вЂњWhateverвЂќ is a return to the hard-as-nails side of GraeвЂ™s persona, and вЂњThe WallвЂќ continues with the dark beats.Midi MafiaвЂ™s production on вЂњYou DonвЂ™t Want ItвЂќ goes for the typically bass-heavy, and it doesnвЂ™t fit all that well with GraeвЂ™s flow. If вЂњSupa LuvвЂќ is any indication, Jeanius stands a chance of upstaging This Week. There is a rumored 9th Wonder/Jean Grae album (alГЎ MursвЂ™ 3:16, released last year) titled Jeanius that was written and recorded over the course of five days which may be released later this fall. Although she has to work with another indistinguished beat, Grae spits long and quick for вЂњNot Like Me.вЂќ Then, Grae slows down her pace a bit on 'Supa Luv' as 9th Wonder delivers an absolutely huge beat-9th works in two or three soul samples on a killer loop. The album really picks up speed in its middle third. The club-banger вЂњStyle WarsвЂќ feels a bit out of place, but if it catches on, IвЂ™ll eat my words. вЂњGoing CrazyвЂќ rides a better beat, and GraeвЂ™s paranoid spitting works pretty well, especially in the later verses, even if the whole premise feels a bit hokey. Grae gets things kicking with вЂњA-Alikes,вЂќ spitting fast with a quite-literally biblical anger over a far-too basic beat. She can still squeeze far too many words into one line, but she also steps back and takes it a bit slower on a few tracks, which serves her well. In this respect she has never sounded better. Of course, with Grae it all comes back to the rapping. The tracks produced by Midi Mafia and 9th Wonder are pretty hot, but too often the other tracks are marked by simple loops and drum tracks that felt stale years ago. GraeвЂ™s earlier releases have been held back by mediocre production, and though she manages to do a bit better for This Week, the beats can still get a bit dull. While Attack saw Grae taking on a slew of characters (most notably the stereotypical player on the great вЂњGodвЂ™s GiftвЂќ), here she is just Jean Grae. In theory this would be a great concept for Grae, but it doesnвЂ™t translate quite as well to the record a few of the tracks end up feeling a bit empty, and the album as a whole has a bit too much filler. This Week, GraeвЂ™s sophomore release, loosely follows Grae over the course of a week. So, what does the most promising MC in the underground do for her breakthrough record? ThatвЂ™s right: concept album. She can spit faster and smarter than most MCs, male or female, and has the New York rap swagger in her blood. As Attack of the Attacking Things proved, GraeвЂ™s flow is a vicious, biting mix of extreme literacy and emotional wreckage. In the process of securing her crown as the cameo queen, Grae has laid down some of the best verses on the most recent records by Talib Kweli, Diverse, and the Roots.Дeclaring her the best female MC is something of a foregone conclusion her competition really doesnвЂ™t stand much of a chance. Even if you didnвЂ™t lay down the $15 for her phenomenal Attack of the Attacking Things (2002) album (or the follow-up full-length Bootleg of the Bootleg EP), youвЂ™ve heard her sharp, quick spitting all over the place for the last few years.

Jean grae albums