My Life (Mary J. Blige album)

Last updated
My Life
Mary J Blige album cover My Life.jpg
Studio album by
Mary J. Blige
ReleasedNovember 29, 1994 (1994-11-29)
RecordedDecember 1993 – September 1994
Studio
  • Axis Studios Recording
  • Clinton Recording Studios
  • Daddy's House
  • The Hit Factory
  • Sound on Sound Recordings (New York City)
Genre R&B [1]
Length64:59
Label
Producer
Mary J. Blige chronology
What's the 411? Remix
(1993)		My Life
(1994)		 Share My World
(1997)
Singles from My Life
  1. "Be Happy"
    Released: October 26, 1994
  2. "I'm Goin' Down"
    Released: January 18, 1995
  3. "Mary Jane (All Night Long)"
    Released: February 8, 1995
  4. "You Bring Me Joy"
    Released: May 28, 1995
  5. "I Love You"
    Released: May 28, 1995

My Life is the second album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige, released on November 29, 1994, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. [2] Many of the topics on My Life deal with clinical depression, Blige's battling with both drugs and alcohol, as well as being in an abusive relationship. Unlike her debut, What's the 411? (1992), Blige contributed lyrics to fourteen of the album's tracks, making it her most introspective and personal album at the time. Similar to her debut album, My Life features extensive production from Sean "Puffy" Combs for his newly founded label, Bad Boy Entertainment, which was at the time backed by Arista Records.

Contents

Considered to be her breakthrough album, My Life became Mary J. Blige's second album to reach the top ten on the Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number seven, and debuting at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it stayed for eight weeks. In 1996, the album was nominated for Best R&B Album at the 38th Grammy Awards, while in December of the same year, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for shipments of three million copies in the United States. [2] It also won the 1995 Billboard Music Award for Top R&B Album. A special commemorative edition of the album was released on November 20, 2020. [3]

Background

Following the success of her debut album, What's the 411?, and a remixed version in 1993, Blige went into the recording studio in the winter of 1993 to record her second album, My Life. [4] Producer Chucky Thompson was brought in and had originally been contracted to produce one song and an interlude for the project. [4] He ended up being a last minute replacement as the producers Blige worked with previously on What's the 411? demanded more money when the album was certified triple platinum. [4] Blige loved the one song Thompson produced for her, which made Combs change the direction of the album. [4]

Combs called recording engineer Prince Charles Alexander out of the blue after Jodeci went to record Diary of a Mad Band . Alexander was brought in at the end of the record, after working on albums by other artists on Bad Boy Entertainment, such as Total, The Notorious B.I.G. and 112. [5] In the middle of recording My Life, Combs suggested covering Rose Royce's 1977 hit "I'm Going Down", which he wanted Alexander to handle the session. However, the two butted heads over production credit issues, as Combs wanted to give credit to himself and Thompson, although neither were present for the song's recording session. [5] Alexander fought hard to seek production credit from Combs and the two battled it out over the phone over the issue. [5] Combs later explained it was due to receiving a flat royalty rate for producing the majority of the songs and Alexander's production credit would have interfered with the royalty rate. [5] To circumvent this issue, Alexander insisted on having two more sessions with Bad Boy acts. One of the other songs he produced was another Rose Royce cover – "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" for Faith Evans' 1995 debut Faith . [5] Alexander was later called back in to do some mixing and recording.

On the song "K. Murray Interlude", it originally featured The Notorious B.I.G.. He was taken off due to the song's lyrical content, which would have forced Uptown Records to release the album with a Parental Advisory sticker. [5] Rapper Keith Murray was the replacement, while The Notorious B.I.G.'s verse would be released as the song "Who Shot Ya". [5]

The album was a breakthrough for Blige, who at this point was in a clinical depression, battling both drugs and alcohol as well as being in an abusive relationship with singer K-Ci Hailey. [6] [7] In this period, Blige would once again dominate the charts with her singles: the Top 40 hit "Be Happy", a cover version of "I'm Goin' Down" and "You Bring Me Joy". The album uses primary soul samples from R&B musicians such as Curtis Mayfield, Roy Ayers, Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Rick James, and his protégés, the Mary Jane Girls. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Cash Box (favorable) [9]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Entertainment Weekly B [11]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
Knoxville News Sentinel Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [14]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [15]
NME 7/10 [16]
The Philadelphia Inquirer Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [17]
Pitchfork 7.0/10 [18]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [19]

NME wrote that the beats "reign supreme" and commended Blige for "telling her audience she grew up the same way they did, listened to the same things, was influenced by the same situations." [16] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau gave it a three-star honorable mention, indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure". He cited "Mary Jane" and "I'm Going Down" as highlights while calling the album "an around-the-way girl's recipe for happiness". [20] In a mixed review, Jonathan Bernstein of Spin found most of the songs too "ordinary" and felt that Blige's compositions "give her space to stretch out and emote, but for all the melody they possess they might as well be breathing exercises." [21] Connie Johnson was more critical in the Los Angeles Times , finding it "drab" and devoid of attitude from Blige, who "doesn't add her own hard-core signature to any significant degree". [14]

In 2002, My Life was ranked number 57 on Blender 's list of the 100 greatest American albums of all-time.[ citation needed ] The following year, Rolling Stone placed it at number 279 on their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, [22] 281 on a 2012 revised list, [23] and 126 on a 2020 list. [24] In 2006, the record was included in Time 's 100 greatest albums of all-time list. [25] Most recently, the album was recognized by Apple Music [26] as the 86th best album of all time in 2024 on the Apple Music 100 Best Albums list.

Accolades

PublicationCountryAccoladeYearRank
Apple Music United States Apple Music 100 Best Albums202486
Blender The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time200257
Entertainment Weekly The 100 Best Albums from 1983 to 2008200870
Rolling Stone The Essential Recordings of the 90s1999*
50 Essential Female Albums200217
The 100 Greatest Albums of the 90s201063
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time2003279
2012281
2020126
TIME Top 100 Albums of All Time2006*
Vibe 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century1999*
Vibe150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007)2007*
The Rough Guide Soul: 100 Essential CDs2000*
The New Nation United Kingdom Top 100 Albums by Black Artists38
FNAC France The 1000 Best Albums of All Time2008862

Commercial performance

My Life debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200 chart, and eventually peaked at number seven. The album also debuted at number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and it spent a total of eight weeks at the top of that chart. The album would ultimately go on to spend 46 weeks on the Billboard 200 Albums Chart and 84 weeks on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album also charted in Canada peaking at number 37 on the Canadian Albums Chart, and at number 59 on the UK Albums Chart. [27] On December 13, 1995, My Life was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for shipments of three million copies in the United States. [2] As of December 2009, the album has sold 2.8 million copies in the US. [28]

Track listing

Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from the Album's Liner Notes [29]

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Intro"
1:04
2."Mary Jane (All Night Long)"
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:39
3."You Bring Me Joy"
  • Thompson (music)
  • Combs (music)
  • Hailey (vocals)
4:13
4."Marvin Interlude"
  • Blige
  • Thompson
  • Combs
0:36
5."I'm the Only Woman"
  • Blige
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:30
6."K. Murray Interlude" (performed by Keith Murray)
  • Keith Murray
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Nashiem Myrick
  • Myrick
  • Thompson
  • Combs
0:22
7."My Life"
  • Blige
  • Arlene DelValle
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:17
8."You Gotta Believe"
  • Herb Middleton
  • Thompson
  • Combs
5:02
9."I Never Wanna Live Without You"
  • Blige
  • Big Bub
  • Evans
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Middleton
  • Middleton
  • Thompson
  • Combs
6:17
10."I'm Goin' Down"
3:42
11."My Life Interlude"
  • Blige
  • Big Bub
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
1:15
12."Be with You"
  • Blige
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:26
13."Mary's Joint"
  • Blige
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Thompson
  • Combs
5:02
14."Don't Go"
  • Blige
  • Big Bub
  • Evans
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:59
15."I Love You"
  • Blige
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:31
16."No One Else"
4:15
17."Be Happy"
5:49
Total length:64:59
International bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
18."(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
2:56
Total length:67:55
25th anniversary edition bonus disc [30]
No.TitleWriter(s)ProducerLength
1."Mary Jane (All Night Long)" (Remix) (featuring LL Cool J)
  • James
  • Blige
  • Combs
  • Thompson
5:31
2."I'm Goin' Down" (Remix) (featuring Mr. Cheeks)
  • Whitfield
  • Thompson
  • Combs
  • Alexander [a]
  • Ledford [a]
3:50
3."I Love You" (Remix) (featuring Smif-N-Wessun)
  • Blige
  • Combs
  • Thompson
  • Combs
4:55
4."Be Happy" (Bad Boy Butter Remix)
  • Blige (Lyrics)
  • DelValle (Lyrics)
  • Combs (Music)
  • Olivier (Music)
  • Combs
  • Poke
4:44
5."Be Happy" (Ron G Remix)
  • Blige (Lyrics)
  • DelValle (Lyrics)
  • Combs (Music)
  • Olivier (Music)
  • Combs
  • Poke
3:42
6."(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman"
  • Goffin
  • King
  • Wexler
  • Mtume
2:56
Total length:25:38

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from the Album's liner notes [35]

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [45] Gold50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [46] Gold100,000*
United States (RIAA) [47] 3× Platinum3,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary J. Blige</span> American singer (born 1971)

Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and entrepreneur. 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.

<i>Whats the 411?</i> 1992 studio album by Mary J. Blige

What's the 411? is the debut album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige. It was released on July 28, 1992, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. After signing a record contract with Uptown, Blige began working on the album with producer Sean "Puffy" Combs. Other producers and songwriters included DeVante Swing, Tony Dofat, Dave Hall, Mark Morales and Mark "Cory" Rooney. The resulting music covered hip hop soul, contemporary R&B, and new jack swing styles.

Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by old school rapper ‘Dr Jekyll’ - Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in New Jack Swing, R&B, hip hop., and Hip Hop-Soul

Hip hop soul is a subgenre of contemporary R&B music, most popular during the early and mid 1990s, which fuses R&B or soul singing with hip hop musical production. The subgenre had evolved from a previous R&B subgenre, new jack swing, which had incorporated hip-hop influences into R&B music. By contrast, hip hop soul is, as described in The Encyclopedia of African American Music, "quite literally soul singing over hip hop grooves".

<i>Faith</i> (Faith Evans album) 1995 studio album by Faith Evans

Faith is the debut studio album by American singer Faith Evans. It was released by Bad Boy Records on August 29, 1995, in the United States. A collaboration with the label's main producers the Hitmen, including members Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs and Chucky Thompson, as well as Mark Ledford, Herb Middleton, and Jean-Claude Olivier, among others.

<i>Love & Life</i> (Mary J. Blige album) 2003 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Love & Life is the sixth studio album by American R&B recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was released by Geffen Records on August 26, 2003. The album marked Blige's debut on the Geffen label, following the absorption of her former record company MCA Records. In addition, it saw her reuniting with Sean "Diddy" Combs, executive producer of her first two studio albums What's the 411? (1992) and My Life (1994), who wrote and executive produced most of Love & Life with his Bad Boy in-house production team The Hitmen, including Mario Winans, D-Dot, and Stevie J.

<i>Share My World</i> 1997 studio album by Mary J. Blige

Share My World is the third studio album by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released by MCA on April 22, 1997. The album became Blige's first to open at number one on the US Billboard 200 album chart. Moreover, it is her first album where she serves as an executive producer, alongside Steve Stoute, who also shared executive producer credits on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ooh!</span> 2003 single by Mary J. Blige

"Ooh!" is a song recorded by American singer Mary J. Blige for her sixth studio album Love & Life (2003). It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Dimitri Christo, and Mechalie Jamison, while production was helmed by Combs and Christo. The song contains excerpts from Hamilton Bohannon's 1973 track "Singing a Song for My Mother", hence Bohannon is also credited as a songwriter. "Ooh!" was released as the second single from Love & Life on August 25, 2003, by Geffen Records.

"I Love You" is a 1995 single by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige, taken from her second album My Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Remind Me</span> 1992 single by Mary J. Blige

"You Remind Me" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It served as Blige's first single from her debut album, What's the 411? (1992). Written by Eric Milteer and produced by Dave "Jam" Hall, it was originally used on the soundtrack of 1991 comedy film Strictly Business. The song marked Blige's first top forty hit, reaching number twenty-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the Hot R&B Singles chart. The music video was released in 1992. The song also sampled Patrice Rushen’s 1982 song, ‘Remind Me’.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Jane (All Night Long)</span> 1995 single by Mary J. Blige

"Mary Jane (All Night Long)" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Chucky Thompson and Sean "Puffy" Combs for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Thompson. The song is built around a sample of “All Night Long” (1983) by American girl group Mary Jane Girls and "Close the Door" (1978) by American singer Teddy Pendergrass. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Rick James is also credited as songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By</span> 1995 single by Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Can Love You</span> 1997 single by Mary J. Blige featuring Lil Kim

"I Can Love You" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige along with her sister LaTonya Blige-DaCosta, Rodney Jerkins, and Lil' Kim for her third album, Share My World (1997), with Jerkins producing the song and Lil Kim having featured vocals. The contains elements of the song "Queen Bitch," a track from Kim's debut album Hard Core (1996), co-written by Carlos Broady and Nashiem Myrick. Due to the inclusion of the sample, they are also credited as songwriters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Is All We Need</span> 1997 single by Mary J. Blige

"Love Is All We Need" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige, with a guest rap from Nas. It was written by Blige, Nas, James Harris III, and Terry Lewis for Blige's third studio album, Share My World (1997), while production was helmed by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. The song contains a sample of the song "Moonchild" (1985) as performed by American singer Rick James. With its more buoyant tone, it stood in conspicuous contrast to much of the more dark-rooted material featured on Blige's earlier albums.

<i>Whats the 411? Remix</i> 1993 remix album by Mary J. Blige

What's the 411? Remix is a remix album by R&B singer Mary J. Blige, released on December 7, 1993, by Uptown Records and MCA Records. It is composed of remixed tracks from Blige's critically acclaimed debut album, and involved record producers and recording artists including Sean "Puffy" Combs, Teddy Riley, Eddie "F" Ferrell, Craig Mack, Heavy D, the Notorious B.I.G., and K-Ci Hailey. The album received favorable reviews, and debuted at number 118 on the Billboard 200, and number 22 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be Happy (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1994 single by Mary J. Blige

"Be Happy" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Arlene DeValle, and Jean-Claude Olivier from duo Poke & Tone for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while production was helmed by Combs and Olivier. "Be Happy" contains an instrumental sample of the song "You're So Good to Me" (1979) by musician Curtis Mayfield and a re-sung vocal portion of the record "I Want You" (1976) by Marvin Gaye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Going Down (Rose Royce song)</span> 1976 single by Rose Royce

"I'm Going Down" is a song written and produced by Norman Whitfield, and performed by American soul and R&B group Rose Royce in 1976. It is from the film Car Wash and is featured on its soundtrack. In 1994, it was covered by American singer Mary J. Blige.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love No Limit</span> 1993 single by Mary J. Blige

"Love No Limit" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige. It was co-written by Kenny Greene and Dave "Jam" Hall for her debut album, What's the 411? (1992), while production was overseen by Hall. Released in May 1993 by Uptown and MCA as the album's fourth and final single, the song became a top-5 hit, reaching number five on the US Billboard R&B singles chart. It also peaked at numbers 44 and 43 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100. Hall has stated in interviews, that he wanted to give the song an urban, hip-hop feel to a much more jazzy sound, when it was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Bring Me Joy (Mary J. Blige song)</span> 1995 single by Mary J. Blige

"You Bring Me Joy" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige. It was written by Blige, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Joel "Jo-Jo" Hailey, and Chucky Thompson for her second studio album, My Life (1994), while overall music production was helmed by Combs and Thompson with the vocal tracks being produced by Jo-Jo. The song is built around a sample of "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me" (1977) by singer Barry White. Due to the inclusion of the sample, Ekundayo Paris and Nelson Pigford are also credited as songwriters. "You Bring Me Joy" served as the third single from My Life and peaked at number 29 on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, also topping the Hot Dance Club Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reminisce (song)</span> 1992 single by Mary J. Blige

"Reminisce" is a song by American singer and songwriter Mary J. Blige from her debut album, What's the 411? (1992). It was co-written by Kenny Greene and Dave "Jam" Hall, who also produced it. Described as a new jack swing song inspired by 1970s soul music, it contains a sample of "Stop, Look, Listen" (1989) by American rapper MC Lyte. The single was released in October 1992 by Uptown and MCA, peaking at number fifty-seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. A more uptempo and hip hop-inspired remix of the song, featuring duo Pete Rock & CL Smooth, later appeared on Blige's 1993 remix album of the same name. The accompanying music video for "Reminisce" was directed by Marcus Raboy.

References

  1. ↑ Jenkins, Craig (July 10, 2014). "1. Mary J Blige, My Life - The 50 Best R&B albums of the '90s". Complex . Retrieved October 5, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 "American album certifications – Mary J. Blige – My Life". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
  3. ↑ "Mary J. Blige to Re-release 'My Life' in November | 25th Anniversary". 31 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Williams, Chris. "Mary J. Blige's My Life LP (1994) revisited with co-producer Chucky Thompson | Return To The Classics". Soulculture.com. Archived from the original on 2014-08-19. Retrieved 2014-08-18.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Key Tracks: Mary J. Blige's My Life". Redbullmusicacademy.com. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
  6. ↑ Murrell, Morgan (24 June 2021). "Mary J. Blige On Her "My Life" Album: "I Was Depressed, Ready To Die"". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  7. ↑ Mulkerrins, Jane (2013-11-01). "Mary J Blige: 'The way I was living, I should have been dead'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
  8. ↑ Swihart, Stanton. "My Life – Mary J. Blige". AllMusic . Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  9. ↑ Martinez, M.R. (December 17, 1994). "Urban — Reviews: Pick of the Week" (PDF). Cash Box . Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  10. ↑ Preston, Rohan B. (December 29, 1994). "Worth The Wait". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  11. ↑ Hopkins, Tracy (November 25, 1994). "My Life". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  12. ↑ Sullivan, Caroline (December 9, 1994). "Mary J. Blige: My Life (MCA)". The Guardian . London.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Chuck (December 23, 1994). "Germans Put New Spin On Punk Music". Knoxville News Sentinel .
  14. 1 2 Johnson, Connie (December 25, 1994). "Forget '411,' Mary J., Better Call 911". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  15. ↑ Waring, Charles (December 2020). "Mary J. Blige: My Life". Mojo . No. 325. London. p. 95.
  16. 1 2 "Mary J. Blige: My Life". NME . London. January 7, 1995. p. 34.
  17. ↑ Wood, Sam (December 11, 1994). "Mary J. Blige: My Life (Uptown/MCA) / Carleen Anderson: True Spirit (Virgin Records America)". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
  18. ↑ Soto, Alfred (November 24, 2020). "Mary J. Blige: My Life". Pitchfork . Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  19. ↑ Moon, Tom (2004). "Mary J. Blige". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  83–84. ISBN   0743201698.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. pp.  xvi, 31. ISBN   0312245602.
  21. ↑ Bernstein, Jonathan (February 1995). "Mary J. Blige: My Life". Spin . Vol. 10, no. 11. New York. pp. 76–77. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  22. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time: My Life – Mary J. Blige". Rolling Stone . New York. November 18, 2003. Archived from the original on December 20, 2010. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  23. ↑ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . New York. May 31, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2019.
  24. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone . New York. September 22, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  25. ↑ Tyrangiel, Josh (November 13, 2006). "The All-TIME 100 Albums – Mary J. Blige: My Life". Time . New York. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2010.
  26. ↑ "My Life by Mary J. Blige". My Life by Mary J. Blige. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
  27. ↑ "Artists". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  28. ↑ Mitchell, Gail (December 12, 2009). "Strength of Character". Billboard. Vol. 121, no. 49. p. 19. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved July 26, 2023– via Google Books.
  29. ↑ My Life (liner notes). Mary J. Blige. MCA/Uptown Records. 1995. MCD 11398.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  30. ↑ "My Life 2CD – Mary J. Blige Official Store". Shop.maryjblige.com.
  31. ↑ Alvin Blanco, The Wu-Tang Clan and RZA: A Trip Through Hip Hop's 36 Chambers, in Juleyka Lantigua Williams, editor, series Hip Hop in America (Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger, 2011), p 52.
  32. ↑ Justin A. Williams, ed. (2015). The Cambridge Companion to Hip-Hop. Cambridge University Press. p. 149. ISBN   9781107037465.
  33. 1 2 Folk, Antwane (27 June 2021). "How Mary J. Blige's Pain Drew Her to the Sunshine on 'My Life'". Rated R&B.
  34. 1 2 3 Arnold, Chuck (29 November 2019). "Mary J. Blige's 'My Life' at 25". Billboard .
  35. ↑ Blige, Mary J. (1994). My Life (Album Notes). Uptown Records.
  36. ↑ "Mary J. Blige ARIA Chart History complete to 2024". ARIA. Retrieved July 26, 2024– via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  37. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 7989". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  38. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Mary J. Blige – My Life" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  39. ↑ "Mary J. Blige | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  40. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  41. ↑ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  42. ↑ "Mary J. Blige Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-09-03.
  43. ↑ "Billboard 200: Year End 1995". Billboard . 2 January 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  44. ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Year End 1995". Billboard . 2 January 2013. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  45. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Mary J Blige – My Life". Music Canada.
  46. ↑ "British album certifications – Mary J Blige – My Life". British Phonographic Industry.
  47. ↑ "American album certifications – Mary J Blige – My Life". Recording Industry Association of America.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.