So is she totally out of the game now? Fantastic debute album in 1990 then an 8 year gap before her next release (a poor one at that). This girl got caught up in all the EZ/Dre/Suge shit and it killed her career. Anyone know if she is still in the game at all?

intha916 said:

wasn't she the cutie with the REALLY high pitched voice? I wondered about her too a few years back....

Neva liked her voice

Her debut album is still in print and you can pick it up at most online retail stores.

Harlepolis said:

I couldn't stand the way she talked.

I loved the debut...as much as I love Mary J. Blige I always felt she got the credit for being the first R&B chick to sing over hip hop beats...now if I remember correctly wasn't this released in 89?

boriquateddy said:

Agree. She was the real queen of hip hop soul. It was crazy how her speaking voice and singing voice were worlds apart. The girl was cute and really could sing. There is no reason she shouldn't have had a better career. That's what you get for putting yourself in the hands of thugs.

You might be right about it being an 89 release. I'll check my cd when I get home.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 14 11:38:26 2004 by intha916]

okaypimpn said:

But she was cute as hell

yeah she was a cutie.....

I heard she has a new joint out right now. I was looking on the music charts from radios, and I could sworn I had seen her name with a new song by it.
Could it be somebody else with the same name.
And it was spelled Michel'le too.

intha916 said:

She had an okay voice, but the queen of hip hop soul? Not even close! If she had any influence on other artists at all, it was minimal. She had one album with two or three okay songs. That was 1990. Her follow-up was eight years later, and was largely ignored. I'd say her style was strict R&B. Dre's production at the time was very flashy, typical of the R&B scene at the time.

Mary J.'s debut was about two years later in 1992, and was definitely one of a kind. I can't say if hers was the first release in that format (there will always be this sort of debate over firsts), but it was definitely more hip hop in nature. If I'm not mistaken, it was this album that coined the term "New Jill Swing."

Michel'le was a product of a producer, and almost from the very start (undoubtedly with her second release), Mary J. was in control of her career. The two aren't even in the same category for me.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Mary in control of her career? please she was a product of Andre Harell and Puffy in the begining,I was wacthing the Father MC video just the other day(I'll do for you) yeah it's safe to say somebody assisted her in the image department....Michel'le been around since the mid 80's singing with the World Class Wreckin cru...and as much as I Love Mary, I feel Michel'le has a stronger voice,Mary yells and scratches very often...but of course she's not the most popular so nobodies going to be riding the tip....Mary has been consistant I give her that...but I can do without that "No more drama" ish....

boriquateddy said:

Like I said, from Mary's second album on, she was in control. She shared writing and producing credit on each album after that. Yeah, her first album she got a lot of help, but she was a kid - literally outta the ghetto. She said herself that at that point she didn't know up from down.

Again, I like Michel'le, but I think her problem was that she was sort of perceived as a novelty act - the cute girl with the squeaky talk and big singing voice. I don't know a whole lot about her career - did she write/produce anything?

RipHer2Shreds said:

Michel'le fell through the cracks due to the fued between Dre and Ruthless Records. It had nothing to do with her being a "Novelty" act. She had three hit singles and a hit album. She did some writing but never really got a chance to show what she had due to the EZ/Dre fall out. I don't care if Mary's label was able to sell her as the queen of hip hop soul, that still doesn't make it true. It's marketing and nothing more. Miche'le's debute album was better than anything Mary has come out with to this day. And to say it was straight ahead R&B is foolish. Go back and listen to "Nicety". That song is vintage NWA beats mixed with soulful vocals. Give Dre credit for being among the first to merge hip hop and R&B successfully. As for her voice... I'll just put on "Something in My Heart" and rest my case.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 14 14:25:41 2004 by intha916]

intha916 said:

THERE IT IS....MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY....EVEN THE BEAUTIFUL BALLAD "IF" NICE VOCALS.....FAR FROM NOVELTY ACT.

intha916 said:

I think you should re-read what I said. I didn't say she was a novelty act - I said she was perceived as one. And I disagree about her debut album being better than anything Mary's put out, but that's just a difference in taste.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Well I disagree with her even being perceived as a novelty act. I think you forget how popular she was. "Nicety", "No More Lies", "If", "Something In My Heart" and "100% Woman" all got radio and/or club play. I would go so far to say, she had one of the better debute albums EVER. It just goes to show you it's not always talent or even good songs that make a star. Unlike Mary, Michel'le wasn't in the right place at the right time. When you go from Ruthless records to the Death Row records, things are going to get bumpy

"Something In My Heart" is her classic. That's a late-night radio show classic, in my opinion. Some station will always been spinning that track in the wee hours of the morning.

The most current track I felt by her was some song she released on Death Row called "Tonight Is The Night" with some rapper in it. Sounded dated even around the time it was released. But it has a nice groove.

intha916 said:

Alright, it'd be really nice if you'd quit putting words in my mouth. I didn't forget how popular she was for those few months. My question still hasn't been answered - does she write or produce anything?

NOT THAT IM AWARE OF.....BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE BECAME OF HER HAD SHE HAVEN'T HAD HER INDUSTRY WOES.....