Jean Grae: Jeanius

For a while, it looked like Brooklyn MC Jean Grae

might never put out her fourth album. She apparently finished it two years ago,

and there were rumors that she might be retiring. If she is, she's going out on

a good note: Jeanius is both easy-rolling—thanks to production by 9th Wonder

(Little Brother, Jay-Z, Erykah Badu)—and relentlessly self-examining,

thanks to songs like "Don't Rush Me," in which Grae admits, "I know I'm overly

sensitive when it comes to… well, just about everything." She even comes to a

kind of peace with herself on "Desparada": "I couldn't imagine why I was

granted a second chance at life / But I'm so glad I saw the light / And I see

now my purpose, right." Not everything works as well—"Love Thirst" is

pretty much a straight R&B; ballad, and a fairly iffy one. But even there,

she can't help but tweak the format a little, needling her man's tendency to

overlook things ("Maybe we should tape this so you can remember") as well as

loving him up.