Download Free Mary J.Blige * Songs

Mary J.Blige music biography continued...

the major hits "You Remind Me", "Real Love" and "Reminisce" off of her debut album, Blige was instantly crowned "The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul". Constantly spawning hit material throughout the 1990s with "Be Happy", "I'm Going Down", "Love is All We Need", "Not Gon' Cry", and "All That I Can Say", Mary eventually became a polished version of herself advocating her altered identity in her most recent albums No More Drama, Love & Life, and The Breakthrough.

Born in the Bronx, New York on January 11, 1971, Mary developed a passion for music at a young age. Eventually relocating to Yonkers, one of the most dangerous housing projects, she focused on singing in her church choir and competing in talent contests as a method of escapism. However, her passion proved not enough to keep her out of trouble as she experimented with recreational drugs in high school which eventually led her to drop out. She recorded her first demo in 1988, and through her mother's boyfriend's contact landed a record deal with Uptown Records. Focusing on their more established and popular artists, Mary only began recording her debut in 1991. What's the 411? was released a year later outperforming its expectations by peaking at number six on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top Hip Hop/R&B chart. With the two singles "You Remind Me" and "Real Love" certified gold, and a double platinum debut album, Mary had become a major celebrity. The darker, more emotional album, My Life, appeared in 1994. Co-writing most of the material, the album dealt with Mary's personal trials and tribulations. Despite the lack of top charting singles, the album was certified triple platinum and is deemed one of Mary's best efforts. In 1995, she recorded the duet "I'll Be There For You/You're All I Need" with rapper Method Man and won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

In 1997, Mary issued her third album, Share My World, which peaked in the first spot on the Billboard 200 owing its success to the four hit singles "Love Is All We Need" featuring Nas, "I Can Love You" featuring Lil' Kim, "Everything" and "Seven Days". Mary followed in 1999 featuring guest appearances by major artists Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Jadakiss, Eric Clapton, Elton John, George Michael, and K-Ci. The album was a hit peaking at number two on the Pop chart and at number one on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop chart. No More Drama saw release in 2001 gaining major attention with the number one hit lead single "Family Affair". The name of the album itself recognizes Blige's conquering of her extensive battle with drugs and depression. The re-released version of the album featured the hit "He Think I Don't Know" which earned a Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 2003. Despite its debut at number one on the Billboard 200, Love & Life proved to be Mary J's lowest selling album featuring the singles "Love @ 1st Sight", "Ooh!", and "Not Today". The Breakthrough was issued in 2005 and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip Hop chart. Featuring the cover duet with U2 "One", the album sold over 700,000 in its first week and the second single "Be Without You" topped the R&B singles chart for fifteen weeks.