Mary J. Blige
Normally today is Compare & Contrast Thursday, but since I have begun to do this blog I haven't done one on The Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J Blige. Mary is one of the reason why I fell into soul music. Even though, my family raised me to love soul music, but Mary J. Blige helped me to find it for myself.
I can remember the first time I heard Mary J. Blige's voice. It wasn't from her first single Real Love. Even though, I didn't know who Mary J. Blige it was from Guy's song Goodbye Love. My mother and father loved Guy's 1988 self-titled album. Even though, the album consisted of Groove Me, Teddy's Jam, and I Like. But it was one song on the album I really loved which was Goodbye Love. What I loved about the song was the girl singing background, her voice was so raw. Later I learned that was Mary J. Blige. Fast forward to 1992, my mother and I moved to South Carolina because she wanted to further her education. Meanwhile, music because a big part of our lives. So, one day we were listening to the radio while studying and this song Reminise came on. My mother and I fell in love with the song, we had to find out who this person was. The man on the radio said "she's a new artist her name is Mary J. Blige". From that day, Mary became part of my life.
During this time, family used to come visit us a lot. Many people would come with cassette tapes(lol), so we could play it in the house. As a result, many tapes were left at our house. So, one of these particular times someone left Mary's "What The 411?". I remember my mother say "Junior remember that girl we heard on the radio, someone left the album". I was answered "Ok, pop it in". While we studied we listened to that album from beginning to end. From listening to the album, you can tell that Mary was real and raw from the sound of her voice. It's like she connected with you soul over a hip-hop beat. That's the reason why she was given the title "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul".
Now it's 1994, we haven't heard anything new from Mary. Finally, my mother and I was studying and of course the radio was playing, we heard Be Happy for the first time. As soon as we heard "how can I love somebody else, if I can't love myself enough to know....". My mother and I knew it was Mary. As the song finished, my mother and I looked at each other and said we have to get her album when it comes out. Fast forward, we had another big family visit, once again someone left the "My Life" album. This time mom didn't even tell me about it, when I came home from school I can remember opening the door and hearing Mary Jane(All Night Long) coming out the speakers. "My Life" was an album about what Mary was going through with her relationship with KC-I from the group, Jodeci. It was musical letter from her heart. As a result, you can definitely feel her. With the "My Life" we listened to this album more than we did "Whats The 411?". This album made me fall in love with music and soul. Meanwhile this album made Mary become part of my family. During these times, my mother and I was struggling as well. When we would sing along to the album, we felt free from all the things we were going through. From then to now, I think my mother and I together have brought "My Life" over 100 times.
As you can see, GOD wanted Mary to be a part of our lives because each of her albums were left for us to have, we didn't have to buy it. GOD knew that the way you could get our attention was through music. As a result, I think GOD everything from being Mary's music into my life because I don't know where my life would have been without Mary's music.
In 1997, we finally had to buy a Mary J. Blige album. My mother went to the record store and brought "Share My World". I remember playing that tape so much it popped. This was the time when I was starting to fall in love with Janet Jackson, but Mary J. Blige was always there. From then on, I have brought every Mary J. Blige she did. It seems like every time she comes out with a new album, I'm going through a struggle, and her album helps me through it.
Remember when I said Mary J Blige sung the background vocals to Guy's Goodbye Love she used the sample for her song Don't Go Listen To both!!!
Guy's Goodbye Love
Mary's Don't Go
Favorite Song From Each Her 9 albums (Which It Was Very Hard To Pick One)
What's The 411? (LOVE NO LIMIT)
My Life (I NEVER WANNA LIVE WITHOUT YOU)
Share My World (SHARE MY WORLD)
Mary (THE LOVE I NEVER HAD)
No More Drama (NEVER BEEN)
Love & Life (FEEL LIKE MAKING LOVE)
The Breakthrough(GONNA BREAKTHROUGH)
Growing Pains (SMOKE)
Stronger With Each Tear(IN THE MORNING)
MY LIFE PART 2 SEPTEMBER 20 2010
First Single(SOMEONE TO LOVE ME)
Love Mary J. Blige. My favorite has to be Real Love from What's the 411. I remember when I was young living in Brooklyn back in the 90's and my mother had the song playing in the apartment. All her albums are great to me.
ReplyDeleteYou already know Reminisce is my favorite from What's The 411 lol.
ReplyDelete