Jean Grae Returns With New Songs Feat. Talib Kweli & Lil B

"Jean Grae is one of the best female MCs around" is a sentiment that rings through the hip-hop scene. Really, it should be that Grae is one of the best, most careful and versatile rappers around. While active on Twitter and guest verses, Grae has mostly kept quiet on the solo front since 2008's excellent 'Jeanius.' Fortunately, she staged a resurgence over the last week, unveiling singles from her forthcoming 'Cookies or Coma' LP and dropping lines on a new Lil B track that's been turning heads.

'Rocket in Pocket' (Featuring Styles P, Talib Kweli)

Riding a jumpy Ski Beatz banger that could potentially blow club speakers, Grae joins with New York MCs Talib Kweli and Styles P for some old school battle rap. "My job is to floor you," Grae raps. "Rock you and ignore you." Both Kweli and Styles put in strong verses that reinforce their veteran statuses. Here, the acronym ('R.I.P.') is really all you need to know. Click here to download.

'Base for Your Face' (Featuring Lil B, 9th Wonder and Phonte)

The always-strange Lil B takes the lead on this one, laying down a surprisingly coherent verse over 9th Wonder's lush production. For someone like Grae, this is an oddball collaboration yet totally works because every MC plays to the strength of the track. Her flow, a deadpan mixture of pop culture one-liners and underground platitudes, creates a counterpoint to the beat's hazy swell. Click here to download.

'You Don't Like It (So What)'

This track is all about practice and fun. Grae shows off her biting tongue over a piano-heavy boom-bap beat that goes back to a New York era where sharp lines were the only thing that mattered. "Piss up in your snow cone," she raps. "So here's a tip / don't eat the gray snow/ go fix your face, Bro!" This one is Grae sharpening her knives and making sure everyone that wants to battle knows exactly what they're in for. Click here to download.