HHDX: Think that Nas will sign also? If so, what does that mean for the Hip-Hop world?

Jean Grae: There are a lot of things that I have heard in the past week or so that will be very interesting. Since I’ve been letting go of grudges, I’ve realized that this is a business. Moves definitely can be made once you let go of personal grudges. I don’t know if Nas will sign. If he did, though, it’d be nice to see that people can look at this as a business and leave the pettiness behind. I’m not saying that everyone needs to hold hands and sing kumbaya – but if there’s money out there, then let’s all get it.

HHDX: “The Jam” – that can be found here on HHDX.com – is just that... the jam. How did the collabo with you and Khrysis come about?

Jean Grae: This was before the Phoenix album. Me and Khrysis had met when 9th (Wonder) and I were doing the Jeanius album. He did a few beats for that album. When I began working on Phoenix – it was no question to get him on the album. He’s very unconventional. He has a wide range of selections for beats. It was before I had even begun listening to 9th. We went from 100 Khyrsis tracks to about 17 before I started listening to 9th. The Jam beat was still in his mix. I couldn’t believe that no one had picked this beat up. I think that was when we had the thunderbird in the studio. He makes incredible shit. He’s funny and crazy. I’m always going to work with him. He’s young and he loves what he does. He’s dope.

HHDX: Are you going to shoot a video for it?

Jean Grae: Yes! At my house. We were having a pajama jammy jam and we shot a video for the song. It just kind of came about. It’s not going to be on Prom Night – but it’ll be there to pre-empt the coming for the album.

HHDX: The press has died down about this subject dramatically, but – what are your thoughts about Bill Bennett’s comment about aborting black babies to lower the crime rate?

Jean Grae: America is racist and people know it. I find it interesting when people are more blunt about it instead of sweeping it under the rug. A lot of people are fucked up and wrong. Sometimes the things that they think about will come out of their mouths. I was just talking to my mom the other day about how racism is prevalent and sometimes you feel it real hard. Especially in NY, we’re like “it’s cool,” but everything is not fuckin’ cool. We’re more of a “sweep it under the rug” type of city – but when you go down south, you know that it’s out there. We’re kind of fakin’ it here. You still can’t catch a cab here. I think that sometimes we’re surprised by a lot of shit that we shouldn’t be surprised by. Continued on page 4 »