Mary J. Blige: Give Our Legends Their Flowers.

How can I describe Mary Jane Blige from Yonkers? Legendary, badass, Incomparable, UNTOUCHABLE. Here’s why: 👇🏾

Mary isn’t called the QUEEN of Hip-Hop soul for nothing! Mary was introduced to the world through being featured on Father MC’s first two albums with Uptown.

Mary collaborating with Grand Puba was always something special. This is my shit!

What’s The 411 is my SHIT okay? Mary snapped! She’s a rapper at heart. Period.

Christopher Williams & Mary snapped on this record!

Mary & Jay Z came with the FIRE on Can’t Knock The Hustle. The Meli’sa Morgan’s Fool’s Paradise sampled bop is one of my favorites.

Gerald Levert & Mary covered a classic like That’s The Way I Feel About You so perfectly. 🙌🏾

911 is a classic PERIOD. Mary & Wyclef had to show the kids how to do it flawlessly.

Come Close is a collaboration with Common that is simply unforgettable.

Mary’s cover of DeBarge’s A Dream is simply beautiful. MARY HAD TIME!

What’s The 411? (1992):Favorites: Real Love, You Remind Me, Sweet Thing, What’s The 411, Reminisce, Love No Limit, I Don’t Want To Do Anything.

Mary came into the industry playing zero games with these R&B girls! Her debut album alone gave her the title “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” because of her soulful voice over edgy hip hop beats.

My Life (1994):Favorites: Mary Jane (All Night Long,) You Bring Me Joy, I’m The Only Woman, My Life, I Never Wanna Live Without You, Be With You, Don’t Go, I Love You, No One Else, Be Happy.

My favorite Mary album is EASILY My Life. The Bad Boy team’s production = PERFECTION. Mary = PERFECTION. Faith Evans & LaTonya on the background vocals = PERFECTION. I feel as if the world got know Mary on a personal level with this album.

Production wise, this album is IT. Diddy & Chucky Thompson brought something out of Mary on this one that I love and still appreciate to this day. In my opinion, Mary will never release an album as perfect as this one.

****we’re going to take an album break to discuss the greatness that is “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By.***The Razors remix is EVERYTHING!

Share My World (1997):Favorites: I Can Love You, Love Is All We Need, Round & Round, Share My World, Seven Days, Missing You, It’s On, Everything, Can’t Get You Off My Mind, Get To Know You Better.

Share My World is Mary’s magnum opus. It’s her first album without production from Diddy & his bad boy team. Working with Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Poke & Tone, Rodney Jerkins & R. Kelly, Share My World is so authentic…& amazing. 🔥

Mary (1999):Favorites: All That I Can Say, Deep Inside, Beautiful Ones, Time, I’m In Love, Don’t Waste Your Time, Not Lookin’, Your Child, Give Me You.

“Mary” is also one of my big favorite albums from her! Beautiful Ones is easily one of her best songs. Like man. Mary is a beast!

No More Drama (2001):Favorites: Family Affair, No More Drama, Keep It Moving, Dance For Me, Where I’ve Been, Rainy Dayz.

No “hateration” on a great album like No More Drama. Mary was fed up & had TIME on this record.

Love & Life (2003):Favorites: When We, Not Today, Love @ First Sight, It’s A Wrap, All My Love.

Love & Life saw Mary & Diddy reuniting as a team and I must say I was here for this album. Compared to her bigger albums, it’s so slept on in my opinion..but it’s so great!

The Breakthrough (2005):Favorites: No One Will Do, Enough Cryin, About You, Be Without You, Take Me As I Am, Baggage, Can’t Hide From Luv, I Found My Everything.

The Breakthrough is my runner up choice for a magnum opus from Mary because this is my favorite era! Every song is a gem especially the Nina Simone sampled About You, the massive hit Be Without You, & I Found My Everything. Mary & Raphael Saadiq got DOWN on that one.

Growing Pains (2007): Favorites: Just Fine, Work That, Hurt Again, Till the Morning, Fade Away, Smoke.

Everything about this record is great!

Stronger With Each Tear (2009):Favorites: The One, Good Love, I Am, Each Tear, We Got Hood Love, In The Morning.This album is so delightful, & I think it is so slept on out of Mary’s albums!

My Life II…The Journey Continues (2011):Favorites: Why, 25/8, Mr. Wrong, Don’t Mind, Someone To Love Me (Naked,) Love A Woman.

My Life II is criminally underrated. It definitely isn’t a masterpiece like My Life, but it holds down the fort & is a solid record!

A Mary Christmas (2013):Favorites: The First Noel, Little Drummer Boy, Do You Hear What I Hear.

Have this record playing during the holiday season! Mary does not disappoint!

The London Sessions (2014):Favorites: Therapy, Whole Damn Year, Right Now, Doubt, Pick Me Up.

Mary & her getting into the U.K. sound was an awesome time for music! This album is immaculate!

Strength of a Woman (2017):Favorites: Thick Of It, Glow Up, U+Me (Love Lesson,) Set Me Free, It’s Me, Indestructible, Survivor, Smile, Telling The Truth.

Mary. Does. Not. Hold. Back. The fallout of her marriage is on this record, & you can tell. It’s extremely early for me to fully digest an album (the album was released 24 hours after I started typing my review for her albums,) but the title alone says a lot about Mary. She’s been through a lot, but that shows you how strong women are..ESPECIALLY Black women.