After a noticeable absence from the scene, No Limit artist Mia X plans to return in August with Sista Stories, her first album since 1998's Mama Drama.

"I needed to take some time and heal emotionally," said Mia, who lost both parents within months of each other during her hiatus.

"[Master] P was enthused that I was ready to work," she said of her return to the studio. "The album is going to be different from the No Limit thing. This is strictly my thing. I collaborated with many artists [who aren't] on No Limit. I'm working with a whole lot of producers. P pulled out the tank, the big guns, and the money for this one."

While she wouldn't disclose any names, she did reveal that she remade the Cover Girls' 1987 hit "Show Me" for the LP and that the album will display some of her rawest material.

"People say it's like a part two of [my second album,] Unlady Like," Mia said, adding that only three of 17 Sista Stories tracks would be radio-friendly. "All I know is the streets. So what?

"I'm bringing the raw, uncut hip-hop," she added. "No acrylic toes, no nose job, no silicone. I represent the woman most men go home to at night. I'm soul-mate material. I'll be your backbone and break it at the same time."

What surprised Mia most during her time off was the number of people who wanted her to come back, she said.

"P said he can't go anywhere without people asking, 'Where's Mia?' " she explained, laughing. "I didn't know I had a big following."