Words by Yvette Caitslin, DeWayne Rogers
and Todd Williams

Cover Image by Todd Williams for Steed Media Service
Story Images by Hiltron Bailey for Steed Media Service

From the Schlobaum Projects in Yonkers, N.Y., came the unlikely heroine of Gen X urban femininity. Mary J. Blige was an original from the very beginning. With her gritty, pained voice, her tough-as-nails demeanor, and a wardrobe of Yankee jerseys, skullcaps and combat boots; she was the most 'gangsta' female superstar since Cleopatra Jones. Her appeal was in her unrehearsed honesty, both on wax and in person. After 10 years of smiling pop divas, from Mariah Carey to Janet Jackson, MJB didn't give a damn about being America's sweetheart, she was the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul - the 'anti-Whitney' - and the 'hood loved her for it.

It didn't take long for the world to figure out that Blige was fighting her own demons; drug-addiction, a troubled childhood, and a handful of high-profile failed relationships all contributed to her seemingly unending parade of drama. But, they also informed her music with such honesty and hurt that she seemed to reach deep down inside herself and, through that wonderfully flawed voice, find an artistry that spoke for an entire generation.

What's the 411?/MCA/July 28, 1992
A blockbuster album in almost every sense of the word, the record that announced Mary J. Blige to the world was effortlessly street and sexy. Released in the summer of 1992 just months after the L.A. riots and with the hip-hop revolution gaining momentum seemingly by the minute, Blige appeared as the first " 'round-the-way girl" soul diva. The high-school dropout didn't smile for the cameras, and the thumping rhythm of the Audio Two-inspired first single, "Real Love," showcased a 23-year-old that wasn't afraid to show the thugs some love. But, Blige had begun a tumultuous relationship with Jodeci's K-Ci Hailey; and the pain from this stormy affair would be the fuel for her breakthrough as a songwriter - a sophomore album that would prove to be one of the most open and honest soul albums in recent history.

My Life/MCA/November 29, 1994

Reeling from romantic betrayals and battling cocaine addiction, Blige had become notorious for her 'bad-girl' behavior since her debut album made her a superstar. Her trademark 'realness' was threatening to derail everything she had worked for; she was showing up for interviews under the influence, belligerent or not showing up at all. An album that inspired countless, millennium-era wannabes, it was, and still is, the crowning achievement of Blige's career; My Life also stands as a painful reminder for the artist herself of the harrowing mid-'90s. Despite her personal and professional pitfalls, she scored one of the biggest hits of her career a few months after the album's release, a collaboration with Method Man called "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By," an update of the Marvin Gaye/Tammi Terrell classic "You're All I Need to Get By." But Blige was in desperate need of a change.

Share this article with a friend

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5