Mary J. Blige
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"There's not enough time to be disrespecting... Life is too short." -Mary J. Blige
People say she's the next Aretha Franklin or Chaka Khan. But Mary J. Blige is definitely making a name for herself in the music industry, not only because of such powerful voice, but more importantly for her songs that are truly heartfelt.
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About
Presently known as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige had her own share of rough beginnings. Born in the Bronx on January 11, 1971, she spent the first few years in Savannah, Georgia, before returning to New York with her mother and sister when she was 5 years old. She grew up in the Schlobam housing projects in Yonkers, NY, where she started singing with the church choir, then later in school talent shows. She favored hip-hop sounds as she grew up, and was also influenced by her mother.
At seventeen, her first demo tape was made in a local shopping mall, which then got into Andre Harrell's hands, Uptown Records CEO. Harrell signed her to sing back up vocals, but in 1991, Sean "Puffy" Combs took Blige under his wing. They started to work on her debut album, What's the 411? which was a big hit, going straight to No.1 when it was released in 1992. So monumental was the success of this album that she was catapulted to the top of female R&B.
My Life her, follow-up came in 1995, with Combs as the executive producer. Again, the album was an instant success. The album featured Blige's raw emotions, possibly inspired by a rocky releationship with another Uptown singer. The hit songs All Night Long, You Gotta Believe, My Life, and You Bring Me Joy were all included in the album. It also earned her a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album, as did her duet with Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man on his single "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group. After its release though, Blige cut ties with Combs and Uptown records, and signed with MCA. She went on to tour, and was able to record a track for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, which featured artists such as Whitney Houston, TLC, Brandy, and Toni Braxton. "Not Gon' Cry", her contribution to the album, went all the way to No. 1 on the charts.
In 1997, Blige came out with her third record, Share My World, in which she became her own executive producer. The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard, and it featured big names like Babyface, R. Kelly, and Nas. Though critics were not satisfied, her fans remained on her side. Her next album, Mary, was released in 1999. The same raw, real emotions were there, plus a more developed sound from her. It included material from Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill.
No More Drama was released in 2001. This album was very different from the ealier releases, not only because it seemed more modern-sounding, but because it highlighted her development into a better musical artist, both in songwriting and singing. She then came out with Love and Life in 2003, an album produced by P. Diddy. It took her two years to come out with another album, The Breakthrough, another successful release. The song "Be Without You" which stayed for nearly a year on the R&B chart, is from this album, as well as another chart-topper, Take Me As I Am.
Blige may have started street-tough and projecting a bad-girl image, but through the years, she has been continuously reinventing her musical style and her life as well. Now she is certainly one of the best in her craft.
Awards & Certifications
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | American Music Award | Favorite Soul/R&B Album for "The Breakthrough" |
| 2006 | American Music Award | Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist |
| 2006 | Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Award | Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Airplay for "Be Without You" |
| 2006 | BET Award | Video of the Year for "Be Without You" |
| 2006 | BET Award | Best Female R&B Artist |
| 2004 | Grammy Award | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals for "Whenever I Say Your Name" shared with Sting |
| 2003 | American Music Award | Favorite Hip-Hop/R&B Female Artist |
| 2003 | Grammy Award | Best R&B Vocal Performance - Female for "He Think I Don't Know" |
| 2002 | MTV Video Music Award | Best R&B Video for "No More Drama" |
| 2001 | BET Award | Best Female R&B Artist |
| 2000 | Soul Train Music Award | Best R&B/Soul Album, Female for "Mary" |
| 2000 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | R&B/Soul or Rap Song of the Year for "All That I Can Say" |
| 2000 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | Best R&B/Soul Album - Solo for "Mary" |
| 2000 | Sammy Davis Jr. Award | Entertainer of the Year (Female) |
| 1998 | Soul Train Lady of Soul Award | R&B Soul Album of the Year (solo) for "Share My World" |
| 1998 | American Music Award | Favorite Soul/R&B Album for "Share My World" |
| 1996 | Grammy Award | Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "I'll Be There For You / You're All I Need" shared with Method Man |
| 1994 | Source Award | R&B Artist of the Year |
| 1993 | Soul Train Music Award | Best Single, Female for "Real Love" |
| 1993 | Soul Train Music Award | Best New Artist |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | The Billboard Hot 100 | Hot R&B | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Be Without You | 3 | - | The Breakthrough |
| 2006 | Enough Cryin | 32 | - | The Breakthrough |
| 2006 | Take Me As I Am | 58 | - | The Breakthrough |
| 2005 | MJB Da MVP | 75 | 19 | The Breakthrough |
| 2004 | It's A Wrap | - | 71 | Love & Life |
| 2004 | Not Today | 41 | - | Love & Life |
| 2003 | Love @ 1st Sight | 22 | 10 | Love & Life |
| 2003 | Not Today | - | 21 | Love & Life |
| 2003 | Ooh! | 29 | 14 | Love & Life |
| 2002 | No More Drama | 15 | 16 | No More Drama |
| 2002 | Rainy Dayz | 12 | 8 | - |
| 2001 | Family Affair | 1 | 1 | No More Drama |
| 2000 | Deep Inside | 51 | 9 | Mary |
| 2000 | Give Me You | 68 | 21 | Mary |
| 2000 | Let No Man Put Asunder | 1 | 1 | Mary |
| 2000 | Someday At Christmas | - | 87 | - |
| 2000 | Your Child | - | 23 | Mary |
| 1999 | All That I Can Say | 44 | 6 | Mary |
| 1999 | Beautiful Ones | - | 72 | Mary |
| 1997 | Everything | 24 | 5 | Share My World |
| 1997 | I Can Love You | 28 | 2 | Share My World |
| 1996 | Not Gon' Cry | 2 | 1 | Waiting To Exhale |
| 1995 | I Love You/You Bring Me Joy | 57 | 29 | My Life |
| 1995 | I'm Goin' Down | 22 | 13 | My Life |
| 1994 | Be Happy | 29 | 6 | My Life |
| 1994 | My Love | - | 23 | What's The 411? |
| 1994 | You Don't Have To Worry | 63 | 11 | - |
| 1993 | I Don't Want To Do Anything | - | 86 | What's The 411? |
| 1993 | Love No Limit | 44 | 5 | What's The 411? |
| 1993 | Reminisce | - | 6 | What's The 411? |
| 1993 | Sweet Thing | 28 | 11 | What's The 411? |
| 1992 | Real Love | 7 | 1 | What's The 411? |
| 1992 | Reminisce | 57 | - | What's The 411? |
| 1992 | You Remind Me | 29 | 1 | What's The 411? |
News
Tours & Concerts
No tours or concerts at this time.
Announcements
- Mary J. Blige, Gwen Stefani, Ludacris, and The Fray will join previously announced performers Janet Jackson, Fergie and The Killers at "The 2006 Billboard Music Awards," airing live from Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena Monday, Dec. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET) on FOX.
- Mary J. Blige is set to release yet another great album, Reflections - A Retrospective, this 12th of December, 2006.
Discography
Albums
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Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- She has been the lead vocalist in church's choir.
- Mary J. Blige gave credit to her husband, Kendu Isaacs, for helping her to overcome her addiction on drugs and alcohol.
- She captured the awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Album for The Breakthrough at the 34th annual American Music Awards held on November 21st, 2006.
Reviews
External Links
Categories: Artist | R&B
