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Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. A recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, Blige has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has received the World Music Legends Award for combining hip hop and soul in the early 1990s. She was ranked number 100 in the list of 100 greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Blige started her musical career in 1992, releasing her multi-platinum US selling debut album, What's the 411? on MCA Records and Uptown.
Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. A recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, Blige has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has received the World Music Legends Award for combining hip hop and soul in the early 1990s. She was ranked number 100 in the list of 100 greatest singers of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.
Blige started her musical career in 1992, releasing her multi-platinum US selling debut album, What's the 411? on MCA Records and Uptown. What's the 411? gave Blige her first Billboard 200 top ten album, which has continued since the release of her debut album until her latest album, Stronger with Each Tear (2009), which became Blige's seventh consecutive album to debut at number one or number two on the Billboard 200. As of 2010, Blige has sold over 50 million albums and 15 million singles worldwide
What's the 411? is the debut album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, released July 28, 1992. Upon being signed to Uptown Records, she began working with record producer Puff Daddy. The album spawned six singles, including "You Remind Me" and "Real Love".
What's the 411? peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album was certified three times Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who noted Blige's strong, soulful voice. She was also praised for combining hip hop and soul music, subsequently earning her the title "Queen of Hip Hop Soul".
My Life is the second studio album from American R&B and soul singer Mary J. Blige, Released by Uptown/MCA Records on November 29, 1994. Recording sessions for the album began in fall of 1993 and ended almost one year later. Many of the topics on My Life deal with clinical depression, Blige's battling with both drugs and alcohol, as well as being in an abusive relationship. Similar to her debut album What's the 411?, My Life features vast production from Sean Combs, who provided a hip hop soul sound.
Considered to be her breakthrough album, My Life became Mary J. Blige's second album to reach the top ten of the Billboard 200 charts, peaking at number seven, and debuting at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks. The album was nominated at the 1996 Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album, while in December of the same year, the album was certified 3x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for excess in sales of over three million copies. and won the Billboard Music Award for Best R&B Album.
Though receiving mostly mixed to favorable reviews upon its release, the album's reception among music critics and writers has improved over time, with some regarding it as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2002, Blender ranked My Life number 57 on their 100 greatest American albums of all time list, in 2003, the album was ranked number 279 on Rolling Stone magazine's the 500 greatest albums of all time, and in 2006, it was included in Time's 100 greatest albums of all time list.
Share My World is the third studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released by MCA on April 22, 1997. The album serves as a follow-up to her Grammy-nominated critically acclaimed second album, My Life (1994). Share My World became Blige’s first album to top the US Billboard 200 the week of its release, selling 317,000 copies in its opening week, while remaining atop of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for four weeks. It was also Blige's first UK top 40 album, peaking inside the top ten. The album spawned six singles: "Not Gon' Cry", "Love Is All We Need," "I Can Love You," "Everything," "Missing You" and "Seven Days" ("I Can Love You" was only released in the U.S., whereas "Missing You" was only released in the UK).
The album earned Blige her third Grammy Award nomination, this time for Best R&B Album. Since its release, the album has received generally favorable reviews from music critics. And is considered to be one of her signature best-selling albums in her career, and released five singles that had attained moderate Billboard R&B chart success.
Mary is the fourth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released August 17, 1999, on MCA Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 239,000 copies in its first week. It spent 57 weeks on the chart and produced five charting singles. Upon its release, Mary received positive reviews from music critics. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and has sold 2,100,000 copies in the United States.
The album was released in the United States on August 17, 1999, and in the United Kingdom on October 1, 1999.
"All That I Can Say", "Deep Inside", "Your Child", and "Give Me You" were the albums commercial singles in the US. "As" -- Blige's collaboration with George Michael -- was released as the lead single everywhere else worldwide. Three singles from the album charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "All That I Can Say" at number 44, "Deep Inside" at number 51, and "Give Me You" at number 68. All four US singles charted on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks: "All That I Can Say" at number six, "Deep Inside" at number nine, "Your Child" at number 23, and "Give Me You" at number 21.
No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. The album was released on August 28, 2001 by MCA Records in North America. The album was certified 3x Platinum. According to Billboard magazine, No More Drama has sold over 3,200,000 in the United States alone to date. Critically acclaimed, the album has received positive to favorable reviews from most music critics, debuting at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200, and opening at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 324,000 copies in its first week. It has spawned four singles that has attained Billboard chart success.
Estimated worldwide sales for the album are at 6,500,000. "No More Drama" has sold 2,225,000 copies in Europe alone and sold over 3 million copies in U.S. alone.
The inspiration for No More Drama came largely from Blige's own confused and hectic life. In a later interview she confessed to living a life of alcohol- and drug abuse at the time, and as a result getting involved in a series of abusive relationships. The album was an attempt to break free from this vicious circle, which was a result of a deprived childhood.
Love & Life is the sixth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released in the United States on August 26, 2003 on Geffen Records. The album was primarily produced by Sean "Diddy" Combs, who executive produced her first two albums. Additional production came from Dr. Dre and The Hitmen.
The album became Blige's first album in six years to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 285,298 copies in first week.
Love & Life received mixed reviews from music critics. Allmusic gave it 4 stars and said the album "beamed with joy" and Rolling Stone gave it three stars, saying "You may not always love Blige's music, but you will feel her".
The album was eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA. To date the album has sold over 1,000,000 copies in the U.S. and over 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The album was nominated for the Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 46th Grammy Awards.
The Breakthrough is the seventh studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released December 20, 2005, on Geffen Records. The album opened with over 729,000 units in the United States, becoming her highest first week sales of her career, and the second-highest first-week sales by a female R&B artist, only behind Alicia Keys' As I Am. The album is certified three-time Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and sold 7,000,000 copies worldwide. Upon its release, The Breakthrough received positive reviews from most music critics.
In spite of buzz circulating in the summer of 2004 that Blige's next release would be a retrospective aptly titled Reminisce, she and her label announced that an album of brand-new material was on the way instead.
Production on the album included Blige herself, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan-Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Davel "Bo" Mckenzie, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool and Dre, and Dre & Vidal, and the album includes a duet with U2 on the cover of their 1992 hit, "One", which was released as the second single in Europe and Latin America.
Growing Pains is the eighth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. The album was released on October 31, 2007 by Geffen Records. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 selling 629,000 copies in its first week. Growing Pains was ranked #29 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.
"Work That" was released as the second single on December 18, 2007 and managed to peak inside the top 20 of the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and number 65 in the Billboard Hot 100. The third official single "Stay Down" reached the top 40 R&B charts, and was chosen in favor of "Hurt Again", which was originally the third single, but eventually was only a radio single by receiving airplay in Spring 2008.
At the 2009 51st Grammy Awards, it won Best Contemporary R&B Album.
Stronger with Each Tear (stylized as Stronger withEach Tear) is the ninth studio album from American R&B and soul singer Mary J. Blige. The album was released in the US on December 21, 2009 under Blige's own imprint Matriarch Records.
Internationally it was released December 18, 2009 in Australia and Germany, December 21 in France, December 23 in Japan, and on February 2, 2010 in Korea with further international releases (in some cases re-releases) March, April, and May 2010. With this album, she landed a record of nine albums that have debuted at the top of the US R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
The album was originally slated for US release on November 24, 2009 but this was pushed back to December 15, 2009 which would have put Blige's album in a chart battle with Alicia Keys' new album The Element of Freedom. The album was then pushed back once more to December 21, 2009.
After a number of appearances to promote the song "Stronger" for the soundtrack Music Inspired by More Than a Game, Blige formally began the album's promotion in America by premiering the second single "I Am" at the American Music Awards (2009). The following day she appeared on the Lopez Tonight show for an interview and encore performance of "I Am". Blige also appeared on Jay Leno Show, The Today Show, and was also on a special aired on BET named Words & Sounds With Mary J. Blige. She was on a taping of The View. On April 21, 2010 Blige appeared on American Idol's charity telethon, Idol Gives Back to perform her cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" with Orianthi and Randy Jackson on guitars.
My Life II: The Journey Continues is the upcoming tenth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. Titled as the sequel to her 1994 album My Life, the album is scheduled to be released on October 4, 2011.
"Someone to Love Me (Naked)" featuring Diddy and Lil Wayne was released for digital download on March 29, 2011, as the album's first single. The song is actually a remix of the song "Someone to Love Me" from Diddy-Dirty Money's album Last Train to Paris. Produced by "Jerry Wonda" Duplessis and Arden "Keyz" Altino, "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" samples "You Roam When You Don’t Get It At Home" performed by The Sweet Inspirations. Blige and Wayne performed the song live for the first time at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards on May 22, 2011. The song initially debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart at number ninety-nine before falling off, only to return and subsequently peak at number twenty-eight.
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