Nicki Minaj and Foxy Brown are old war buddies; Foxy has come to Nicki’s defense in feuds against Lil Kim and Remy Ma, and Nicki has dubbed Foxy “the only rapper she competes with.” They’re both Trinidadian-Americans from neighboring New York boroughs who have fought the testosterone-powered rap paradigm from the inside. They team up for the first time on “Coco Chanel,” from Nicki’s new album Queen, which she unceremoniously released today, a week early. Through interplay, the two formidable rappers find the space where their styles meet and complement one another, building on years of mutual admiration. They bridge a generational divide with big-city swagger and island cool. With “Coco Chanel,” they take a classic dancehall riddim and warp it into a mean-mugging rap flexer.

At her most dynamic, Nicki is a puncher who lands heavier blows than anybody. She has struggled to find balance and perspective in recent years, but she summons some of that command in these verses. As the drums stagger below, she unloads stacking cadences, emphasizing what her goons are capable of: “If they take your cocaine then they making crack of it/If they grab your gold chain then they make a plaque of it,” she snarls. It’s a far cry from her more delightfully unconventional writing, without the glow of her immensely colorful personality, but shows she is still capable of stinging barbs. Not to be outdone, Foxy Brown musters some of her hardest raps in a decade, leaning into the sway of the beat and bounding forth with threats for rap rivals. The two artists play off each other well, reveling in their mutual island roots and trading lingo. It’s that chemistry that makes “Coco Chanel” stand out as the crown jewel on Queen.