Rating:
  Review Date: December 29, 2007
  Website: Jean Grae Website
  Label: Traffic Entertainment

Jean Grae “The Orchestral Files” Album Review
I must admit that I was a little disappointed when I purchased Jean Grae’s “The Orchestral Files” and opened up the CD case. It was not until that exact moment that I realized this album was composed of all unreleased tracks recorded sometime during the last five years. For some reason, I thought this was the much-anticipated new Jean Grae album.

I’ve been waiting patiently for a new Jean Grae album for three years now – since the release of “This Week,” which in my mind established Jean’s status as the best female lyricist in hip-hop (my bad Lauryn, but you don’t rap anymore). Since that album dropped, Jean has signed with Talib Kweli’s Blacksmith Records, and that partnership is likely to bring forth some of the best music of the Jean’s career. So when I realized that “The Orchestral Files” wasn’t that album, I lost a little bit of my excitement to listen to it.

However, just one rotation made me realize that “The Orchestral Files” is no disappointment. Instead, what the album did was effectively quench my thirst for new Jean Grae material, which simultaneously wetting my appetite for what’s to come from Jean and Blacksmith in 2008. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Jean Grae, or someone trying to catch up before she hits it big, this album is a must have.

There really isn’t a bad track on “The Orchestral Files.” Trouble Man provides a great introduction to Jean’s ability to flow masterfully over a hard banging beat, which is accentuated using well-placed jazzy piano strums. In Soul Clap, Jean defines herself as “a leader of a revolutionary very necessary millennium Salt N Pepa by myself movement,” after giving new listeners a lyrical introduction of her style and directions:

I love New York circa ‘94/
Before/
Everything changed/
I’m a purist to this day/
But Jean’s a different sort of rapper – know the hooks are longer/
I know that no one’s really listening – my position’s stronger/
I woulda left y’all but then I made a right turn/
Like ‘fuck it, I’ma fight more,’ no rest to the best of girl/

In Mean, Jean shows off a dope flow that just goes on and on – not necessarily in any direction, but shows her ability to play off of words and rhymes. I finally got to hear Jean sing, which she does quite well, in My Angel is You, an interesting track about relationships in which she drops a great verse analyzing herself in love:

I had a bout of paranoia – won’t lie/
About a harem having experience one time/
Baggage was serious – marriage I could’ve never done it/
I wanted trust but in the truth, man, I was always running/
Out of habit/
False passion I thought that crushin’ brought it automatic/
I sought relationships that turned dramatic/
Your patience is the shit – I’ve learned to pull the breaks/
And in a word relax, and live it day to day/

What Ya Gonna Do is the one track that dragged a little for me. It shows some battle skills but not as impressive as the other lyric spitter tracks on the album. But Jean follows this up with my favorite song on the album, The Story, a lyrical gem about Jean and her best friend in high school which would get a quote here if I wasn’t so sure you had to listen to the entire song to get the full effect.

The Band is another head nodder – a battle track showing how Jean could spit with virtually anybody. Break is a love song  that, despite being a little slow, is heartfelt very real lyrically. It’s A Wrap is the third certified head nodder on the album that demonstrates Jean’s exceptional wordplay. And Jean closes the album out with It’s Alright, a dope smooth track that allows you to get another fix of Jean’s beautiful vocals before fading to black.

If you’re an old school fan of Jean Grae, “The Orchestral Files” should provide you with a much needed dose of Jean’s signature lyrical skill and innovation. If you’ve never listened to any Jean Grae, “The Orchestral Files” offers a little bit of everything good about her, and should prep you nicely for her upcoming projects – which are certain to be off the hook. Whichever category you fall into, I highly recommend everyone pick up a copy of this album. It is no disappointment. Peace.

Album Track Listing:

1. Trouble Man
2. Soul Clap
3. Mean
4. My Angel Is You
5. What Ya Gonna Do
6. The Story
7. The Band
8. Jean Experience
9. Break
10. It’s A Wrap
11. It’s Alright