Mary J Blige is one of hip-hop soul's pioneers

R&B singer Mary J Blige has criticised fellow artists who are "disrespectful" to the work of others, particularly pioneers of the genre.
Blige, who was likened to soul legends Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin at the start of her career, said too many up-and-coming R&B stars were willing to claim their greatness - without having actually achieved very much.

"People disrespect everyone nowadays, they don't even give them a chance to breathe," Blige told BBC World Service's The Music Biz programme.

"They're like 'I'm the princess of hip-hop soul.' It's like, 'how did that happen?'"

'Subliminal'

Blige acknowledged legends like Chaka Khan

Blige said that though many now credited her as the "queen" of hip-hop soul, she acknowledged the work of those who had first brought the music into the mainstream.

"The bottom line is, if you asked me years ago, 'who's Aretha Franklin?', then I would tell you she's the queen of soul," she stated.

"I'm Mary J Blige - hip-hop soul is what defines what my music is. The queen of it is just being that I'm a leader. I would never take from Chaka or Aretha, or disrespect what they are or their legacy.

"But now, it's all about all these little people behind them, saying little subliminal things, and it's disrespectful.

"I don't feel that we have to do that to get ahead."

Blige, whose latest album Love And Life was released last month, is an icon for many - especially as she has had such a long-lasting career having come into the industry from the poverty-stricken New York Housing Projects.

She was first spotted in a shopping centre singing an Anita Baker song into a karaoke machine. Her first album, produced by Puff Daddy, was released in 1991.

Blige told The Music Biz that only now had she become comfortable with her own talents, having lacked confidence in her voice on previous albums.

She said she felt this was especially true on her My Life album - ironically, the one that is most popular with fans.

"That's the album that people love the most," Blige stated.

"That's one of my favourite albums, because of the mistakes.

"Just looking back and saying, 'gosh, I was really a scared little girl then - confused, and all of that'... I didn't have any confidence in my vocal ability."

Speaking through music

Puff Daddy has now produced three of Blige's albums

Blige is renowned as one of R&B's pioneers because she was among the first to mix modern soul with rap. She has dueted with a number of high-profile stars, including Whitney Houston and Sting - something that continues on Love And Life, which features both Puff Daddy and 50 Cent.

"When I met 50, I knew he was going to be everything that I thought he was going to be, and I can relate to him," Blige said on working with one of the hottest current rap stars.

"He's just a beautiful person. You meet some beautiful people - people have so much to say about their music, but these people are only speaking from what they're living, or what they've lived, the same way how I'm speaking through my music.

"This is what I'm living, this is what I've lived."

She also spoke highly of another artist to feature on the album - rapper Jay-Z.

"I worked with Jay on his first album, and I respect Jay for his hip-hop legacy because he's never let us down.

"He's never put a whack record out there, and he's just so clever with his words.

"If Biggie was alive, that would be my first choice, but Jay is my first choice for opening up for Mary J Blige on an album like this."

(BBC)

Ashanti and Beyonce watch out

vanitysix said:

Yeah, she is going to gouge your fucking eyes out. I think the article had a good message although she comes off as kind of a diva herself!

Poor Mary. She really needs to get out of her head and find some strong material for her next album. She's got an amazing voice and super stage presence, and as a media personality she's someone ya just wanna like...but her past couple of albums have been las stinkerinas. "Family Affair" and "No More Drama" were okay songs, but dang...working with Sean Combs was such a step back for her - I feel like she's becoming more refined by leaps and bounds, and he's still schlepping around the same tarnished bling he was trundling a decade ago. Yawn.

Anxiety said:

As much as I love homegirl, I agree!

Mary is betta off without that mess and hype, she needs material that could compliment her voice/range(like she did in her "Mary" album).

I wish Stevie Wonder could produce a song 4 her, I could really see it coming, that would be cool. Plus, both love each other and they will click in the studio easily!

Anxiety said:

Amazing voice?

Harlepolis said:

You all know she is right though. Weren't you thinking the same thing when Ashanti's DEBUT came out declaring her the "Princess"?

I think Irv Gotti has been meditating on all of Diddy's past moves: Recycling Craig Mack and Biggie beats, and even Diddy's old "As we proceeed... to give you what you neeed" slogan. In Ashanti's case, I think having her sing over Barry White and Isaac Hayes reeks of Mary's signature album My Life.

Chapter II mighta been called My Life Too. Ha ha!

Ashanti's latest song "rain on me" sounds so much like a Mary song, she needs her own sound, I think Ashanti sounds better singing tracks like "Rock with u" either way the hairy bitch can't sing

Fuck "Finding Nemo" where the fuck did Mary's voice go?
She's been sounding so whack lately, she still has the power in the voice but she can't hold a note

I said before Mary may be an artist who is at their best when they are in real pain, struggling and depressed
someone get her crack pipe to save her career, she needs to give Whitney call


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[This message was edited Sat Nov 1 19:07:54 PST 2003 by twink69]

Mary has a point in that folk need to recognize the trailblazers, but she hasn't released anything I've wanted to go out and buy since "Mary" dropped four years ago.

I feel that's a nasty racist response to Mary J. Blige. She's paid her dues and although she's never had one of the best musical voices (and a lot of today's so-called singers don't have what it takes anyway), at least the sista has a nearly 15 year successful career (so somebody is loving, buying and supporting her music) (Black people) Who in the hell do you think are great singers today? Avril Lavigne? PLEASE! She sings like a dying cat!

twink69 said:

You people are full of shit for dissing Mar J . Go get a life.

what's her point? i'm not a big fan of hers in any way altho i have liked a couple of things she has done, but really don't see what she is trying to say. i see what she means about all the ego stuff but she's doing it as well.

artists always bang on about me, me, me!!!
it's nothing new.

CinisterCee said:[quote]

Harlepolis said:

and even Diddy's old "As we proceeed... to give you what you neeed"


betta go back to them old Grandmaster Flash Party Tapes from 78.. cus thats not diddy's slogan, lol thats Melle Mel's

That whole article on Mary is laughable since she was disrespectful of Chaka and Aretha when she first came on the scene ten years or so ago. She needs to shut the hell up.




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[This message was edited Sun Nov 2 7:23:20 PST 2003 by Ifsixwuz9]

It kinda looks like Mary is feeling pressure to compete with these younger "divas" coming on to the scene. She's glammed herself up quite a bit over the last few years, if she keeps this up she's gonna end up looking like LaToya.

I still like her alot tho

I'm kind of sick of hearing about artists claiming they had some "revelation". She was claiming this back in the "Share My World" days too. 5 years from now, she'll be sayin the same thing.
[This message was edited Sun Nov 2 10:57:13 PST 2003 by Tom]

minneapolisgenius said:

Co-

Supernova said:

Ifsixwuz9 said:

Word? What exactly did she say about ReRe & Chaka, lemme just read that!

Supernova said:

Triple-

I really have nothing against Mary, I've even spent money on her music, but I've always felt she was extremely overrated as a vocalist. I CRINGE every time I hear phrases like, "Aretha, Patti, Gladys, and Mary". It has always raised questions for me of the state of "black" music, when I hear so many of us bragging about how much of a "legend" she is and how great of a "sanger" she is. I really don't mean to throw any disrespect at her but we have a generation that is coming up with Mary J. Blige as a vocal mentor. That says a lot of what black people now accept as exceptional talent.

VelvetJ said:

The thang is most people hold against her is how she sometimes sing off-key or being a non-trained vocalist or not having 5/6 octaves like Mariah or Whitney. Then again many legends used to sing off-key and skip a melody(I.E. Bobby Womack, Millie Jackson, Sly Stone, Tina Turner).

But alot of ya'll 4get about the depth and the haunting emotions that she delievers(whether from a live pre4mance or studio session).

What makes Mary a "LEGEND" is her own flaws and raw-ness which she eknowledges herself, something you won' hear or see from other so-called divas. See Mary already knows what type of singer she is but despite the backlash she goes through, she proved that she could get te props from her peers(Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Aretha Franklin). There was a time when Chaka & Aretha resented Mary(4 the person she was AND 4 her singing ability) but Mary flipped the script and now they're in love with the woman.


Thats what all matters about Mary,,,the depth and the emotions,,,holding high notes is something to live without in her case.

MARY J.BLIGE WILL BE ON 60 MINUTES TONIGHT.

Mary can certainly relate to the very thing she complains of. She was being dubbed the 'Queen of Hip Hop Soul' by her second album. Now maybe in her mind she was mindful and respectful of those great artists who came before her but that was largely transparent to the public.

I remember rolling my eyes in disgust every time I heard the title.

minneapolisgenius said:

I was stuck on that sentence too!

VelvetJ said:

AMEN!!!

I have nothing against Mary,but to mention her in the same sentence with Aretha,Patti and Gladys is absurd.The truth is,NONE of these current R&B "divas" can compete with the real singers from back in the day.

Mary's got star power, raw emotion etc but she ain't no great shakes as a vocalist.

Check out Ledisi. Now that girl can SANG.

Isn't this the same Mary J Blige who loves to put self-praising announcements like the second coming of christ at the beginning of her albums? lol

I like Mary very much and have been a fan for several years. Even though I agree that she doesn't have a wonderful voice, I believe that she has a good voice and I enjoy most of her music. However, what I don't like is her involvment with and praise for 50 Cent. Mary should distance herself from losers such as this. She's been through a lot over the years and involving ones self with the likes of 50 Cent will only bring her down. She needs to be around positive people who will help her to stay on the straight and narrow. If she can do this, I believe she will become a legend just like Chaka and Aretha.