This is an old revision of this page, as edited by TUF-KAT (talk | contribs) at 23:02, 21 April 2003. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 23:02, 21 April 2003 by TUF-KAT (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Mary J. Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American R&B and soul singer and record producer. She was born in Savannah, Georgia but grew up in the housing projects of Yonkers, New York, eventually dropping out of school before graduating.
Blige's musical career began after she recorded "Caught Up in the Rapture" (Anita Baker) with a mall karaoke machine. The tape found its way to Uptown Records, who signed her as a back-up singer. Up-and-coming producer Sean "Puffy" Combs took an interest, however, and helped her with her critically acclaimed debut, What's the 411? (1991, 1991 in music). The album's mix of hip hop and soul music is sometimes called the beginning of nu soul.
The follow-up, My Life, was much less successful, and Blige soon left Uptown for MCA Records, hiring Suge Knight as a financial advisor. With Share My World (1997, 1997 in music), Blige began working with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; the album was a commercial success, though reviews were mixed. Mary (1999, 1999 in music) also received mixed reviews, though the album still sold well. Her latest album is 2001's No More Drama (see 2001 in music).