American singer, producer, actress, songwriter, winner of nine Grammy awards is Mary J. Blige. She was born on January 11, 1971 in New York (USA).
Childhood and youth of Mary J. Blige
The early childhood period of the raging star takes place in Savannah (Georgia). Subsequently, Mary's family moved to New York. Her difficult life path passed through many obstacles, there were surprises along the way, good and not so good.
Childhood was difficult. Constant conflicts with peers left their mark. Not liking going to school, Mary roamed the streets, she liked to hang out with her friends.
The beginning of the road to success
Absolutely by chance, she recorded the Anita Baker song Caught up in the Rapture. And maybe it's nothing, but Mary's stepfather showed the tape to Andre Harrell.
The stars aligned. Harrell was struck by the voice and instantly signed a contract. It should be noted that the rising star started with backing vocals.
A start was made. A combination of circumstances led to a chain of events, and now Sean "Puffy" Combs, fascinated by vocal abilities, helped the aspiring vocalist with the recording of the first album. Debut album What's the 411? came out in 1991.
It took several months to record it, and it turned out to be attractive, kind of innovative. An interesting musical accompaniment, combined with a strong and unusual voice, created a "musical thread" connecting blues and rap.
At that time, Blige gave all the best to 100%. Her first disc, not without the participation of rappers Grand Puba and Busta Rhymes, occupied the leading positions twice.
Topping the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart, What's the 411? entrenched in the top ten hits of the Billboard 200.
Personal style and demeanor of the artist
The manner and style of clothing was very different from what was expected from Blige. Rap protest and internal struggle against the rules and injustice of life made Mary who she was.
The largest record companies (MCA, Universal, Arista, Geffen) were interested in the rising star at a rapid pace.
The managers of these firms fought desperately with the image of the singer, it seemed in vain. But time passed, changes took place in the soul of the young rap lady and sophisticated things appeared in the wardrobe.
For many girls with a similar fate, she forever remained a militant Mary J. Blige!
Career Mary J. Blige
In 1995, the second album My Life was released. Sean Combs took an active part in this. This album has had some changes.
So, lyrical and romantic intonations distracted the listener from the rap sound, and Mary seemed to tell her whole life, pain and problems. She was very worried about everything related to the infringement of the rights of blacks.
Her breakup with labelmate K-Ci Hailey also worried her. All this gave the album a very personal feel. As a rule, such recordings cling to the soul of listeners, because everyone sees in them a particle of their life.
My Life became an equally successful work, having done the same way in the charts. In the same year, the singer was among the nominees and won the Best Rap Song nomination for the track I'll Be There for You.
And then the singer changed the team. Now her producer is Suge Knight. This decision was not easy, but Mary, who knew what she wanted, clearly followed her goal.
Having signed a contract with MCA, the performer began to create a third studio album.
Two years later, in 1997, the LP Share My World was released as a collaboration between composers and producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. Share My World - one of the songs became a hit.
It was with this song that the singer supported the concert tour. A new live CD was released in 1998.
The mature period of the artist's work
As time passed, as Mary matured both spiritually and professionally, Mary's style changed. She no longer rebelled like a teenage girl.
In 1999, her new fourth album, Mary, was released. Now she looked like an expressive artist, with a powerful voice of extraordinary beauty. Her musical style has gained confidence and charm.
The sound of her voice, the semantic load retained its former emotionality. Mary reached No. 2 on the pop chart and entered the top twenty Canadian hits on her first R&B chart.
The fifth in a row, but not in terms of sound strength, the album No More Drama was released in 2001. This time, the singer concentrated considerable attention and a lot of energy on the creation of her offspring.
Previously, critics married composers, now Mary herself showed the listener her vision of music. This album was another bestseller, reaching #1 on the Top R&B/Hip-HopAlbums chart.
2003 and another studio release Love & Life. It was in this album that the performer demonstrated her high professionalism. A significant contribution to this album was made by Sean Combs (P. Diddy). The album's commercial success was largely due to him.
Of course, a difficult childhood left scars on the soul of the singer. Nevertheless, she walks with a confident gait, winning the hearts of millions, today she has become one of the best contemporary performers.
