Although not the only hip-hop soul diva to hail from the harsh surroundings of the Bronx, there is something that sets Mary apart from these others and her latest album has firmly secured her place on the throne in the genre.
Gliding her sultry vocals over all of the fifteen tracks with ... Read review
After a three-year break from studio releases, the queen of hip-hop soul returns with her ... more
fourth. From theFulfillingness' First Finale-style groove of the opening "All that I Can Say" to the replayed "Bennie and the Jets" sample on "Deep Inside", these...
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All That I Can Say - (featuring Lauryn Hill) Sexy - (featuring Jadakiss From The Lox) ... more
Deep Inside - (featuring Elton John) Beautiful Ones I'm In Love Time Memories Don't Waste Your Time - (with Aretha Franklin) Not Lookin' - (with K-Ci ...
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Hal Leonard Mary J Blige Growing Pains PVG: from the Grammy-nominated album; arranged for ... more
piano, vocals and guitar; with chords and lyrics; Songs: Come To Me (Peace), Fade Away, Feel Like A Woman, Grown Again, Hurt Again, If You Love Me, Just Fine, Roses, Shake Down, Smoke, Stay Down, Talk To Me, Til The Morning, What Love Is, Work In Progress (Growing Pains) and Work That
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Live From Los Angeles.TracklistingYou Remind MeYou Don't Have To WorryReal LoveBe ... more
HappyLove No LimitMy LoveI'm The Only WomanI Can Love YouMessage In Our MusicChildren Of The GhettoMy LifeYour ChildThe Love I Never HadNot Gon' CryIt's A WrapLove And Life IntroFreeNo More DramaLove At First SightEverything Family Affair We Are Family
With No More Drama, Mary J Blige's enlisting of hip-hop's finest beat makers to create ... more
lush musical soundscapes is nothing short of genius. On the Dr Dre-produced "Family Affair", Blige implores the club set to "get crunk 'cause Mary's back" as she introduces some new slang to the hip-hop vernacular ("holleration"). "Steal Away " is a classic Neptunes-induced head-nodder in the "Love is All We Need" vein, as Pharrell Williams chimes in a Curtis Mayfield-like falsetto. Those who like their R&B straight might be offended by the acoustic guitar solo by Lenny Kravitz on "PMS" or the album's title track, which samples the theme from The Young and The Restless! soap opera. But listen to "Where I've Been" (a redemptive tale of Blige's not-so-rapid ascent from the 'hood featuring guest raps from Eve) and the Missy Elliott-assisted "Never Been" and misgivings vanish. Whereas past Mary J efforts were limited to tales of relationships gone awry, her outlook is more diverse and upbeat while her scratchy, bluesy vocals have become more expansive, too. She raps on "Love", scats on "Beautiful Day", chats on the a cappella "Forever No More", and caps No More Drama with a string of uplifting ballads ("2 U", "In the Meantime"), neatly polishing off a release that will stand as one of the best of 2001. --Dalton Higgins
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During one of the "interludes" on My Life, Keith Murray is rapping about "Grab your ... more
cranium for my ultimatum", when someone in the studio control booth asks producer Chucky Thompson, "Hey, Chuck, put on some of that smooth [stuff]". Murray disappears; the dreamy synth chords of Blige's title track emerge, and her sultry voice moans with a combination of weary loneliness and unslaked desire. The ballad which follows is "smooth" but never slick, for the singer's sinuous, extended notes confess the blues even as they yearn for something better. It's tempting to see this little scenario--the rapper being turned off in favour of the soul diva--as a repudiation of hip-hop in favour of old-fashioned R&B. An honest listen-to-this album, however, makes such an interpretation impossible. Blige does no actual rapping herself on her long-awaited second outing, but the sound of "My Life" would have been impossible without hip-hop. The results confirm the promise of Blige's '92 debut; she is the premier soul diva of the hip-hop generation. --Geoffrey Himes
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During one of the "interludes" on My Life, Keith Murray is rapping about "Grab your ... more
cranium for my ultimatum", when someone in the studio control booth asks producer Chucky Thompson, "Hey, Chuck, put on some of that smooth [stuff]". Murray disappears; the dreamy synth chords of Blige's title track emerge, and her sultry voice moans with a combination of weary loneliness and unslaked desire. The ballad which follows is "smooth" but never slick, for the singer's sinuous, extended notes confess the blues even as they yearn for something better. It's tempting to see this little scenario--the rapper being turned off in favour of the soul diva--as a repudiation of hip-hop in favour of old-fashioned R&B. An honest listen-to-this album, however, makes such an interpretation impossible. Blige does no actual rapping herself on her long-awaited second outing, but the sound of "My Life" would have been impossible without hip-hop. The results confirm the promise of Blige's '92 debut; she is the premier soul diva of the hip-hop generation. --Geoffrey Himes
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
...there is something that sets Mary apart from these others and her latest album has firmly secured her place on the throne in the genre.
Gliding her sultry vocals over all of the fifteen tracks with apparent ease, it’s easy to recognize the influence that her mother’s Gladys Knight and Otis Redding records had on her and she takes these stimuli and mixes them with polished and peaceful R’n’B beats.
...task of covering Stevie Wonder classic. Many have attempted and failed but together they make 'As' a highlight of this superb album, and a chart hit. Another touching highlight is ‘Your Child’ written about a woman dealing with a man whose illegitimate child was unknown to her until told by the child’s mother.
With subtle yet catchy choruses, velvety vocals and contributions from celebrated artists such as Elton ... more
Although not the only hip-hop soul diva to hail from the harsh surroundings of the Bronx, there is something that sets Mary apart from these others and her latest album has firmly secured her place on the throne in the genre.
Gliding her sultry vocals over all of the fifteen tracks with apparent ease, it’s easy to recognize the influence that her mother’s Gladys Knight and Otis Redding records had on her and she takes these stimuli and mixes them with polished and peaceful R’n’B beats.
Accompanied by George Michael, Mary takes on the mammoth task of covering Stevie Wonder classic. Many have attempted and failed but together they make 'As' a highlight of this superb album, and a chart hit. Another touching highlight is ‘Your Child’ written about a woman dealing with a man whose illegitimate child was unknown to her until told by the child’s mother.
With subtle yet catchy choruses, velvety vocals and contributions from celebrated artists such as Elton John, Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Eric Clapton and Babyface this album is worth every penny to Hip-hop, gospel, soul and R’n’B fans alike and will have you fervently awaiting her next dose of silk-edged soul.
Advantages: Relaxing, soothing Disadvantages: Nothing special
Mary J Blige as a singer is, I think, very easy to listen to. Her songs are pleasant, often quite relaxing, taking for example her duet with George Michael, or one of her more recent, Give Me You, which I liked enough to buy on single. However, once buying it, I quickly became bored with it as a snog, because the singing was weak, the tune relatively monotonous, all in all nothing special. A very able singer, with a wonderful voice, I don't feel ...
ladydina 15.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mary - Mary J. Blige
Advantages: All of it is good Disadvantages: none i can think of
...decade and that it redefined MARY J BLIGE and her talents and to be honest I was not convinced. I didn't hear any tracks but I presumed he was following the hype however then I saw the video for ALL THAT I CAN SAY aand i was in shock...what a video and what a song, strong powerful vocals and lyrics Lauren Hill really did well. I was to learn however that this was not an album with one good hit and the song "Your Child" gave me the chills. I kept ... ...really changed my view of MARY J BLIGE and her talents. A few years ago when "Not gonna cry" from "Waiting to exhale " soundtrack came out i thought that was the peak of her career but i was wrong. Mary is the album that should be in every CD player in the world, its that good. ...
JOM20 25.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Mary - Mary J. Blige
Originality
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Quality and consistency...
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Advantages: good songs Disadvantages: some weak beats
On this album LL cool J has many different artist on this album like \"ne-yo, 112, marymary, ginuwine, ryan toby, freeway, juelz santana, jennifer lopez, maryjblige, lyfe jennings, jamie foxx and teairra mari. The album has 13 songs, I wish that there were more songs on the album but even though it\'s only 13 songs most of them I like. LL cool J has a songs called \"so sick (remix)\" which features ne-yo. I like that song. LL cool J has great lyrics on this album and great songs, from love songs to dance songs. My favorite song on this album is \"Control myself\" which features jennifer lopez, the song was one of his singles and the beat makes you want to dance. Some of the beats are a little weak but other than that this album to me is flawless. ...
(This review refers to the original album “No More Drama” not the re-packaged one, which features extra remix tracks)
As you may know I have already written a review on one of the most influential artists of all time, now I am back reviewing her 4th album “No More Drama” which includes the fantastic hit “Family Affair”
Who am I talking about? None other than Ms MaryJBlige. A fantastic singer, performer and songwriter. She has already had major success with her previous album, and has been around since 1994, where we saw a fresh face, now we see MaryJ and recognise her as an extremely influential artist. Her first release from the album “Family Affair” was one of her biggest hits ever and her new single “No More Drama” is a masterpiece and hopefully will give her ...
Advantages: Some good remixes and the price Disadvantages: Not many, some fillers but i suppose you get that with every album
A Girl Part 1 - Usher, Loon & P Diddy. Great chorus and catchy lyrics from usher, definately one for the ladies but a really popular tune.
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Dance With Me/Peaches And Cream - 112, Ludacris & Beanie Segal. Great mix with the two best tunes from the 112 album. Great r&b club tracks and more cult classics
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