Jean Grae
Everything's Fine
Release Date: Apr 27, 2018
Genre(s): Rap
Record label: Mello Music Group
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Album Review: Everything's Fine by Jean Grae
Excellent, Based on 4 Critics
Based on rating 8/10
Jean Grae has been putting out music since the mid-90s and, since then, her unique scathing flow hasn't got nearly the attention it deserves. Quelle Chris began releasing work more recently, but has quickly established himself as one of the most interesting lyricists in the supposed 'backpacker' scene. Chris' album Being You is Great, I wish I could be You More Often.
Based on rating 4/5
Optimism doesn’t find much comfort in the labyrinthine greatness of Everything’s Fine, the latest thought-provoking release from hip-hop’s most underrated power couple, Jean Grae and Quelle Chris. Here, they deconstruct, criticize, and laugh in the face of optimism, shedding light on the coping mechanism of saying “everything’s fine” in the face of our farcical times. Through the lens of our intertwined relationship with technology, existentialist dread, and healthy skepticism, Grae and Chris demonstrate that suffering has corporeality; the burden of comparison falls upon black bodies a lot quicker than it does others.
Based on rating 8/10
On Everything's Fine, rappers Jean Grae and Quelle Chris reflect on what it takes to stay normal and sane while dealing with intense personal issues and living in an increasingly corrupt, crazy world that constantly seems on the brink of destruction. Despite how wrong everything seems to be, the average person will typically respond to a casual greeting and query of "How's it going?" with something positive and safe rather than be honest and detail all the things that are going wrong. The darkly humorous album sarcastically riffs on this sense of false, clichéd optimism, as well as stereotypes, the whitewashing of hip-hop (and popular culture in general), and the general sense of anxiety surrounding day-to-day existence.
Based on rating 4.0/5
“Everything’s fine.” It’s what people tell a casual acquaintance in the midst of personal or professional turmoil. Everyone puts on a mask, to some degree, to get through a rough day (or days). This reality of life is the basis of Jean Grae and Quelle Chris’ Everything’s Fine album. The longtime collaborators and soon-to-be-married couple completely shatter this facade on their new LP, challenging it with a mix of satire and biting commentary.
'Everything's Fine'
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