The Breakthrough/Geffen/Dec. 20, 2005
Her answer rang through loud and clear. As 2005 pulled into home stretch, musical pundits and casual Blige enthusiasts alike had all but written the songstress off as a has-been. A music anthology was in the works, and many considered Blige to no longer be a relevant contributor to music's ever-evolving landscape. But Blige, never one to conform to society's expectations, produced perhaps one of her greatest studio offerings ever. The Breakthrough was just that, the commercial breakthrough Blige so sorely needed. Steeped in the power, drama and intrigue that initially elevated her to prominence, Blige politely let the world know that despite her continued personal happiness, there was no need to eulogize her yet. She was still highly capable of continuing her reign as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. - dewayne rogers
The Blige-ologue
A music critic once implied that Mary J. Blige sings from the tender orchid that dwells between her thighs. Though, she lyrically paints a melancholy illustration of betrayal and the loss of innocence, her talent and sincerity are undeniable. Blige, a six-time Grammy Award-winning artist, isn't afraid to confess her demons to win the hearts of fans. Accordingly, women feel they can trust her because they've experienced similar trials and tribulations and she's an example of the success for which they yearn.
The Yonkers, N.Y.-bred, high school dropout grew up in Schlobohm Gardens housing project with her mom and sister. Owing much of her career's initial success to an on-and-off relationship with Sean "Diddy" Combs, the husky-voiced diva shows us that forgiveness is an indispensable requisite to meeting your destiny. The pair's studio reunion on Love & Life proves it. She's been consistently winning awards, from American Music to NAACP Image, since the amnesty. To date, she's won a total of 46.
 |
All hail the queen! The Mary J. Blige sensation is a product of the union of the hip-hop and R&B genres. Simply, the love affair spawned a bi-genre offspring earning her the title - Queen of Hip-Hop Soul. Likened to the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin who defined soul music, Blige is a heroine who dropped her streetwise, combat boot-wearing image to flaunt her tatted-up, svelte physique in the likes of Michael Kors. The red carpet habitué, often seen escorted by her amber-eyed arm candy, aka husband Kendu Isaacs, has earned R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Although she hasn't garnered as many gilded gramophone statuettes (Franklin has 17 Grammys), Blige's single "Be Without You" (The Breakthrough, 2005) had the longest stay at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop and Rap Chart at 15 weeks; and she's the fastest selling female R&B artist with 727,163 copies in first-week sales.
|
