My Life | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 29, 1994 | |||
Recorded | December 1993 – September 1994 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Genre | R&B [1] | |||
Length | 64:59 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer |
| |||
Mary J. Blige chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from My Life | ||||
|
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.
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. In 1996, following the album's success, MCA issued a remix EP entitled My Life Remix Album which featured artists such as LL Cool J and Lauryn Hill.
A special commemorative edition of the album was released on November 20, 2020. [3]
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]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [8] |
Cash Box | (favorable) [9] |
Chicago Tribune | [10] |
Entertainment Weekly | B [11] |
The Guardian | [12] |
Knoxville News Sentinel | [13] |
Los Angeles Times | [14] |
Mojo | [15] |
NME | 7/10 [16] |
The Philadelphia Inquirer | [17] |
Pitchfork | 7.0/10 [18] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [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]
Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Blender | United States | The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time | 2002 | 57 |
Entertainment Weekly | The 100 Best Albums from 1983 to 2008 | 2008 | 70 | |
Rolling Stone | The Essential Recordings of the 90s | 1999 | * | |
50 Essential Female Albums | 2002 | 17 | ||
The 100 Greatest Albums of the 90s | 2010 | 63 | ||
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time | 2003 | 279 | ||
2012 | 281 | |||
2020 | 126 | |||
TIME | Top 100 Albums of All Time | 2006 | * | |
Vibe | 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century | 1999 | * | |
Vibe | 150 Albums That Define the Vibe Era (1992–2007) | 2007 | * | |
The Rough Guide | Soul: 100 Essential CDs | 2000 | * | |
The New Nation | United Kingdom | Top 100 Albums by Black Artists | 38 | |
FNAC | France | The 1000 Best Albums of All Time | 2008 | 862 |
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. [26] 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. [27]
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from the Album's Liner Notes [28]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Intro" | 1:04 | ||
2. | "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" |
|
| 4:39 |
3. | "You Bring Me Joy" |
|
| 4:13 |
4. | "Marvin Interlude" |
|
| 0:36 |
5. | "I'm the Only Woman" |
|
| 4:30 |
6. | "K. Murray Interlude" (performed by Keith Murray) |
|
| 0:22 |
7. | "My Life" |
|
| 4:17 |
8. | "You Gotta Believe" |
|
| 5:02 |
9. | "I Never Wanna Live Without You" |
|
| 6:17 |
10. | "I'm Goin' Down" |
| 3:42 | |
11. | "My Life Interlude" |
|
| 1:15 |
12. | "Be with You" |
|
| 4:26 |
13. | "Mary's Joint" |
|
| 5:02 |
14. | "Don't Go" |
|
| 4:59 |
15. | "I Love You" |
|
| 4:31 |
16. | "No One Else" | 4:15 | ||
17. | "Be Happy" |
|
| 5:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
18. | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" | 2:56 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Mary Jane (All Night Long)" (Remix) (featuring LL Cool J) |
|
| 5:31 |
2. | "I'm Goin' Down" (Remix) (featuring Mr. Cheeks) |
| 3:50 | |
3. | "I Love You" (Remix) (featuring Smif-N-Wessun) |
|
| 4:55 |
4. | "Be Happy" (Bad Boy Butter Remix) |
|
| 4:44 |
5. | "Be Happy" (Ron G Remix) |
|
| 3:42 |
6. | "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" |
|
| 2:56 |
Unless otherwise indicated, Information is taken from the Album's liner notes [34]
|
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [43] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [44] | Gold | 100,000* |
United States (RIAA) [45] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer, songwriter, 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.
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 onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop.
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.
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.
Mary is the fourth studio album by American singer Mary J. Blige, released August 17, 1999, on MCA Records. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 239,000 copies in its first week. It spent 57 weeks on the chart and produced five charting singles. Upon its release, Mary received acclaim from music critics. It has been certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for sales of two million units in the United States.
"Love @ 1st Sight" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, performed along with rapper Method Man. It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Mario Winans, Stevie Jordan, Clifford Smith, and Mechalie Jamison and produced by Combs, Winans and Jordan for her sixth studio album, Love & Life (2003). The song is built around a sample of "Hot Sex" (1992) by American hip-hop trio A Tribe Called Quest. Due to the inclusion of the sample, several other writers are credited as songwriters. Lyrically, it features the protagonist persistently wondering about a romantic attraction for a stranger on the first sight.
"Ooh!" is a song by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, taken from her sixth studio album, Love & Life (2003). It was written by Blige, Sean Combs, Dimitri Christo, and Hamilton Bohannon, while production was helmed by Combs and D-Nat. Sampling interpolations of the 1991 hip-hop classic, "I Gotta Have It" by Ed OG, which itself sampled Hamilton Bohannon's 1973 track "Singing a Song for My Mother," it was released as the album's second single in 2003. The song reached number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
"Real Love" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige from her debut studio album, What's the 411? (1992). Based on real life experiences, it was written and produced by Cory Rooney and Mark Morales, and samples Audio Two's 1987 song "Top Billin'". The song was issued as the album's second single on July 28, 1992 by Uptown and MCA. It became Blige's first top-10 hit, peaking at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also topped the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Rhythmic charts and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on November 4, 1992. Marcus Raboy directed the song's music video. Rolling Stone included "Real Love" in their list of "500 Best Songs of All Time" in 2021 at number 327.
"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’.
"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.
"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.
"Everything" is a song by American singer Mary J. Blige. It was written and produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis for Blige's third album, Share My World (1997). The song contains samples from "You Are Everything" (1971) by American soul group The Stylistics and "The Payback" (1973) by American singer James Brown, also incorporating elements from "Sukiyaki" (1961) by Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto. Due to the inclusion of the samples, Brown, Hachidai Nakamura, Rokusuke Ei, Linda Creed, Thom Bell, John Starks, and Fred Wesley are also credited as songwriters.
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.
"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.
"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.
"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 as the album's fourth and final single, the song became a top five hit, reaching number-five on the US R&B singles chart, and peaked at number forty-four on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. 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.
"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.
"My Love" is a song by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from her debut album, What's the 411? (1992). The song, released by Uptown and MCA, was co-written by singer-songwriter Kenny Greene and Dave Hall, who served as the song's original producer. It peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and at number 29 on the UK Singles Chart in 1994, becoming Blige's second single to reach the top 40 in the United Kingdom.
"Reminisce" is a song by American singer 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 peaked at number fifty-seven on the 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.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)