MARY J.BLIGE

Biography

Thanks to her illustrious career filled with hit albums such as My Life and Share My World, Mary J Blige has come to be known as the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. But her life has not always been so glamorous. She was born in the Bronx and spent the first few years of her life in Savannah, Georgia, before returning to New York at the age of five.

She began singing in her church choir at the age of seven and reflects upon those church days with a smile. She grew up in the Yonkers's Slowbam projects, which were nicknamed "Slow Bomb" by the tenants for its rough reputation.

Blige sought refuge in her music during these tumultuous times, and favored hip-hop sounds as well as her mother's musical influence, which included artists such as Otis Redding, Gladys Knight, Al Green, and Donny Hathaway. Her singing improved through her teens as she performed solo in several church and school talent shows.

Prodded by her friends, she cut her first demo tape at seventeen in a local shopping mall. The demo was given out by her stepfather and eventually got into the hands of Uptown Records C.E.O. Andre Harrell. Harrell showed interest in Blige, but Sean "Puffy" Combs beat him to the punch.

Combs helped Blige fine tune her voice and created her image. In 1992, her debut album What's The 411? saw its first release go straight to No. 1. The album was so popular that it catapulted her to the top of female R&B. Next for Blige was a remix album, which aside from several guest appearances by some big hip-hop names, was uneventful.

Combs took on the role of executive producer for her next album, My Life, which was another instant success. Combs brought forth his hip-hop expertise; he had also received much recognition for his work with Jodeci, another soon-to-be famous name in R&B circles.

This album produced the hit songs "All Night Long," "You Gotta Believe," "My Life," and "You Bring Me Joy", which became benchmarks for all future R&B artists. This album proved that she was a hip-hop force and that was here to stay.

Furthermore, My Life 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.

Blige credits her upbringing to her unique musical style. "I grew up on old R&B and soul, then as I got older I got into the block parties. That's why my voice when I sing is almost like a rapper, on the beat." Her tough upbringing did not reside well with fans and media, and Blige quickly earned a reputation for being moody, frequently late and extremely demanding.

Nonetheless, it actually contributed to the image masterminded by Puff Daddy. It signalled a troubled and bitter Blige, which meshed well with her emotional and raw lyrics, as it made her music believable.

Blige went on to tour, taking a break from the recording studio. She was able to record a track for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, which featured several big names, including Whitney Houston, TLC, Brandy, and Toni Braxton. Her song from that soundtrack, "Not Gon' Cry", rose all the way to No. 2.

Blige's next album was made without Combs or Andre Harrell. Combs left to start his own label, Bad Boy, and was concentrating on the success of his product, the late Notorious B.I.G. Since then, Combs and Blige have kept the details of their split private. It can be assumed that someone like Blige with a strong character, would not take such a split fondly. Harrell left Uptown to take over Motown Records.

Blige became her own executive producer and had the power to bring in big names such as Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Babyface, R. Kelly, and Malik Pendleton for Share My World. Nas made an appearance in the single "Love is All We Need," and the album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard charts. Despite the criticism of Share My World, she remains a favorite among R&B fans and remains the Queen of Hip Hop Soul.