needs to shut the fuck up. Everyone is acting like she's the greatest female singer since Aretha or something. She sound just like every other "soul" or "R&B" singer out there. She's exactly like Beyonce, Mariah Carey or whoever. Why does everyone think she's so much better than all that bullshit. They're all just doing that same old played out shit posing as "soul" or "R&B"

NO

You are way off the mark here. Mary J. Blige stands out from her peers because she has her own style and unique way of singing. Technically she may not be the best singer, but she puts so much emotion into her songs that it makes up for whatever she lacks in the vocal department. Also she has a loyal fanbase that have been with her for years and most of them really relate to her music and the message in her songs and all of this is exactly why she's lasted as long as she has. I mean so many of these r&b singers from the 90's have come and gone, but Mary is still around doing her thing and is still sucessful. I just love the woman, she's great. Stop with the hateration please .
[Edited 3/15/08 23:20pm]

Volitan said:

Cinnamon234 said:

Too me, she just sounds like all the rest. That going over-the-top-showoffy vibrato. The lameass music, beats whatever. She sounds just lke all of the others. I just hate how much hype she gets.

Cinnamon234 said:

Tell the truth, child

Volitan said:

Mary J. is nothing like Beyonce or Mariah.

Beyonce is a clone of Diana Ross & Tina Turner.

Mariah is a mainstream version of Minnie Riperton.

Mary J. is a hip-hop single version of Anita Baker minus the classic vocal training. Mary herself admitted during childhood that Anita was a singer that she always wanted to be like.

TonyVanDam said:

LOL. They WISH! They're all cookie cutter, label-created, BS "R&B" singers, who think they're the shit, They all sing over lame hip-hop beats and call it "R&B". I heard Mary J. called the "Queen of Hip-hop Soul" and I wasn't sure whether to throw up, or piss my pants from laughter.

Volitan said:

Why not make a thread about a female artist that you like better than MJB.

TonyVanDam said:

I don't like many female artists (not sexist, they just don't interest me), I was just wondering why Mary J. is considered the best.

That Fine song she has (I have no idea what it's called, the one where she says she's fine 6000 times) sounds just like a song that ANYONE could've put out. Rapping, lame music, over-the-top vocals. They all sound the same

Volitan said:

She's been called the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul since her debut blew up 16 years ago. Speaking of which, her longevity is part of what sets her apart from others.

BTW, Mary doesn't sing with vibrato.

While I do not consider her a great singer, by any stretch of the imagination Mary does sing well. The problem starts with her label, who gave her that title "The queen of hip hop soul" and the fact that someone that is singing over sampled beats is what sells. The person that is singing is most of the time, overshadowed by the beats, so it does see like they really cannot sing. I have seen her live many times and the girl can sing. She is not as gimicky as Mariah, who I believe just uses that 6 octive range just cause she really does not know what else to do. I remember Mary's first TV appearence on the Soul Train awards. She looked terrible and raw. Within the last eight years she has really grown. My favorite Mary song will always be "Not Gon Cry". This is the only song on which she sings. Babyface saw her talent and just ran with it. He did not exploit the fact that her voice could blow out the windows of a church...instead, he used that and wrote a song that was just for her and it worked.

Now.....if others that worked with her could do the same....

They are all cookie cutter in their own way.

I can't stand Mary's voice!
If I even suggest it, tho, people flip on me. I, too, don't understand what the big deal is about her.

Over the years, I've learned to accept that she is a good ENTERTAINER. She starts that "soulful" routine, and people get all into her songs, not paying attention to the fact that she couldn't carry a tune with a handle.
She reminds me of those ladies in the church choir who have the whole congregation jumping up and down, despite the fact that they are not that good.

People don't all like the same things. I don't like Mary. Never did, probably won't start.

AlexdeParis said:

Yes she's does. Every singer does. She over does it

Volitan said:

Volitan said:

Um, no. You said, "That going over-the-top-showoffy vibrato." Please name one song where she uses vibrato.

AlexdeParis said:

the fine song

the woman's music helped me
to save my own life once and
I will ALWAYS respect her for that

I will say that I'm more fond
of her earlier "grit" (if you will)
her latest stuff is so
watered down compared to
what I know she's capable of

but to address her needing
to "shut the fuck up"
if you don't get it you just don't get it
but the fact is, she's proved longevity
she has SOMETHING that works
and she ain't goin nowhere

and I totally get your comment on
it sounding like the rest of what's out there
I think she should give B. Cox & his camp a rest
and go for that more live band sound
she had on the Mary album

I'm also burnt out on the "self-help"
"woe is me", "father where the fuck are you"
"where I've been" type of songs, it's gotten old with me
but she has to do what SHE wants to do

DirtyChris said:

Hype

Volitan said:

she said in her song
"MJB da MVP"...

"for those of you that don't like it
you can hate it or love it"

don't be mad at her success
I don't agree with everything she does
but I love to see her shinin like this
[Edited 3/16/08 20:49pm]

Volitan said:

I'm not hearing it. I think you need to look up what "vibrato" means. Are you talking about melisma?

Vibrato:

Vibrato is a musical effect, produced in singing and on musical instruments by a regular pulsating change of pitch, and is used to add expression and vocal-like qualities to instrumental music...or something like that

vibrato = butch

melisma = queen, twink, drama queen, tranny

TonyVanDam said:

Yes, that is so true.

I was listening to Mary's first 2 albums & she used some vocal stylings that were reminiscent of Anita Baker. In fact, during her Vh1 "Storyteller" special...she did a tribute to Anita with "Love No Limit" with some scatting & other jazz vocal stylings. I think Mary is a solid singer when she stays in her key.

Her voice isnt the best but she seems to have worked on it since her "Share My World" album. I love the topics she choses to speak on because they are extremely relatable and real and true. I think she is a much greater artist today then she was when she first started and everyone loved when she was miserable and drunk. Im sick of Alicea Keys because I feel shes tone deaf and pushes her singing voice to levels that it just cant go, Im ready for her to actually PLAY the piano...like seriously shut up me and all the other critics who wanna hear her MOZART the hell outta us. Im sick of Beyonce yodeling and her overexposed talent. But Mary J is becoming a better and better artist and role model for young women.

she's had good songs here and there and has lasted for over 15 years now, I enjoyed the BET special they showed the other day cause I've been jamming to her since the mid 90's, but to me, she's a singles artist although I liked Share My World. And her voice is nice though not exceptional, and few songs evoke emotion, but she has a good share of shit hop as well.
[Edited 3/27/08 21:18pm]

There you got one reason to your incapacity to see the differences between Mary J. and the others.

Graycap23 said:

Everyone is



Mmmmm COOKIES

TonyVanDam said:

I will.
Tamia
Deborah Cox
Chante Moore
Angie Stone
[Edited 3/28/08 10:01am]

Even though mary has a few songs i can tolerate i agree with
volitan. I just don't see the hype. I just recently saw her
performance on Vh1 soundstage and i'm sorry guys but she
sounded like shit. I will give her this she puts her all
into her performance but imo she's not much more than a
mediocre singer. The fact that she has longevity in the business
is more of a reflection of the state of the music industry today
more so than her talent and title of queen of soul or hip hop
soul or whatever they call it. Let's not forget how she totally fucked
up natalie cole's our love on one of her cd's.