Mary J. Blige - My Life

During one of the "interludes" on My Life, Keith Murray is rapping about "Grab your cranium for my ultimatum," when someone in the studio control booth asks producer Chucky Thompson, "Hey, Chuck, put on some of that smooth [stuff]." Murray disappears; the dreamy synth chords of Blige's title track emerge, and her sultry voice moans with a combination of weary loneliness and unslaked desire. The ballad which follows is "smooth" but never slick, for the singer's sinuous, extended notes confess the blues even as they yearn for something better. It's tempting to see this little scenario--the rapper being turned off in favor of the soul diva--as a repudiation of hip-hop in favor of old-fashioned R&B. An honest listen to this album, however, makes such an interpretation impossible. Blige does no actual rapping herself on her long-awaited second outing, but the sound of "My Life" would have been impossible without hip-hop. The results confirm the promise of Blige's '92 debut; she is the premier soul diva of the hip-hop generation. --Geoffrey Himes Amazon.com

My Favorite MJB Album

I remember listening to this album when I was a girl. Back when everyone still had cassettes. Anyway, I used to listen to it every night. The whole CD is kind of sad and melancholy but listing to i always helped me through some dark days. This is my absolute favorite Mary album. November 19, 2008

Livin' The Life

As a collective whole, Mary J Blige's "My Life" is incomplete. Why then give this album 5 stars? Because the good overweighs the bad. There are enough songs on this cd to satisfy your Mary J Blige fix. Even though Mary herself claims she was in her "addiction" at the time of this recording, it still showcases brilliance in the r and b music world. In a perfect world, Mary J Blige's "My Life" would be:

1. Mary Jane
2. U Bring Me Joy
3. I"m The Only Woman
4. My Life
5. I Never Wanna Live Without u
6. I'm Goin' Down
7. Be Happy
(M' faves!)
Forget the rest. I'm sorry to say that, but for the anal r and b fan, the rest of the songs on this cd sound dated and just don't do the trick for me. "Be With U" is beyond repetative, it sounds like Mary just did voice over arrangements and improvised over a weak beat with pre-recorded back up vocals. Not only that, it sounds like she had a few too many (wink wink), if you really listen closely to the song. That's all good, but if you hear Mary's new music, you see the glaring differences in the music. Music in general has evolved and Mary has ridden the wave to superstardom. She remained in her artistry and never gave up on herself. She stayed in the music and let God take her on her journey, using every experience as a helping hand and carry her up the ladder and onto enlightenment. Mary could have easily faded in the background, but she took what she had and the cards that were dealt and played a winning hand. "My Life" is a part of Mary J Blige history, and she left behind a beautiful majestry of recorded music that still lives on. I still romanticize when I hear "I Never Wanna Live Without U" on a magical rainy night when you watch your fantasy lover walk away, knowing one day he will greet you will a wet loving kiss. Or when Mary gives glory to God on "My Life", when she testifies about Jesus, and how He can give u all the hapiness u need. These are some of the feelings an artist like Mary J Blige can bring you and that is what makes her a special artist. July 19, 2008

mary's best!

there's not much that i can say about this album. i had it on cassette, broke 2 of them from playing all the time, bought on cd twice. i'm with one of other reviews, even though mary's newer stuff is good, this i believe is her best. i think every woman can relate to every song on this album. July 15, 2008

Excellent

I received the product in a timely manner. I didn't expect to receive it so soon and was able to enjoy my cd. April 28, 2008

An Old Fan

Don't get me wrong, the newer stuff by Mary is ok, BUT, this album is what Mary a champion in my eyes. I know she's happy now, and she literally begged for on this album. I grew up to this one. So it doesn't matter albums she continues to make, there will never be another MY Life album.


Peace

April 7, 2008

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