4½ stars - "Put your thinking caps on, I rap smarter."
W. E. Phillips | USA | 10/01/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"To be completely, I had absolutely no clue who Blue Sky Black Death were before hearing about this collection, which they produced in its entirety. But I must say that their production is very impressive. They mix a lot of live instruments and samples, and the work is often very scattered...in a good and interesting way. It's also very multi-faceted and it creates an environment for the rapper, which is often lacking in hip hop music. The duo provides an unbelievably ominous backdrop on "Strikes," where Jean, our protagonist, is waiting inside a diner trying to escape the police after she kills a man in her own defense. The opening track, "Shadows Forever" is also very dark. And "It's Still A Love Song," a continuation of the fan favorite "Love Song" from Jean's debut, The Attack of the Attacking Things, has production to match the optimism of the rapper, despite what she's been through in her love life. Which brings us to, who in my opinion, still remains the star of the show (even though this album is filed under BSBD as the artist): Jean Grae. This woman is criminally underrated while the fact of the matter is, she puts in more work (and better work) than the "greatest rapper alive" himself, Lil' Wayne. There are still albums and album's worth of material left to be released from her catalog, and it has all proven to be quality stuff. Jean's rhymes here are just as fierce as they are on any other project and and that's really all that needs to be said. Her stories, her insights, her punchlines, her dises, her pompous self-declarations... are simply ill. She, in my opinion, is the greatest rapper--male or female--that we have at the moment. It's time to show some respect. Buy this and the rest of her catalog."
Beautiful!
Carolyn Leach | Coconut Creek, FL | 01/19/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I absolutely love Jean, and this album really, really impressed me. Her flows are way smooth and the production is tight. It all blends together beautifully. I'm a chick, so of course I dug #10 the follow up to Love Song.. Go buy now, what are you waiting for???"
This is BANGING!
David Rey | Florida | 10/28/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I may do a more detailed review a bit later but just wanted to let everyone know this album is worth EVERY PENNY. Man, Jean Grae has mad skills on the mic and the beats and banging on this. This album deserves and must be in every hip hop lovers album collection. I might dare say this is a classic. It's really that good. Not sure which I like better, this one or Jeanius."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1