There was a point where Mariah Carey seemed to lose her sophistication with the rise of diva stardom. Her talent, although by no means lost, was hidden behind the cruder, tackier hip hop culture that she began to embrace. This turned out uninspiring records like Glitter and Rainbow. But somewhere along the road, Mariah seemed to find herself again, albeit with an urban influence, with her newest release, The Emancipation of Mimi.

Produced by Jermaine Dupri, one of the hottest and most acclaimed hip hop artists and producers in the industry, Dupri's production delivers a melodic and very listenable record. Every song lets Mariah show off her vocal range and rare nuanced abilities. Featuring Snoop Dogg, Jermaine Dupri, Nelly, and Twista, this record never loses it's vision and is never overcome by such a star studded group of collaborators.