Mary J. Blige: My Life II…The Journey Continues (Act 1)

Born Mary Jane Blige on January 11, 1971 in Savannah GA, Mary J. was raised in the housing projects in Yonkers, NY.  Mary got her musical start, when her stepfather passed along a tape she recorded in a karaoke machine in the local mall, to Uptown records.  She was signed up with Uptown records as a background singer for local artist.  While at Uptown, Sean “Puffy” Combs became her mentor and assisted her with the production of her first album in 1991, What’s the 411?  With her bad girl urban image, Mary has always been known for sharing her life and all its drama in her music.  Her musical sound has afforded her comparison with such great musical artists as Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin.   While she may share the vocal strength of these artists, she did not have their sophistication until recently.   Her bad girl image has since been mellowed with a bit more maturity and class. 

My Life II…The Journey Continues is her tenth album to debut and appear on the top 10 of Billboard 200.  She is the only artist to receive Grammy awards for her music in R&B, soul, gospel and hip-hop genres and was also ranked by Billboard Magazine as the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years. 

My Life II is filled with the same relationship drama that we are used to in Mary’s music but responds with a softer resolution.  The album contains over 18 tracks, and like My Life, Mary pours out her soul, as she is joined by artists, Drake, Busta Rhymes, Rick Ross, Nas and Beyoncé.  As a devout fan, I find it to be an easy and rewarding listen.  She admits in “Intro” that she knows that any sequel is expected to be better than the first and not only is her pain shared once again with this album but she is now able to give love. 

“No Condition, “Mr. Wrong (feat. Drake),” and “Why (feat. Rick Ross)” are all songs that refer to her pain and knowing desire to be with the wrong man, yet again. I suppose that one can speculate that she is attracted to the bad boys, and finds it hard to distance herself from them. However, a major ethical question comes to fruition: if Mary has a large fan base and can act as a serious spokesperson for women, why would she romanticize the bad boys, Mr. Wrong? 

My favorite tracks on the album that pull at my heart are “Empty Prayers” and “Living Proof.”  The Living Proof” as well reaches into a deep emotional interior, and I am hoping that she receives the Academy Award for Best Original Sound for its use in the recent film The Help.  Not only are the lyrics touching, but they offer wholesome conclusion to not only an outstanding movie, but a deeply moving record.

- Michele Bell, Shell Bell’s Urban Mix (Thursdays from 10pm-midnight @ WQHS.org)