Beauty and the Streets Vol. 1

Background

Prior to Mýa recording and releasing her first independent album overseas, she released three successful studio albums in the United States; 1998's Mýa, 2000's Fear of Flying and 2003's Moodring. In 1998, Mýa released her debut self-titled album, which peaked at No. 13 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Fear of Flying (2000) fared even better at No. 7, with the single "Case of the Ex" reaching No. 2 on the Hot 100. In 2001, she took home a Grammy for "Lady Marmalade", her massive No. 1 single with P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, and Missy Elliott. A role in the hit film Chicago and other acting opportunities followed. After she released Moodring in 2003, with the exception of a popular stint on Dancing with the Stars in 2009 (she finished second), it seemed as if Mýa had left the entertainment industry.

In 2004, after the Moodring album, she ended up in a year-long litigation with management. In late 2005, Harrison made a transition within the Universal system from Interscope to Universal Motown. In 2007 her fourth studio album Liberation was accidentally released in Japan when the release date changed. At the time, she was with Motown/Universal; her lawyer advised that she not waste time and money taking the issue to court, so Harrison decided to go independent instead. Japan loved the Liberation album so much, that a company by the named Manhattan Recordings located there approached her about doing business with them. Harrison released her first independent project, titled Sugar & Spice, in Japan in 2008, a year after her split with Motown.

Beauty & the Streets Vol. 1 is Harrison's first mixtape and second independently self-funded project. It is the follow-up to her first independently released album Sugar & Spice (2008). The mixtape served as Harrison's first U.S. release since her departure from record label Interscope back in 2005.

Planet 9

In 2008, Harrison created her own label imprint, Planet 9. Since parting ways with Universal Motown, Harrison has released four independently self-funded, self-executive produced projects; 2008's Sugar & Spice, 2009's Sugar & Spice: The Perfect Edition, 2010's Beauty & the Streets Vol. 1 and 2011's K.I.S.S. In 2009, Harrison spoke with Rolling Out magazine, elaborating more on her hiatus from music and decision to go independent:

"I've never stopped doing music. I've created a label called Planet 9 and I released an album in Japan. I invested in my own studio and it cut the recording cost down 95 percent. I have my own in-house producers and they are not as expensive as an established producer. The return is greater and now I own my masters. I see six dollars per album sold versus 10 cents. You may not sell as many units because you don’t put as much money in promotions, but the returns are better."

Later in the interview, Harrison voiced her opinion on the major difference between major record labels and independent labels, saying "Major labels have a system that you have to go through. The people in power dictate how things should sound and where the money is spent. But when you become your own boss, you check every line item and you have to be cautious."

Development

Prior to Harrison recording Beauty & the Streets Vol. 1, she released her first independent album Sugar & Spice (2008) in Japan. While Sugar & Spice catered more toward her Japanese fans, Beauty & the Streets Vol. 1 is an R&B/hip hop album. In an interview with BrownSista, Harrison elaborated more on her direction to record a mixtape:

Well, people have actually asked me before about doing a mix tape. I stepped of the scene for a minute. Teamed up with Young Empire and there is a demand for Mýa to come back but I had to come back in a different way. Because I have a fan base and reputation for doing so many collaborations I’m like I want to do that and you know that rap dominates now so this is for the jeeps. The mix tape is really about who Mýa is and the streets. If I have anything to do with it I am going to keep serving my fans. There should never be a time for any artist where they aren’t providing for their fans just because there is funny business going on.

Harrison later gave further details to Rolling Out magazine, adding "It's a setup to keep the streets hot until my album comes out in 2010. So this is to service my fans with music now that I'm in the position to do so."