Mary J. Blige Wins 3 Grammy Awards

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Mary J. Blige dominated the hip hop market during the 1990’s. She had a string of critically acclaimed, hit albums including What’s the 411? (1992) and Share My World (1997).

Mary J. Blige was born January 11, 1971. She spent time in Georgia before she and her mother moved to a housing project in Yonkers, New York. The street life had its effect on May J. Blige and she dropped out of school before graduating. She spent most of her days hanging out with her friends doing their hair or going to the mall.  It was while hanging out at the mall that Mary J. Blige recorded herself singing into a karaoke machine.  Uptown records received a copy of the tape. Uptown was so impressed with Mary J. Blige that they immediately signed her to sing back up vocals for the likes of Father MC.

It was Sean Puffy Combs that took Mary J. Blige under his wing. With his help she recorded her very first solo album, What’s the 411? It was a success with both the media and hip hop fans.  From that point on, Mary J. Blige had a string of successes.

During the early part of the 2000’s Mary J. Bilge’s career took a sour note. She divorced herself from Uptown records and Sean Puffy Combs. She signed onto MCA records and recorded a few albums that seemed to have the critics confused. Mary J. Blige was feeling her growing pains and it was coming out in her music. Still, the fans held on.

The year 2005 saw the release of Breakthrough. The single Be Without You spent nearly a year on the R& B charts. Mary J. Blige’s newest release, Reflections (A Retrospective) is looking like it will be another big success.

With 3 Grammy wins for her album Breakthrough, it is clear that Mary J. Blige is not going away any time soon.