I'm currently listening to Mary J. Blige's 1999 "Mary" album, which I have 2 admit when it was 1st released didn't really do anything 4 me.

I'm listening to it now and just thinking that the album was quite ahead of it's time as I appreciate it now more than ever!

However I do believe that it is quite an underrated album and has some serious session musicians on there... Aretha Franklin, Paulinho DaCosta, Chris 'Daddy' Dave (Mint Condition's session Drummer), Nathan East, Eric Clapton et al...


what's your viewpoint?

'dre

My FAVE ABLUM from her

And check this too, I don't have the US edition. I have the UK(which is betta cuz it includes her duet with George Michael on Stevie's AS).

She worked with alot of people 4 that album, Stevie Wonder showed up to play piano/harmonica & rythem arrangment in "God Is Good" but 4 whateva reason the song got shelved,,,I know cuz I seen the footage of them in the studio working 2ghether on it(Or maybe he's doing it 4 HIS album, I don't know) I long to hear this and thats whats important. She alos did a tight duet with Malik Pendilton but sadly it went to his SHELVED album.

The MOST powerful song in that album and her career(AT THAT TIME) is the duet with her then abusive boyfriend K-CI from Jodici "Not Looking",,,my back still shivers everytime I hear the WAR WORDS at the end of the song between them,,,,this was real btw and from the get-go they made this duet separated.

I love this album becoz it possesses a high degree of maturity that was somewhat lacking in the previous ones. Plus, I don't even need to tell you that its her BEST production-wise, musicianship-wise and lyricaly

I've been listening to an outtake (b-side?) called "Sincerity" with Nas and DMX.
She's singing over Bob James "Nautilus", the same loop Main Source had for "Live at the BBQ".
I think the dance break on the video for that "Mary (and the Jets)" was this track.

CinisterCee said:

I have that b-side which is a shame that she didn't include it.

Do you also know that made a heartfelt rendition of "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me?" AND she did a funky spoken words song "Soulmate".

I tell ya, she's the most bootleged female hip-hop singer nowadays(Just check the madness in her message board).

I agree that this is her best work, and yes those Mary outtakes are better than stuff on her last album (not that she has completely fallen off, but just to emphasize how potent this 1999 era was)