January 25, 2002 16:10

MARIAH'S JAM SESSION?

The fallen diva could soon be on the same roster as the likes of Jay-Z and Redman...

Rap stars Jay-Z, DMX and REDMAN could be saying hello to a peculiar new label-mate - fallen diva Mariah Carey.

Mariah Carey is reportedly talking to rap super-label Def Jam about a two album deal worth between $3 million and $5 million (£2.1 - £3.5million) an album.

This morning's New York Post (January 25) claims Mariah Carey has been talking about the deal to Def Jam CEO Lyor Cohen.

A UK spokesperson for Def Jam was unaware of any such deal this morning. At time of going to print, Mariah Carey's powerful US PR Cindi Berger was not returning calls.

Mariah Carey was dumped by EMI/Virgin on Tuesday (January 22) with a &pound19.6 million pay-off. The star had banked £14.7 as an up-front fee when she signed to the label early last year, making it a lucrative few months.

If the Def Jam deal does go through, Mariah Carey.will find herself under the wide-reaching umbrella of Universal, Def Jam's parent company. She will then be vying for pole diva position within the group with another huge selling female star, Shania Twain. Twain is signed to Mercury, also owned by Universal.