I sent “Think of You” as a record for Mary, but Puff ended up using that for Usher. The songs I was sending him to give him an idea of me as a producer, he ended up using them for the album. I already had a lot of the My Life album done before I met Puff. So when I heard that What’s the 411? album, I’m like, “ this is out of what I’m thinking.” At that time, I was doing a lot of merging of hip-hop with live instruments, because I played eight different instruments. Hiram could get me to TLC Puffy could get me to Mary. I was seeking management at that time, and it was between two people, Hiram Hicks or Puffy. Go-go - and he spoke with Rolling Stone about his time in the studio with Blige and how his D.C. Thompson appears in the My Life documentary - he’s also at work on a film of his own, Chucky Thompson Presents D.C. Not only did the young beat-maker serve as a crucial behind-the-scenes presence during the making of My Life, blending rich Seventies soul with radio-ready hip-hop, Thompson also created “Big Poppa” and “Me & My Bitch” for a fresh-faced New York rapper by the name of the Notorious B.I.G. who had played with the famous Go-Go pioneer Chuck Brown. 1994 was a breakout year for Thompson, a multi-instrumentalist from D.C. Diddy and the rising producer Chucky Thompson. “I have 13 albums,” she declares early on in her new Amazon documentary, released on Friday, “but my second, My Life, is my most important.”Īfter working with a grab-bag of big names - including Devante Swing of Jodeci and the rappers Busta Rhymes and Grand Puba - on her debut, What’s the 411?, Blige narrowed her focus for its follow-up, working almost exclusively with P. Some artists struggle to determine which of their releases is the most vital - it’s like asking a parent to pick a favorite child. Blige Made 'My Life,' Her 'Most Important' Album
Blige Made 'My Life,' Her 'Most Important' Album How Mary J. For those who want to relive Blige’s embattled masterpiece, now’s the chance to rediscover My Life in two vinyl formats, sourced from the original masters.How Mary J. Over the course of her career, Blige became a symbol of female empowerment and perseverance, but on My Life, she lay her soul bare to brilliant ends. Last December, Amazon Studios announced that an as-yet-untitled Blige documentary is in production, helmed by Sean “Diddy” Combs. She would go on release 11 more studio albums, start her own film production company and earn an Oscar nomination. With My Life, Blige established herself an unrivaled voice in R&B. With Blige taking the songwriting reins, My Life remains her most revelatory and creatively vital work to date.Įarning an award for Top R&B Album at the 1995 Billboard Music Awards, as well as a Grammy nomination for Best R&B album in 1996, My Life stands alone as an unflinching document of Blige as she struggled to see light in the darkness. She completely owns Rose Royce’s 1976 soul classic “I’m Going Down,” and her promise of happiness amid the drama still rings true on the exuberant “You Bring Me Joy.” Blige flexed her encyclopedic knowledge of soul by sampling Roy Ayers (“My Life”), Curtis Mayfield (“I’m The Only Woman”), Isaac Hayes (“I Love You”) and Barry White (“You Bring Me Joy”).Įven 25 years later, Blige’s bristling delivery on My Life still sounds raw. With Bad Boy’s hitmaker Chucky Thompson and Price Charles Alexander at the boards, My Life blended street-savvy R&B with quiet storm ballads.
The bar was set with her debut and Mary was up to the challenge when she released the most introspective, personal, and culturally impactful album of her career, My Life. In 1992, the Yonkers-raised singer, recorded her 3x platinum debut, What’s the 411?, with Sean “Puffy” Combs behind the board, marking the beginning of the Blige/Puffy golden era. The 3LP edition will also be available digitally, which will feature commentary by Blige on the original album tracks. My Life will be available in three formats: a 2 CD, a standard weight black double vinyl, and a triple vinyl edition in translucent blue with a lenticular cover, including bonus tracks featuring LL Cool J, and Smif ‘N Wessun. The album, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2019, is getting a deluxe reissue on November 20 via Geffen/UMe. Blige secured herself the title of Queen of Hip-Hop Soul when she delivered the R&B classic.
With her 1994 breakthrough sophomore album My Life, Mary J.
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