Mary J. Blige facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary J. Blige
Blige in 2023
Born	Mary Jane Blige (1971-01-11) January 11, 1971 (age 54) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Singer songwriter rapper actress entrepreneur
Years active	1988–present
Spouse(s)	Kendu Isaacs ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2018)​
Awards	Full list
Musical career
Origin	Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Genres	R&B hip hop soul new jack swing neo soul
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Beautiful Life Mary Jane 300 Atlantic Republic Capitol Matriarch Geffen Verve Uptown MCA

Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. She is often called the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B". Mary J. Blige has won many awards, including nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and four American Music Awards. She also received the Billboard Icon Award.

Her music career started in 1988 when she signed with Uptown Records. In 1992, she released her first album, What's the 411?. This album was important because it blended R&B music with hip hop, making it popular. Her 1994 album, My Life, was also very successful. Both albums are considered some of the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. Mary J. Blige has released 15 studio albums, with four reaching number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Some of her most famous songs include "Real Love", "No More Drama", "Be Without You", and her number-one hit "Family Affair".

Mary J. Blige is also a talented actress. She was nominated for two Academy Awards for her role in the movie Mudbound (2017). She was recognized for her acting and for a song she co-wrote for the film, "Mighty River". This made her the first person to be nominated for both acting and songwriting in the same year. She has also appeared in movies like Rock of Ages (2012) and Respect (2021). On TV, she has starred in The Umbrella Academy (2019) and Power Book II: Ghost (2020–2024).

She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2018. In 2010, Billboard magazine called her the most successful female R&B/Hip-Hop artist of the past 25 years. In 2024, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Mary J. Blige's Early Life and Music Journey

Growing Up and Starting Out (1971–1991)

Mary J. Blige was born on January 11, 1971, in the Bronx, New York City. Her mother, Cora, was a nurse, and her father, Thomas Blige, was a jazz musician. She is the second of four children.

She spent her early childhood in Richmond Hill, Georgia, where she sang in a church. Later, her family moved back to Yonkers, New York. Her mother supported the family after her father left in the mid-1970s.

Mary J. Blige wanted to be a singer. In 1988, she recorded a song called "Caught Up in the Rapture" by Anita Baker at a mall recording booth. Her mother's boyfriend played the tape for Jeff Redd, who worked for Uptown Records. Jeff Redd sent it to the head of the label, Andre Harrell. In 1989, Mary J. Blige signed with Uptown Records as a backup singer. She was the youngest and first female artist on the label.

First Albums: What's The 411? and My Life (1992–1996)

After signing with Uptown Records, Mary J. Blige started working with producer Sean Combs, also known as Puff Daddy. He helped produce most of her first album. The album was called What's the 411? because Mary J. Blige wanted to show she was "the real deal."

On July 28, 1992, What's the 411? was released. Critics liked it a lot. The album reached number six on the Billboard 200 chart and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold over three million copies in the US and was certified three times Platinum. This album made Mary J. Blige the most successful new female R&B artist of 1992.

What's the 411? won her two Soul Train Music Awards in 1993. Critics now see it as one of the most important albums of the 1990s. Mary J. Blige's way of mixing singing with hip hop beats was very influential in R&B music. Because of this album, she became known as the "Queen of Hip Hop Soul". A remix album, What's the 411? Remix, was released in December 1993 to keep her songs popular on the radio.

Mary J. Blige then recorded her second album, My Life. It was released on November 29, 1994. This album was a big success for her. It reached number seven on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. My Life stayed at the top of the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart for eight weeks.

My Life has been recognized as one of the greatest American albums of all time by magazines like Blender, Rolling Stone, and Time.

Mary J. Blige also worked on other projects. She sang "Not Gon' Cry" for the movie Waiting to Exhale, which became a number-one R&B hit. She won a Grammy Award in 1996 for her song "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Method Man. She also worked with Jay-Z and Ghostface Killah on their albums.

New Sounds and Success (1997–2000)

Mary J. Blige in 1998

On April 22, 1997, Mary J. Blige released her third album, Share My World. She worked with new producers like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis and Rodney Jerkins. She wanted to make more upbeat and happy music. Songs like "Love Is All We Need" and "Share My World" came from this idea.

Share My World debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It had five hit singles, including "Everything". In 1998, she won an American Music Award for "Favorite Soul/R&B Album". She then went on the Share My World Tour, which led to a live album called The Tour.

On August 17, 1999, her fourth album, Mary, was released. This album had a different sound, more like classic soul music from the 1970s and 1980s. Critics praised the Mary album, and it was certified double platinum. Singles like "All That I Can Say" and "Deep Inside" were popular on the radio. The club remix of "Your Child" reached number one on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.

In 1999, Mary J. Blige and George Michael covered Stevie Wonder's song "As". It became a top ten hit in the UK. In January 2001, she performed as a special guest at the Super Bowl XXXV halftime show.

Big Hits and Collaborations (2001–2004)

Mary J. Blige in Hamburg, Germany, 2000

On August 28, 2001, Mary J. Blige released her fifth album, No More Drama. The first song, "Family Affair", produced by Dr. Dre, became her first and only number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed at number one for six weeks. Other hit songs from the album included "Dance for Me" and the title track "No More Drama".

The album was re-released in January 2002 with new songs and remixes. One new song was "Rainy Dayz" featuring Ja Rule. Mary J. Blige won a Grammy for "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance" for the song "He Think I Don't Know". In April 2002, she performed with Shakira and Whitney Houston at the VH1 Divas show.

On August 26, 2003, her sixth album, Love & Life, was released. She worked closely with Sean Combs again for this album. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The album was certified Platinum, meaning it sold over 1,000,000 copies in the US. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award.

The Breakthrough and Reflections (2005–2006)

Mary J. Blige performing in Washington, D.C., 2003

Mary J. Blige's seventh album, The Breakthrough, came out on December 20, 2005. It debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. It sold 727,000 copies in its first week, which was a huge success for a female R&B artist.

The first song from the album, "Be Without You", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. It stayed at number one on the R&B chart for a record-breaking fifteen weeks. This song also became her longest-charting single in the UK. The album had other hits like "Enough Cryin'" and "Take Me as I Am". Her duet with U2 on their song "One" was her biggest hit in the UK, reaching number two.

The Breakthrough won Mary J. Blige many awards, including nine Billboard Music Awards and three Grammy Awards. She won "Best Female R&B Vocal Performance", "Best R&B Song" (for "Be Without You"), and "Best R&B Album" for The Breakthrough.

In December 2006, a collection of her greatest hits called Reflections (A Retrospective) was released. It included four new songs. She also sang with Ludacris on his song "Runaway Love" and with Aretha Franklin on "Never Gonna Break My Faith" for the movie Bobby.

Growing Pains and More Tours (2007–2008)

Mary J. Blige performing in July 2007

Mary J. Blige's eighth album, Growing Pains, was released on December 18, 2007. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and then climbed to number one in its second week. This made it her fourth number-one album. The first song, "Just Fine", reached number three on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

"Just Fine" was nominated for a Grammy Award. Mary J. Blige also won a Grammy for "Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals" for her duet with Chaka Khan called "Disrespectful".

Growing Pains was released in the UK in February 2008 and became her fifth top ten album there. She toured with Jay-Z in the Heart of the City Tour in March 2008. The TV channel BET aired a special about her career called The Evolution of Mary J. Blige.

Growing Pains won the Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary R&B Album" at the 51st Grammy Awards in 2009. Mary J. Blige then went on the Growing Pains European Tour.

Stronger with Each Tear (2009–2010)

Mary J. Blige performed "Lean on Me" at the "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" in January 2009. She also sang "Just Fine" at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball after Barack Obama became president.

Mary J. Blige performing at Bumbershoot in September 2010

Her ninth album, Stronger with Each Tear, was released on December 21, 2009. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The song "Stronger" was the main song from the soundtrack of the basketball movie "More than a Game". The second song from the album, "I Am", reached number fifty-five on the Hot 100.

In March 2010, Stronger with Each Tear was released in the UK and Europe. It reached number 33 on the UK Albums Chart. Mary J. Blige was honored at the 2009 BET Honors Ceremony. On November 4, 2009, she sang The Star-Spangled Banner at Yankee Stadium before a World Series game.

In January 2010, Mary J. Blige released "Hard Times Come Again No More" with the Roots and performed it at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. At the 2010 Grammy Awards, she performed " Bridge over Troubled Water" with Andrea Bocelli. She also took part in "We Are the World 25 for Haiti" in February 2010. At the NAACP Image Awards, she won Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Album for Stronger with Each Tear. In November 2010, Billboard named her the most successful female R&B/hip hop artist of the past 25 years.

New Music and Christmas Album (2011–2013)

Mary J. Blige onstage at the Raggamuffin Festival in Sydney, Australia in January 2011

In July 2011, Mary J. Blige released "The Living Proof" for the movie The Help. In August 2011, she released "25/8", the first song from her tenth album. Her album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), was released in November 2011. This album looked to the future while remembering the past. It featured production by Kanye West.

The second song, "Mr. Wrong" featuring Drake, was the most successful from the album. It reached number 10 on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The album itself debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 and was certified Gold in 2012.

On February 28, 2012, Mary J. Blige sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. She also appeared as a guest mentor on American Idol. In October 2012, she was featured on Kendrick Lamar's song "Now or Never".

In 2013, Mary J. Blige recorded a Christmas album called A Mary Christmas. It was released on October 15, 2013. The album included songs with Barbra Streisand and Jessie J. In December, A Mary Christmas became her 12th top ten album. On October 23, 2013, she sang the national anthem before Game 1 of the 2013 World Series.

The London Sessions and Strength of a Woman (2014–2019)

On February 5, 2014, a remix of Disclosure's "F for You" featuring Mary J. Blige was released.

Mary J. Blige performing at a State Dinner for President François Hollande of France, 2014

In May 2014, it was announced that Mary J. Blige would release new songs for the movie soundtrack Think Like a Man Too (Music from and Inspired by the Film). The soundtrack debuted at number 30 on the Billboard 200. In June 2014, she also released a new version of Sam Smith's "Stay with Me".

After a concert in July 2014, Mary J. Blige moved to London to work on a new album with young British artists like Disclosure and Sam Smith. Ten new songs were released on November 24, 2014, on an album called The London Sessions. She also announced that she had signed with Capitol Records.

In August 2016, Mary J. Blige sang the new theme song for the TV show The View, called "World's Gone Crazy". In September 2016, she appeared on The View with Maxwell to talk about their tour and the theme song.

On September 30, 2016, Mary J. Blige started a new show called The 411 on Apple Music. In the first episode, she interviewed Hillary Clinton.

Mary J. Blige released two songs in October 2016, "Thick of It" and "U + Me (Love Lesson)". On April 28, 2017, her thirteenth album, Strength of a Woman, was released. It reached number three on the Billboard 200. On July 12, 2018, she released the song "Only Love".

On April 16, 2019, Mary J. Blige announced a tour with Nas called The Royalty Tour. On May 8, she released the song "Thriving" featuring Nas. At the BET Awards 2019 on June 23, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her amazing work in music.

Super Bowl, Good Morning Gorgeous, and New Projects (2021–Present)

In June 2021, Mary J. Blige celebrated the 25th anniversary of her album My Life with a documentary called Mary J. Blige's My Life, released by Amazon Studios.

In December 2021, Mary J. Blige started her own music label, Mary Jane Productions, with 300 Entertainment. She released two new songs, "Good Morning Gorgeous" and "Amazing" featuring DJ Khaled. These songs are on her fourteenth album, also called Good Morning Gorgeous, which came out on February 11, 2022.

In January 2022, she released another song from Good Morning Gorgeous called "Rent Money" featuring Dave East.

On February 13, 2022, Mary J. Blige performed at the Super Bowl LVI halftime show with Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Anderson .Paak. A few days later, she shared that she is working on an album produced entirely by Dr. Dre. In March 2022, she and Pepsi announced the first Strength of a Woman Festival and Summit in Atlanta.

In May 2022, TIME magazine listed Mary J. Blige as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In September 2022, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) for her performance at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Mary J. Blige's Acting Career

Early Roles (1998–2016)

In 1998, Mary J. Blige started her acting career on the TV show The Jamie Foxx Show. In 2001, she starred in the movie Prison Song with Q-Tip. That same year, she made a guest appearance on the TV series Strong Medicine. In 2004, she acted in an Off-Broadway play called The Exonerated.

She was considered for the main role in a movie about singer Nina Simone, but later left the project.

In February 2007, Mary J. Blige guest-starred on Ghost Whisperer. In August 2007, she appeared as herself on Entourage. In May 2009, she made a guest appearance on 30 Rock. She also had a supporting role in Tyler Perry's movie I Can Do Bad All by Myself in September 2009.

Mary J. Blige starred with Tom Cruise in the movie Rock of Ages (2012). She played Justice Charlier, who owned a club. She also played Dr. Betty Shabazz, the wife of Malcolm X, in the Lifetime movie Betty and Coretta in February 2013. In December 2015, she played Evillene in NBC's The Wiz Live!. In October 2016, she guest-starred on the TV show How to Get Away with Murder.

Breakthrough with Mudbound and TV Roles (2017–Present)

In 2017, Mary J. Blige starred in the movie Mudbound. She played Florence Jackson, the mother of a family. Critics praised her performance, saying it was amazing and would boost her acting career. For her role in Mudbound, she was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Mighty River" from the film. This made her the first person to be nominated for both acting and songwriting in the same year.

Mary J. Blige voiced Irene in the animated movie Sherlock Gnomes (2018) and Queen Essence in Trolls World Tour (2020). In 2019, she starred as Cha-Cha in the Netflix superhero series The Umbrella Academy.

In 2020, she had a main role in the horror movie Body Cam. She also starred as Monet Stewart Tejada in Power Book II: Ghost, a spin-off of the TV show Power, which started in September 2020. Mary J. Blige played singer Dinah Washington in the movie Respect (2021), which was about Aretha Franklin's life.

In 2023, she was cast in the drama film Rob Peace.

Mary J. Blige's Personal Life

In the 1990s, Mary J. Blige was in a relationship with singer Cedric "K-Ci" Hailey. Later, she briefly dated rapper Nas.

Mary J. Blige married her manager, Martin "Kendu" Isaacs, on December 7, 2003. In July 2016, she filed for divorce, which was finalized on June 21, 2018.

Mary J. Blige is a Democrat. She performed for Barack Obama at the 2012 Democratic National Convention. She has many nieces and nephews and enjoys her freedom to travel and do what she wants.

She is close friends with Taraji P. Henson, Missy Elliott, Method Man, Dr. Dre, and other famous people.

Other Projects and Businesses

Mary J. Blige has worked with many big brands, including Reebok, Pepsi, Gap, American Express, and Apple Inc..

In 2004, she started her own record label called Matriarch Records. She also had a production company that worked on TV and film projects.

In July 2010, Mary J. Blige launched her first perfume, My Life, which sold very well. In August 2011, she launched another scent called My Life Blossom. In October 2010, she released "Melodies by MJB", a line of sunglasses.

In late 2020, Mary J. Blige co-founded Sister Love, a jewelry line for women. She also started a film and TV production company called Blue Butterfly Productions in 2019. In December 2022, this company signed a deal with BET for TV shows. Her talk show, The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige, premiered in early 2023.

She has also founded two other companies: Mary Jane Productions and Beautiful Life Productions.

Mary J. Blige's Impact and Legacy

Mary J. Blige is known as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" because she helped combine hip hop and R&B music. Her albums What's the 411? and My Life created a new sound that influenced many artists. Critics say she "invented what is now called R&B" by mixing female vocals with strong hip hop beats. This style is very popular in music today.

Mary J. Blige is also recognized for how she represents black women in hip hop. She sings about the experiences of black women in a real way, different from common stereotypes. Her song "Real Love" is seen as a powerful statement about her humanity and the experiences of women in the hip-hop generation.

She has received many important awards. In 2010, VH1 ranked her among the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Essence magazine listed her as one of the 50 most influential R&B singers. Her album My Life is on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Mary J. Blige is the only artist to have won Grammys in the R&B, hip hop, pop, and gospel music categories.

Many artists have been influenced by Mary J. Blige and her work, including Beyoncé, Adele, Taylor Swift, Monica, and Sam Smith.

As an actress, she received the Breakthrough Performance Award at the 2018 Palm Springs International Film Festival for her role in Mudbound.

In 2020, Kamala Harris, who became the first Black and South Asian female Vice President-elect of the United States, often used Mary J. Blige's song "Work That" at her campaign events.

Discography

Studio albums

• What's the 411? (1992)
• My Life (1994)
• Share My World (1997)
• Mary (1999)
• No More Drama (2001)
• Love & Life (2003)
• The Breakthrough (2005)
• Growing Pains (2007)
• Stronger with Each Tear (2009)
• My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011)
• A Mary Christmas (2013)
• The London Sessions (2014)
• Strength of a Woman (2017)
• Good Morning Gorgeous (2022)
• Gratitude (2024)

Tours

Headlining Tours

• Share My World Tour (1997–98)
• The Mary Show Tour (2000)
• No More Drama Tour (2002)
• Love & Life Tour (2004)
• The Breakthrough Experience Tour (2006)
• Growing Pains European Tour (2008)
• Love Soul Tour (2008)
• Music Saved My Life Tour (2010–11)
• The London Sessions Tour (2015)
• Strength of a Woman Tour (2017)
• Good Morning Gorgeous Tour (2022)
• For My Fans Tour (2025)

Co-headlining Tours

• Heart of the City Tour (with Jay-Z) (2007)
• The Liberation Tour (with D'Angelo) (2012–13)
• King and Queen of Hearts World Tour (with Maxwell) (2016)
• The Royalty Tour (with Nas) (2019)

Supporting Tours

• Humpin' Around the World Tour (with Bobby Brown) (1992–1993)

Filmography

• Prison Song (2001)
• I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009)
• Chico and Rita (2010)
• Rock of Ages (2012)
• Betty and Coretta (2013)
• Black Nativity (2013)
• Champs (2014)
• The Wiz Live! (2015)
• Mudbound (2017)
• Sherlock Gnomes (2018)
• Trolls World Tour (2020)
• Body Cam (2020)
• The Violent Heart (2020)
• Pink Skies Ahead (2020)
• Respect (2021)
• Rob Peace (2024)

Images for kids

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  Mary J. Blige in 2023

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  Mary J. Blige in 1998

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  Mary J. Blige in Hamburg, Germany, 2000

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  Mary J. Blige performing in Washington, D.C., 2003

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  Mary J. Blige performing in July 2007

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  Mary J. Blige performing at Bumbershoot in September 2010

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  Mary J. Blige onstage at the Raggamuffin Festival in Sydney, Australia in January 2011

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  Mary J. Blige performing at a State Dinner for President François Hollande of France, 2014

See also

In Spanish: Mary J. Blige para niños

• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of black Golden Globe Award winners and nominees
• Honorific nicknames in popular music