All that jazz on the set of "Chicago" must've worn off on Queen Latifah.

After releasing a hip-hop record in early spring, she plans to drop a jazz album in June or July. "If you [look at] the history on Queen Latifah, you'll find that it's right up my alley," Latifah explained, alluding to the 1998 movie "Living Out Loud" in which she played a sassy jazz singer and recorded three songs for the soundtrack. "The people want it, and that's why I'm giving it to 'em."

Mervyn Warren (Whitney Houston) and Arif Mardin (Norah Jones) will share production duties on the album, which will include guest singers and players.

"I'm not sure exactly who we're going to feature, but I think it's gonna be great because it's just ... we gonna just catch a vibe," she explained. "We're not gonna do just a jazz-standards album like everybody else. We're gonna pick some songs, some special songs that you never would have expected to hear flipped in a jazzy style, and we're gonna just flip 'em and give you something a little different than everything that's out there."

Latifah is recording her two albums in between filming an avalanche of upcoming movies. She just finished the ensemble comedy "The Cookout," which she wrote and produced, and is currently shooting "Taxi" with Jimmy Fallon.

Next up will be "My Wife Is a Gangster", followed by the action comedy "Bad Girls" with Jada Pinkett Smith.

"That's probably the movie I'm looking forward to the most out of next year," Latifah said of the latter. "Me and Jada, we're good friends and we've got great chemistry. I mean, you've seen us in 'Set It Off,' and I think ... it's time we get back on the screen with some guns. So we're working it all out right now in terms of the story and everything."

Latifah will be seen next in "Barbershop 2," due in February. She has a supporting role that will spin off into her own "Beauty Shop" franchise.

"My character's name is Gina and she's a single parent who owns a shop," Latifah explained. "She's trying to make it, and all the craziness she goes through and people trying to kind of swipe her family secrets and dealing with all the other women in a shop. The relate-ability is always there because we all know what it's like sitting in a shop all day and the conversations that you have and the gossip. Different personalities working together, even crossing color lines and financial barriers are some of the themes that will come across in our film, set us apart from the other ones."

Latifah, who recently produced and hosted the Vibe Awards, is also developing a series for CBS called "Maly Anderson."

So what's her secret for balancing such a heavy load?

"I work hard and I play hard and I praise God," she said. "I keep it that simple, and I don't take on things that I can't give 100 percent to. I enjoy what I do. That way it doesn't feel like work so much."

Harlepolis said:

I look forward to this. She did a wonderful job in Living Out Loud. It's going to be hot.

If one follows *my* history, they'll see that I've been loving Queen Latifah since "All Hail The Queen." She is a groundbreaker. She always manages to do something new that completely pulls me in. "Black Reign" was her "most beautifullest" album and I can totally see her doing a jazz album after hearing her classic "Winki's Theme." I loved her contributions to the L.O.L. soundtrack and I'm anticipating all the material she's releasing in 2004. Man, 2004 is already gearing up to be a cool year for me musically.

JANFAN4L said:

i want 2 cop dat disc!

I think a Jazz album is a risky idea!

If you're fimiliar with Jazz fanbase then you'll know that those motherfuckas are fickle and take no mess from the jump,,,the least thang can be noticed and everything should be perfectly one-on-one otherwise you'd be hammered 4ever.
And 4 my understandings, Dana ain't really much of a vocalist let alone a jazz vocalist.

But since I'm down 4 my girl, I'll decide to give it a shot. I mean hey, Arif Mardin is down with Dana and he's known 4 his work with Aretha, Chaka, Donny, Roberta and Bette Midler so I'm def gonna see whats coming.

Around `95 I saw QL (on an awards tribute I think) do a rendition of "My Funny Valentine" with a live jazz band and thought wow!! I thought when she returned in 1997 that's the genre she would focus on. Definitely consistant with her history and makes sense.

Raht-own!

Considering this and last years were such a big sucess for her, why did it take so damn long to get a rap album out. And while I haven't bought her "Greatest Hits" CD (yet), the tracklist kind of sucked on there, didn't it. That aside, I loved her single from "Bringing Down the House". I think it was called "Better Than the Rest". I don't think it went anywhere though.

Harlepolis said:

I don't know how risky it is considered her music career is kind of DOA but her movie career is going great. I think I counted like 5 movies that she is going to appear in the next few years.

Considering the success of Norah Jones, along with albums of standards by Rod Stewart and stuff like that, I think an older audience will eat this up along with hipsters. It is could be a bomb but then she can go back to the drawing board. Queen Latifah is a great rapper but I think she might be an even better singer and should embrace that.

Wow, I think it will be a great CD. There is a jazzy song on her Black Reign cd, called Winki's Theme, it was a song for her brother who was killed. But I always liked the jazzy feel to that song. So I think a jazz cd from the Queen will be on time. IMHO

I just downlouded "Be Anything(But Be Mine)" from the "Living Out Loud" soundtrack and I must say that homegirl was jazzing her soul 2 heaven in that song. I am truely impressed and the production is pretty tight too.

I'll eat up anything the Queen does. There was a lot of jazzy influence on "All Hail The Queen" - I miss that house-y, jazzy era.