Tag: The Queen of Hip Hop Soul

This woman’s music helped raised me. She’s the reason why I love music so much. She made me become a singer. I grew up watching her music videos, sitting in the front of the radio making tapes with all of her greatest hits, listening to her albums from start to finish, trying to get every word right in a verse, and with every song, every emotion, every note, high or flat, she continues to be herself and never gave up or changed who she was or where she comes from. She inspired so many people with her music. She’s not a spectacular singer but it’s that real emotion from her heart and soul that keeps the people in love with her. She’s the pioneer of bringing together both hip hop and R&B music in a way that wasn’t done before. She brought Anita Baker style singing, Big Daddy Kane attitude and the raw hip hop production together with a style that represented the around-the-way girls from the hood who grew up without a father in the home. Almost 25 Years since the release of her debut album, this woman continues to bring the hits. Album after album, music video after music video, she’s untouchable, unstoppable, and they definitely don’t call her the Queen for nothing. Her name is Mary J. Blige aka The Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Mary’s story begins back in Yonkers, 1988. She recorded a demo that was done in a shopping mall in Westchester. She sang Anita Baker’s “Caught Up In a Rapture.” Her stepfather at the time, over heard it and gave it to Jeff Redd. Jeff Redd was an artist on the Uptown Records label himself and he had the joint “You Called and Told Me”, which is one of my favorites. Jeff then gave the tape to Andre Harrell who was the chairman at Uptown. He was impressed with Mary’s voice and said she made the song her own. He then went to go visit Mary at her home in Yonkers. She lived in the Schlobahm Projects aka “Slow Bomb”, where she lived in Building 5 on the third floor. Andre met Mary at her home and heard her sing, she then officially became an official new artist on Uptown. Before her debut album, Mary sang backup for Father MC and even did a song with Christopher Williams and Super Cat. It was her very first single that caught the attention of street DJ’s who played it at block parties and even Kool DJ Red Alert and Kid Capri played it as well. “You Remind Me” was Mary’s very first single but it was an underground hit. Everybody was requesting the song but it was found on the 1991 soundtrack “Strictly Business” for the movie starring Tommy Davidson and Halle Berry. It wasn’t until July 28th, 1992 when Mary finally came out with “What’s the 411?” This album changed the sound of both hip hop and R&B forever. Before 411, hip hop was hip hop, R&B was R&B. Hip Hop had hooks but that was it and R&B was softer and smoother but Mary changed all that. R&B became more rough with hard beats and hip hop just had soulful singing the entire song through. Hits like “Real Love”, “Reminisce”, “Love No Limit”, “My Love” all were released between ’92 and ’93. My personal favorite on the album is “Changes I’ve Been Going Through.” It Was the same formula as “Real Love.” Mary singing over a hip hop beat from the 80’s. Biz Markie’s “Nobody Beats the Biz” and Audio Two’s “Top Billin’.” Then she came with the remix album, which was way more hip hop than the original. I ran that joint to death! I woke up listening to it and went to sleep listening to it. The illest remix joints to me are “You Don’t Have to Worry” and “Love No Limit.” “You Don’t Have to Worry” is my all time favorite Mary J. Blige song and the remix to “Love No Limit” over that Keni Burke sample loop to his joint “Risin’ to the Top” is my all time favorite Mary J. Blige remix. I can’t get over how she captured the b-girl look in the “You Don’t Have to Worry” video either. That video is the perfect video to describe her personality at the time. She was on the top of that stoop in front of a brownstone in Brooklyn with a fresh jersey, baggy jeans and a pair of boots with a baseball cap on backwards but singing so soulfully. I get goosebumps just talking about it. Mary was so original, she brought something to the game that couldn’t be touched. It’s definitely copied but it just doesn’t have the same effect. Mary was herself. Then in late 1994 she came back harder with the “My Life” album and “Be Happy” was the first single released. The video premiered on BET in October, the album released on November 29th, 1994. Now “My Life” was more dark, more intense, more sad, more real, more emotional, more vulnerable. Mary took it all the way there on this one. The album was like a movie that told the story of a battered and hurt woman who fought to get out of a bad relationship, tried to find peace and happiness and doing it in a way that people all over can relate to. “Be Happy” is my top favorite along with “Mary Jane (All Night Long)” and “You Bring Me Joy.” “All Night Long” had that Mary Jane Girls and Big Daddy Kane combination that brilliantly done. Nobody had a sound like that. Mary does it once again. Throughout ’95 and ’96, Mary Does soundtrack joints like “Not Gon’ Cry”, “Everyday It Rains” and a remake of Aretha Franklin’s “Natural Woman.” She also collaborated with more hip hop artists like Jay-Z and Ghostface Killah on “Can’t Knock the Hustle” and “All That I Got Is You” and we can’t forget the ultimate hood love anthem “You’re All I Need to Get By” with Method Man. Then on April 22nd, 1997, she comes back with “Share My World.” This album is my second favorite after 411 Remix. This album, Mary has a lot more confidence in herself to be a better person. She has a new attitude that was reminded me of Rocky after his workout. Standing on top of a mountain with her hands in the air and being thankful, in her case, it was on the roof of a building with a fur coat at the end of the “Love Is All We Need” music video. “I Can Love You”, “Keep Your Head”, “Round and Round”, “Can’t Get You Off My Mind” and my top favorite “Searching” are the best songs to me. I liked this album better than “My Life.” This album went harder to me and it was still had that New York hip hop vibe that I love so much. 1998 was a more calmer year for Mary, things are different now and then it transitions into 1999 when she released her self titled album on August 17th. When “Mary” came out, I was 5 years old in Virginia for the summer at my auntie’s house. “All That I Can Say” was on heavy rotation on MTV Hits all day. Every time the video came on, I was glued to the screen. It’s one of my favorite Mary videos too. This album is Mary’s most organic album. Meaning that she didn’t do the same formula like she did on the previous three. It’s a more soulful album than it is hip hop. It’s more on the Neo Soul side of town. This is the point in Mary’s career where she at the top and is getting the most promotion ever in her career. “Mary” was heavily promoted and her tour in 2000 was absolutely bananas. The infamous burgundy Farrah Fawcette hairstyle, white pants, white gloves, with a fresh pair of white kicks and a shimmery bra and matching belt. Mary keeps the ghetto fabulous look while strutting across the stage and giving daps to the fans in the audience. August 28th, 2001, Mary comes back with “No More Drama.” I remember my mom buying the bootleg version when this album came out and I also ran this album to death. This is my third favorite Mary J. Blige album. “Steal Away”, “2U”, “In the Meantime” and “Testimony” are my favorites. This album gives me the same vibe vocally as “Share My World” which is why I love this album. Mary re released the album in January 2002 and got rid of some songs to add “He Think I Don’t Know”, “Rainy Dayz” a newer version of “Dance For Me” featuring Common and the remix to “No More Drama” featuring Diddy but this album and era’s vibes continues on 2003’s “Love & Life.” This is the album that Mary fans claim to don’t like but I love the production. It’s Mary’s most hip hop joint since 411. “Love @ 1st Sight” she sang over A Tribe Called Quest’s “Hot Sex” and on “All My Love” she sang over Grand Puba’s “I Like It.” Now, Mary takes the biggest turn around of her career. This is where everything in her career was different for the rest of her career. As much I love Mary, things weren’t the same for me. On December 20th, 2005, Mary released “The Breakthrough.” This is the album that officially stamped Mary as a legend. She was the biggest than she ever was in her career before. Awards, more collaborations, more videos, her legacy continues. Fast forward to today. On January 11th, 2017, we celebrate the queen’s birthday. Fans all over are posting about her and celebrating her legacy. She’s responsible for what we hear on the radio today. A lot of R&B singers are claiming to be hip hop just because their beats are “hard”, it’s a carbon copy but what Mary did back in 1992 was real and that’s why we love her so much. She can sing with so much raw emotion and power and can still strut and drag across the street like she was your homie from the hood and dap your hand at the same time. Today she’s a woman whose overcome so much. She recently been through a divorce with her then husband Martin “Kendu” Isaacs. Mary is now telling the world that’s she been through the “Thick of It” which is her latest single. Her new album “Strength of a Woman” is said to be in stores in February. This will be her 14th or 15th album. Mary’s contribution to both hip hop and R&B has had a tremendous influence and impact on a lot of artists. Can’t wait until her new album drops. We may or may not get another “My Life” or a “Share My World”, either way she’s still just plain ol’ Mary.