'Jeanius' (Blacksmith)". Spin. New York. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  14. "Jean Grae - Jeanius CD Album". CD Universe. Muze. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  15. "Jean Grae Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  16. "Jean Grae Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard.

Further reading
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