Mary J. Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress from The Bronx, United States, born in 1971. Her work spans contemporary R&B, dance-pop, hip hop, hip hop soul, new jack swing, and R&B. She is known as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul and the Queen of R&B, and she sells more than 75 million records worldwide.

Early career and breakthrough

Blige emerges in 1992 with her debut album What’s the 411?, which sells 3.4 million copies. The album includes the singles You Remind Me, Real Love, Reminisce, Sweet Thing, and Love No Limit. It helps define hip-hop soul and is widely linked with bringing hip hop and R&B together in a new mainstream form.

Her second album, My Life, arrives in 1994. Blige writes or co-writes 14 of its 17 tracks. The album is supported by Be Happy, Mary Jane (All Night Long), I’m Goin’ Down, and You Bring Me Joy, sells more than three million copies, and is certified 3x platinum by the RIAA. It later appears in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

1990s releases and awards

Not Gon’ Cry, written and produced by Babyface for the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, peaks at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and becomes her highest-charting single of the 1990s. In 1996, she wins her first Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for Method Man’s I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.

Her third album, Share My World, is released on MCA Records in 1997. For this album she works with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Rodney Jerkins, Babyface, R. Kelly, and Poke & Tone after ending her collaboration with Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson. It debuts at number one on the US Billboard 200, her first album to do so, and is certified 3x platinum. Its singles include Love Is All We Need, I Can Love You, Everything, Missing You, and Seven Days.

That year she also issues the live album The Tour, which comes from the Share My World Tour and is certified gold. Its single is Misty Blue.

Albums in the 2000s

Mary appears in 1999 and shows a more earthy, whimsical, adult contemporary-leaning sound. It debuts at number two on the Billboard 200, spends 57 weeks on the chart, and includes All That I Can Say, Deep Inside, Give Me You, and Your Child. It sells 2.1 million copies in the US and is nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Album.

No More Drama follows in 2001 on MCA. Its lead single Family Affair, produced by Dr. Dre, becomes her first Billboard Hot 100 number one and stays there for six weeks. The album also produces Dance For Me, No More Drama, and the reissue track Rainy Dayz, which becomes another Top 20 hit. The album sells 3.2 million copies in the US and 5 million worldwide.

She wins another Grammy in 2003, this time her first as a lead artist, for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for He Think I Don’t Know. Later that year, Love & Life is released on Geffen Records, after Geffen absorbs MCA. It debuts at number one on the Billboard 200, becomes her fourth consecutive UK top ten album, and is nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album, though it becomes her lowest-selling album to that point at 1 million copies.

The Breakthrough arrives in 2005 and features collaborations with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan-Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool & Dre, and Dre & Vidal. It debuts at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts, and its first-week sales of 727,000 set a SoundScan record for an R&B solo female artist. Be Without You becomes a major hit, reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B chart for 15 consecutive weeks. The song is later named Billboard’s most successful R&B/Hip-Hop song of all time and wins Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance at the 2007 Grammy Awards; it is also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Other singles from the album include Enough Cryin, Take Me As I Am, and One.

Her compilation Reflections (A Retrospective) appears in 2006 with four new songs, including We Ride (I See the Future). It reaches number nine in the US, number 40 in the UK, and sells more than 1.6 million copies. Growing Pains follows in 2007, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It is certified platinum and wins the Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009. Just Fine is its Top 40 single.

Stronger with Each Tear is released in 2009, again debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It is certified gold. Blige is honoured at the 2009 BET Honors ceremony, where Anita Baker and Monica pay tribute to her.

2010s work, film, and collaborations

My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) appears in 2011 and debuts at number five on the Billboard 200. It is certified gold in 2012 and sells 763,000 copies in the US. Her first holiday album, A Mary Christmas, is released in 2013 through Matriarch and Verve Records and becomes her 12th top ten album; it is certified gold. Think Like a Man Too, credited as her 12th studio album, follows in 2014 and reaches number six on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, giving her a 16th top ten entry on that chart and tying her with Mariah Carey for second-most top tens by a female artist.

After her set at the Essence Festival, Blige records in London with younger British acts including Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Emeli Sandé, and Sam Smith. The resulting album, The London Sessions, is co-written and recorded with her and contains twelve new songs. It reaches number nine on the Billboard 200 and number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, becoming her 13th top ten Billboard 200 entry and her tenth number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart.

Strength of a Woman follows in 2017 after her divorce from Kendu Isaacs. The album includes the Urban AC singles Thick of It and U + Me (Love Lesson), debuts at number three on the Billboard 200, and becomes her highest-charting album since Stronger with Each Tear.

Also in 2017, she appears in the period drama Mudbound as Florence Jackson. Her performance brings Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. She is also nominated for Best Original Song for Mighty River, becoming the first person nominated for an Academy Award for acting and original song in the same year. In 2018, she releases the single Only Love.

Associations

Blige is listed as a member of Artists Against AIDS Worldwide, Various Artists for Children’s Promise, and Da Bassment.