Carey On

Image credit: Mariah Carey:Jim Spellman/WireImage.com

HIP-HOPPING BACK Carey's new label, Def Jam, primarily a hip-hop outfit, paired her with a producer from Murder Inc.

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Forget Mariah Carey's breakdown last summer, or the ''Glitter'' movie and album flops, or her being unceremoniously dumped from a multi-record deal with her old label after just one album. At least, that's what Carey hopes you'll do, as she relaunches her career with a new record label, a new imprint of her own at the label, a new single, and a new album. MTV News reports that Island/Def Jam, which signed Carey earlier this year, has announced a Dec. 10 release date for her as-yet-untitled new CD, with a single on its way by the end of September -- just in time to meet the Grammy eligibility deadline.

Known primarily for its hip-hop roster, Island/Def Jam signed Carey shortly after Virgin bought her out of her $20 million-per-album contract with a $28 million settlement. Accordingly, the label has teamed her with Murder Inc. producer 7 Aurelius, who's had a hand in hits by Ja Rule and Ashanti. However, she also recorded with such R&B producers as Jermaine Dupri and the team of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who had produced some of her hit ballads in the past.

Part of Carey's new deal also includes her own record imprint, which will be called MonarC, according to published reports. The name comes from Carey's well-documented fascination with butterflies, but the name ''Monarch'' already belongs to a jazz label. The creative capitalization emphasizes Carey's initials.

As if Carey hadn't had enough trauma over the last year, she also lost her father earlier this summer. According to MTV, some of her ordeals will find their way into the music, since she cowrote many of the songs herself. At least she got to record them in pleasant locales -- the Bahamas and the Italian isle of Capri.