Excitement began to build around campus last week as more and more people discovered and anticipated the controversial arrival of Jean Grae, a smart, politically savvy artist, calling herself "the Correta Scott King of my generation." However, when she did arrive, 40 minutes late, and began her show, I, for one, was disappointed.

The biggest problem I had with the show was that while Grae entertained, she did not engage me in the deeper issues which inform much of her work. The one thing she did stress was purchasing hip-hop rather than downloading it. While that is reasonable, it should not have been the main point.

Perhaps Grae did not raise issues, because she didn't perform many songs. It seemed like she performed five songs in an hour and a half set. That is one song every 18 minutes.

The most redeeming part of the performance was Grae's comedy bit on the worst hip-hop lyrics of all time. Whether telling Dr. Dre to put his beeper on vibrate while "creepin'," or pointing out that "Good Mornin'" should not be rhymed with "valedictorian," Jean was hilarious. Her wit was present throughout the concert, poking fun at belligerents, Kum and Go and Nick West '08's haircut. While Grae's tone may have been harsh, her roasting of hip-hop greats and Grinnellians kept me laughing.

Some of the problems, especially with sound quality, were out of her control. Because Grinnell doesn't own CDJs (digital turntables) or all of the equipment necessary to use Vinyl, Crazy DJ Bazarro had to use iTunes to mix the concert, which undoubtedly took away from the concert's pacing. And may have been the reason that she didn't have instrumental tracks.

The vast expanse that is Harris also detracted from the intimacy of the concert. The crowd of approximately 150 gathered closely in front of the stage, trying to imitate a Gardner show, but all that hardwood did not complement Grae's personal style.

While she gave a few laughs, Grae missed the point.