SANTA MONICA, California — 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 (see "Queen Latifah, Bow Wow, Ja Rule Lead Hip-Hop's Hollywood Invasion"), and is currently shooting "Taxi" with Jimmy Fallon.

Next up will be "My Wife Is a Gangster" (see "Queen Latifah Joining Mob, Promises 'No Blood, No Tears' "), 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 (see "50 Cent Wins Big — And Shows Up — At 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."