Product Description

The immediate success of her triple-platinum debut WHAT'S THE 411? put Mary J. Blige in a singular class as a soul-hop visionary, and opened the door for other hip-hop-influenced R&B acts. Yet as the follow-up approached, the nature of hertalent began to be questioned, and the strength of her debut became an obstacle.
If Blige heard all those rumours, she must've decided that musical revenge is the best payback of all. Thus, MY LIFE comes across as another ground-breaking venture, linking R&B's new and old schools, filling the airwaves with delightful harmonies AND hip-hop samples. When Blige connects with her music's roots, she doesn't pussy-footaround soul's perimeters searching for eligible influences--so "You Bring Me Joy", "My Life" and "Be Happy" sample suchluminaries as Barry White, Roy Ayers and Curtis Mayfield, respectively. The reconstruction of the Mary Jane Girls' "AllNight Long" is (Mary Jane) Blige's shout-out to the funky '80s, while "Don't Go" is a feminist retort to Guy's "Goodbye".
Even though much of the album's musical direction is steered by producers Sean "Puffy" Combs and Chucky Thompson, Blige is the dominant songwriter here. And that's the main reason MY LIFE turns out to be such a statement of purpose--a17-song diary full of Blige's life, love, and struggles in defending her title as the queen of hip-hop soul.

Track Listing

1. Intro (Mary J. Blige/My Life)
2. Mary Jane (All Night Long)
3. You Bring Me Joy
4. Marvin Interlude
5. I'm The Only Woman
6. K. Murray Interlude
7. My Life
8. You Gotta Believe
9. I Never Wanna Live Without You
10. I'm Goin' Down
11. My Life Interlude
12. Be With You
13. Mary's Joint
14. Don't Go
15. I Love You
16. No One Else
17. Be Happy
18. (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8983 in Music
• Released on: 1999-03-20
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 68 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 favour of the soul diva--as a repudiation of hip-hop in favour 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

Customer Reviews

mary, mary...
this was the most personal album that mary's done. it is also the best. songs like 'i'm the only woman', 'no one else' and the sublime 'be happy' blow me away, even after all these years.

'my life' is pure soul and most r'n'b/hip hop ladies would kill to make an album as brilliant as this.

Best of the bunch
Having also listened to 'What's the 411', 'Mary' and 'No More Drama', I've come to the conclusion that MJB is an outstanding soul singer but the material/producers she works with sometimes lets her down. I've no time for slick/overproduced soul/r'n'b and for me the music's got to have an edge to it to make it work. I think on this album, MJB found the ideal formula; particularly on 'My Life', 'No One Else' and 'Be Happy'.

There are some fine moments on 'What's the 411' - such as 'You remind me' - and whilst it showed her potential, I don't think the material is as strong as on this album.

Other reviewers have rated 'Mary' as excellent but I found it disappointing and a bit dreary - as if she wanted to make a "grown-up" album and be a "serious" artist. I think it was a mistake and she's much better doing what she does best as on this album and on more recent albums.

Even on this album, there are one or two tracks which are on the syrupy side - hence only 4 stars - but when it hits the spot, it really hits it

Excellent
As i'm a big big fan of Mary J Blige the album My Life is wicked, when i mean the woman can sing oh my gosh, anyone who isnt a Mary fan it doesn't matter. Just listen to any 6 of her albums and ur surely b a fan.