There is a curse that follows Jean Grae wherever she goes. In January of this year, I did my first interview with the New York MC when she came to Cleveland. Let’s just say that this nervous writer’s first piece was made worse when the tape snapped. Coincidence? Or is it a curse? Jean has been hailed as one the game’s illest rhymesayers, critically acclaimed, and praised for her albums. Yet, she has not garnered mainstream success like Kim, Foxy, and Trina. Again – coincindence? I think not. Even this interview had it’s complications as the computer fried, almost losing the contents of this piece [thank God for autosave]. Yes, believe it or not – Jean Grae is cursed. But with every curse, comes a gift. This gift comes in the form of childhood friends, Talib Kweli and Cory Smyth. Together the duo formed Blacksmith Music and guess who they brought in to be down with the team? Ms. Jean Grae, of course. Another gift… she’s working on new music.

Jean Grae sits down with HHDX.com to talk about her future project, how she almost contemplated putting down the mic, and how she feels that NYC is kind of fakin’ it when it comes down to what’s going on in the real world.

HHDX: What’s new in your world?

Jean Grae: Right now, my music is good. It’s the love life that sucks. I guess it all makes for good music. The album Prom Night is on the way. My prom night was horrible. I went by myself. My friend’s left me. I walked home in the rain. With this album I get to relive it and do it the right way. I’ve been thinking about doing a celebrity bake sale event and how it would tie into the album. I think that I’ll build it around prom and High School.

The promotion of this album would be tied into prom. I’d like to have a celebrity talent show or something like that.

HHDX: I could picture it now – Mos Def singing “Private Eyes” by Hall and Oates [laughs].

Jean Grae: [Laughs].

HHDX: You’re now signed to (Talib) Kweli and Corey Smyth’s – Blacksmith Music Label – how do you feel about that?

Jean Grae: Good. It’s weird. I’m really happy about the fact that I’m down with people that have a mutual respect for one another as artists and as people. We’ve all been supportive of one another for a numerous amount of years. I have true creative freedom here at Blacksmith. I am excited and a bit nervous.

HHDX: Do you have any expectations with this new venture?

Jean Grae: I really think that I have come to a point where I don’t have any expectations about anything. I just try to do my best and take it to another level. I think that we’re talking about hitting the feeling of where you can’t do anything unless there is a machine behind you. Where you can put out an album after album because you’ll have something there backing you. But we don’t have the money for that. I want to focus on the music as opposed to the marketing. Continued on page 2 »