Interlude

The question looms for fans, “Is Jean Grae going to retire?”

The rapper thanked her fans, friends and family for supporting her in a “a wonderful and awful journey” in a blog post on Saturday (April 27), alluding to an exit from Hip-Hop.

Corey Smyth, her manager and head of her label Blacksmith Music, is doubtful that she is actually going to retire from the music industry, but stated that she’s extremely disenchanted with the state of affairs.

“She’s real emotional when it comes to this music thing. She upset with the state of music. As talented as Jean is, [she is] real disillusioned with music,” Smyth told AllHipHop.com.

Smyth and Jean Grae are longtime associated that go back to when they were teens.

He said it was too early for her to depart.

“She’s just scratching the surface,” Smyth said regarding Grae’s artistic potential. “People retire when you make some real marks [within the music industry].”

Smyth also stated that he felt the encouraging words from the Hip-Hop community would help Jean Grae reconsider her decision to retire.

He and Grae spoke on Saturday, the day the “retirement” was announced and he said she didn’t mention anything of the sort to him.

“We’re putting out records. That’s all I know,” he said. Smyth stated that in June 2008 fans would be able to get the 9th Wonder collaboration, Jeanius, and Prom Night, Grae’s anticipated solo album.

Smyth said that he was hopeful that Grae would support the commercial releases.

“She may retire, but the record’s gonna come regardless,” stating that fans would get their fill of the artist’s talent. He said that Prom Night was incomplete.

Talib Kweli and Smyth founded Blacksmith Music. On their website, Jean Grae is regarded as “Blacksmith’s first lady.”

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