“What’s The 411?” was the debut album from Mary J. Blige (MJB), a pioneer in her field as a Hip Hop Soul musician as she sings Soul music to Hip Hop-styled beats before the likes of Erykah Bad, Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild came about. It came out in 1992 and immediately made her a star.
1. “Leave A Message” (Intro)
2. “Reminisce”
As the first proper song on the album, thi was also one of the singles to the thing, and it has her kick something funky to show just what she is about after the intro showed her Hip Hop connections, she is forced to back it all up with a soulful groove which brings in subtle hints of this harder genre, and the originality of it all comes through from the opening of it.
**Four Stars**
3. “Real Love”
Although the Bad Boy Remix, which featured a verse from the rapper then known as Biggie Smalls, was a much better track, this one is also a big one, and one of the tunes which made her career what it is. For me, it is all in the production, as it takes on the funky percussion of the Audio Two’s
“Top Billin’” and makes this side of things bring in the Hip Hop side of the tune as she covers the powerful R&B vocals.
**Five Stars**
4. “You Remind Me”
Originally on the “Strictly Business” soundtrack, this was her debut single, and it has to be looked at in hindsight, as few could have predicted the career which she would gain from this point, and it has her on top of some recycled Hip Hop samples to show how she differs from others out there. This song dropped in the New Jack swing period, and she quickly shows how her fusion of R&B and Hip Hop is differ in the fact the Swingbeats are dropped, and it is made a lot more gentle.
5. “Intro Talk” (Intro?)
6. “Sweet Thing”
This is a cover of a classic song by Chaka Khan, and it is done in such an amazing way here that you can’t help but get into it to the degree you must have when the original one dropped. The Chaka version was a killer, but with MJB on beats which are hardly changed; it makes it such a killer one.
The way that the singer goes about delivering the lyrics in this song seem to contrast greatly from elsewhere on this one as it just doesn’t sound like her and what she tends to do as it seems to have a little something else to t, and I would have to say that the novelty of its presence is valued, but I’m glad that it didn’t persist to future tunes. She really connects with the beats, and this chemistry boosts the power of her vocal performance.
**Five Stars**
8. “I Don’t Want To Do Anything”
As this song as MJB collaborate with one of the lead vocalists from Jodeci, K-Ci, this could be nothing less than amazing, and that is exactly what you get from this song in which you find them performing a duet, with a fair share each of singing as they perform to each other about how loving has meant that they would suffice in their life if they had to choose between that and anything else.
**Five Stars**
9. “Slow Down”
This one has her drop the tempo with some woodwind which reminds me of the type of thing which R. Kelly used a few years later, and what he gave to Aaliyah for the beginning of “Back & Fourth”. It is a gentle one which has her speak on how she knows that this particular relationship will progress without having it forced to advance too quickly for them both to cope with.
**Four Stars**
10. “My Love”
I have to admit that this song sits as one of the tunes on the thing which really suffers due to the fact that it doesn’t really stand out, and you are bound to forget it, however I thin that it deserves a lot more than this attention every once and a while as it is a very good one, and its a shame that you are only likely to remember it as it kick in and the deep grooves take it over, and she sings of how she can’t imagine how someone could cope without her love in their life.
**Four Stars**
11. “Changes I’ve Been Going Through”
The heavy Hip Hop sample which is used in this song drives the thing, and I felt that although you have thins being used to some nice piano loops, I felt as though it didn’t really connect to the content of the lyrics and what they really meant as it was so much more exciting than what her words perceived. However you can’t resist this side of things, and so it stands as one of the biggest joints that she brings here without a doubt.
**Five Stars**
12. “What’s The 411?”
Ending the album off, you find her doing a song which is eponymously named from the album and has her working with Grand Puma of Brand Nubian whilst on some beats from Puffy. It is a banger of a tune, and more than anywhere else on the album, this one has her appealing to the Hip Hop side of her work, and so the males are more likely to be enjoying this end of it.
**Five Stars**
For the originality and the consistent high standard which comes through, this is a classic album form her, and you can’t fault it anywhere as she is able to show how you can calm the Hip Hop and tame it to a degree where R&B doesn’t sound as if it being made into a separate genre with the whole Swingbeat-New Jack Swing thing which was oncoming then. If you are into any of her material, aside from the later ballads, you will enjoy this one.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: If you like R & B you will love this album, Mary J Blige at her very best Disadvantages: If you haven't been a fan of hers before then don't bother as she is at her usual high standard
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