The Emancipation of Mimi (Def Jam, 2005) by Mariah Carey

This is arguably the greatest comeback in modern pop music.  After a few years of less than stellar material and a public meltdown, Mariah came back and reclaimed her spot as the greatest voice in pop music since Whitney Houston.  The great thing about this album too is that it balances her hip hop and pop sensibilities to make for a very well-rounded release.  Nothing against the project's singles, but the album's highlight, in my opinion, is "Stay the Night."  It has a Motown-esque feel production-wise (it was produced by Kanye West) and Mariah's vocal abilities steal the show-like they often do.

Rainbow (Columbia, 1999) by Mariah Carey

If Mary J. Blige is the queen of hip-hop soul, Mariah is the queen of hip-hop pop.  And even though Mariah's hip-hop transition began with Butterfly, Rainbow couples that new hip-hop vibe with her excellent ballad abilities that were first showcased in the early 90s.  Her  vocal talents are displayed on "Can't Take That Away (Mariah's Theme)" and her and Da Brat do a very interesting cover of Snoop's dirty classic "Ain't No Fun" with the "Heartbreaker (Remix)."  The album's final cut, "Thank God I Found You" with Joe and 98 Degrees, is a great collaboration which perfectly illustrates how and why Mariah  appeals to both soccer moms and hip-hop fanatics alike.