Jean Grae is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York. Born Tsidi Ibrahim, Jean Grae has also gone by the names of Major Woody, Da Easter Bunny, Run Run Shaw, and “What? What?.” Grae was born in Cape Town, South Africa to two jazz musicians. Shortly after her birth, they relocated to New York, where she would study Vocal Performance at LaGuardia High School.

After being accepted to New York University, she dropped out shortly after, despite her impressive admission scores. Her first steps into the music industry were taken in 1995, when she recorded a five-track demo with a group called Ground Zero, which was featured in The Source in its “Unsigned Hype” section. Not long after, she joined the group Natural Resource, which went on to release multiple records through its own label, Makin’ Records. The dissolution of Ground Zero in 1998, marked the beginning of her solo career.

In 2002, she released her first LP, Attack of the Attacking Things, and followed up with her next LP, This Week, two years later. A year after the release of her 2007 LP The Orchestral Files, she released a collaboration album with renowned producer 9th Wonder, titled Jeanius.

Since then, she has released various mixtapes, and even branched out from music. She has released an audiobook, produced her own sitcom, and had a role in an indie film. She is currently engaged to fellow rapper Quelle Chris.