Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and actress. Often referred to as the "Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and "Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Awards, twelve NAACP Image Awards, and twelve Billboard Music Awards, including the Billboard Icon Award. She has been nominated for three Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards, including one for her supporting role in the film Mudbound (2017) and another for its original song "Mighty River", becoming the first person nominated for acting and songwriting in the same year.
Rodney Roy Jerkins, also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
"U Don't Know Me (Like U Used To)" is a song by American recording artist Brandy Norwood. It was written by Isaac Phillips, Paris Davis, Sean Bryant, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, and Norwood for her second studio album Never Say Never (1998). Production was handled by Jerkins, with additional production from Norwood.
"Touch It" is a song by American rapper Busta Rhymes. Released on December 13, 2005, it was the first single from Rhymes' Aftermath/Interscope debut, The Big Bang. The song reached number one in New Zealand, and number six in the United Kingdom. The song features a minimalistic beat provided by Swizz Beatz, and a sample from the song "Technologic" by electronic duo Daft Punk. "Touch It" in turn was incorporated into Daft Punk's live album, Alive 2007.
"I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" is a duet song by American rapper Method Man, featuring American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The song is a remix of Method Man's "All I Need", which appears on his debut studio album Tical (1994). The song, a hip hop soul record, was released as a single by Def Jam Recordings and PolyGram Records on April 25, 1995.
Rene Francisco Sotomayor, better known by the stage name T-Bone, is a Christian rapper. His father was Nicaraguan and his mother is Salvadoran. His name came from being called 'Bones' as a youngster because he was very skinny. The 'T' was "added to give the name a little slang edge."
Tru Dawgs is a compilation album by rapper C-Murder. It was released on April 30, 2002 through D3/Riviera Records and featured production from Donald XL Robertson and Carlos Stephens. Tru Dawgs peaked at #67 on the Billboard 200 and #15 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and was the last album he made before he was jailed for murder. The album also featured a large amount of No Limit Records alumni including Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Mac, Snoop Dogg, Mia X and Soulja Slim.
Matko Šašek, also known as Koolade is a Croatian hip-hop, electronic, and urban music producer. Born in Zagreb in the late 1970s, he began his music career in the late 1990s. Along with other members of the Blackout family he played a major role in establishing hip-hop genre in the Croatian and regional (Balkans) music scene, rocking charts, record sales and winning a few national music awards in Croatia and Bosnia.
The Truest Shit I Ever Said is the fifth studio album by American rapper C-Murder, released on March 22, 2005, on TRU Records and Koch Records. The album was recorded in prison, during visiting hours using a hand held recorder supplied by his lawyer and released on Tru Records. The intro to the album contains audio from interviews with family and friends about him going to jail.
The ESSENCE Festival of Culture is the largest African-American culture and music event in the US. The annual music festival started in 1995 in New Orleans, Louisiana to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. The festival features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only stages.
"Can't Knock the Hustle" is the third single from American rapper Jay-Z's debut album Reasonable Doubt. The song features a beat produced by Knobody. It is co-produced by Sean C and Dahoud Darien. The chorus is sung by Mary J. Blige.
"Just Fine" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Terius "The-Dream" Nash, Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart for her eighth studio album, Growing Pains (2007), while production was helmed by Pha and Stewart. It was released as the album's lead single on October 16, 2007. The song peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 16 on the UK Singles Chart, while also topping the US Hot Dance Club Play chart.
"All That I Can Say" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was composed by fellow R&B singer Lauryn Hill, who also sang backing vocals, for Blige's fourth studio album, Mary (1999). Released as the album's lead single in July 1999 by MCA, it became a moderate commercial success in both the United States and United Kingdom, peaking at numbers forty-four and twenty-nine, respectively.
Stronger with Each Tear is the ninth studio album from American R&B and soul singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. The album was released in the US on December 21, 2009, under Blige's own imprint, Matriarch Records.
"I Am" is a song by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Johntá Austin, Ester Dean, Magnus Beite, Tor Erik Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen for her ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear (2009), while production was helmed by Hermansen and Eriksen under their production moniker Stargate. Lyrically, the song "I Am" confidently tells one's lover nobody can treat them better than the person they are with at the present time.
"Fancy" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, from his debut album, Thank Me Later. The song features vocals from American rapper T.I. and producer Swizz Beatz, the latter of whom also co-produced the track alongside Noah "40" Shebib. The song was released to US radio stations on August 3, 2010, as the album's fourth official single, however promotion of the track ended earlier than expected due to Drake's uncertainty towards the song's planned music video and promotion.
The 1996 Soul Train Music Awards was held on March 29, 1996, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. The show honored the best in R&B, soul, rap, jazz, and gospel music from the previous year. The show was hosted by Brandy, LL Cool J and Anita Baker.
"Someone to Love Me (Naked)" is a song recorded by American singer Mary J. Blige for her tenth studio album My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) (2011). It features guest vocals by American rappers Diddy and Lil Wayne. "Someone to Love Me (Naked)" was written by Blige, Jerry Wonda and Leroy Watson, and was produced by Wonda. The song is a remix of "Someone to Love Me" from Diddy-Dirty Money's debut studio album, Last Train to Paris (2010). It samples "You Roam When You Don’t Get It At Home" performed by The Sweet Inspirations. It was released on March 29, 2011, as the first promotional single from the album.
"Another Round" is a single by American rapper Fat Joe. It features R&B singer Chris Brown. The hip hop and R&B song, which samples "I Will Always Love You" by Troop, was produced by Cool & Dre and Yung Ladd and co-written by Kenneth Joseph and Jarell Perry. On October 20, 2011, the single was released for digital download on iTunes.
Burton Rashad "Ringo" Smith is an American hip hop and R&B record producer. He was born in England and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, in a Jamaican and Haitian family. Rashad grew up alongside notable hip hop artists such as Mos Def, Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, among others.
