April 12, 2015

Jean Grae "Attack Of The Attacking Things" (Vibe, 9/02)


"Sex sells. Dreams sell. But for Jean Grae (fka What? What?), skills don't pay the bills. On her impressive solo debut she raps, "I got some plastic / But can't even use it, the bad credit's so drastic." But Grae is after respect more than money or power. To that end, Attack of the Attacking Thing is wry and unnerving, and it proves that the narrative finesse this cameo queen has shown on other people's albums is no fluke. Her stories are compelling, from the painfully perceptive gangsta gender bender "God's Gift" to "Love Song," on which she tenderly reflects on her own romantic foibles." Listen to Da Beatminerz-produced "Love Song," one of my favorites, continued below...


"And though she's opinionated, Grae never resorts to vacant sloganeering. For her, political arguments start in "asbestos-filled classrooms." ...While some of the production is lackluster, Grae's lyrical radiance makes Attack exceptional. It's the thoughts that count." - Vibe, September, 2002.