Mary J Blige Biography
The songs on "The Breakthrough" are evidence of Mary's journey from her childhood in the projects of Yonkers, New York, to her early successes plagued with drama, to her current breakthrough. "Yes, she's gotten lost, she's done this and that and she's been trying to figure it out," Mary admits in her typically forthright manner. The album takes the listener on a journey through its 14 tracks. Essential stops on this trip are the album's debut single, "Be Without You;" an inspiring duet with Bono on U2's "One;" "MJB Da MVP," with Mary's vocal over The Game's "Hate it Or Love It;" and "Can't Hide From Love," a track that received early airplay due to a version leaked to radio.
Nobody tells it like Mary. Over the course of 14 years, with a voice that is rough and ready, sweet and pure, Mary J. Blige is capable of conveying heartache and happiness in a single musical phrase. A confessional singer, her emotional honesty reflects the great traditions of blues and soul with a ripped-from-the-pages-of-your-diary immediacy that has won her countless honors and a devoted, ever-growing audience around the world. More than a vocalist, she is an accomplished three-time Grammy Award winning recording artist known for her electrifying live performances and dramatic videos.
Mary is known for her innovative studio productions with a veritable who's-who of musical talents from Elton John to Dr. Dre. On "The Breakthrough," Mary continues to work with a hot-list of producers. Helming this album's musical journey is an all-star cast of producers including Bryan-Michael Cox, Rodney Jerkins, the Black Eyed Peas' Will I Am, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Dre & Vidal, Raphael Saadiq and more.
Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains, was released on December 18, 2007, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold 629,000 copies in its first week, marking the third time since Nielsen SoundScan began collecting data in 1991 that two albums sold more than 600,000 copies in a week in the United States. In its second week, the album climbed to number one, making it Blige's fourth number-one album. The lead single, "Just Fine", peaked at number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. "Just Fine" was nominated for the Grammy Award for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance", and Blige won "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for the Chaka Khan duet "Disrespectful" (featured on Khan's album Funk This). Growing Pains was not released in the UK, however, until 2008, where it became Blige's fifth top ten and third-highest charting album (The Breakthrough and Reflections (A Retrospective) were released in the Christmas rush and therefore settled for lower peaks, although both selling more than her top five album Mary). "Just Fine" also returned Blige to the UK singles chart top 20 after her previous two singles failed to chart highly. Subsequent singles from Growing Pains include "Work That", which accompanied Blige in an iTunes commercial, and "Stay Down".
Blige was featured on 50 Cent's 2007 album, Curtis, in the song "All of Me". Beginning in March 2008, she toured with Jay-Z in the Heart of the City tour, which was scheduled to play in cities including Miami, New York City, Chicago, L.A., and Detroit. They released a song called "You're Welcome". In the same period, cable network BET aired a special on Blige entitled The Evolution of Mary J. Blige, which showcased her career. Celebrities such as Method Man and Ashanti gave their opinions about Blige and her music. Blige also went on tour in Europe in support of Growing Pains, her first European tour in four years. She will also embark on her first tour of Australasia in June 2008.
Beyond giving to the world through song, Mary is committed to helping through deed. In addition to filming anti-drug public service announcements, Mary has worked with various education groups and received Rock the Vote's highest honor, the "Patrick Lippert Award." She is a tireless fund-raiser for people with AIDS. Most recently she has joined the Crest Healthy Smiles campaign to bring awareness to the oral health care epidemic and provides children in underserved communities with necessary tools for preventive care, education and low or no cost dental services.
Whether pouring her heart out in a recording booth, on a concert stage, or privately learning how to love herself and help others, Mary has discovered something powerful: The music that she makes, the songs that have brought so much joy and solace to so many, have also been her own salvation. When you think of perseverance, strength and commitment, you think of Mary J Blige.
