Emotions fully guide the rhymes and cadences which flow out of Blige like a stream of consciousness as she works out her pain in real time, looking deep into her wounds from the outside in. Her songs about devotion resonate so passionately that it sometimes blurs the line between the romantic and religious: “My Life” and “You Gotta Believe” work as gospel hymns as much as love letters, with faith being key to personal salvation. Her grief feels catastrophic as she intensely pours her love in one direction during the front half of the album. While she merely searched for love in What’s the 411?, daydreaming what real love possibly could be like, My Life presents a woman who not only experienced an invaluable relationship but who’s also mourning its loss. In the case of “No One Else,” she lets a favorite single of hers speak on her behalf: “ There is no competition,” echoes Slick Rick from “La Di Da Di” as Blige laments about an irreplaceable former partner. The looped riffs from Isaac Hayes and Al Green provide her a sense of safety and stability as she readies herself before singing about her most tragic romantic fallout.
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While she merely searched for love in What’s the 411?, daydreaming what real love possibly could be like, My Life presents a woman who not only experienced an invaluable relationship but who’s also mourning its loss.īlige turns to her treasure trove of soul and R&B records for creative inspiration but also for a spiritual escape from heartbreak. Each referenced record feels connected to Blige’s own upbringing in some way, either directly highlighting her influences such as Curtis Mayfield, Rick James and Guy, or echoing the message of her heroes: the chorus of “My Life” interpolates the titular refrain of Roy Ayer’s “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” to passionately preach the power of faith. While the rap cadences take a backseat in her follow-up, the debut’s sample-based approach - to name a few noteworthy examples, “Real Love” swipes its drums from Audio Two’s timeless “Top Billin’” and “What’s the 411?” loops the collapsing intro of Ohio Player’s “Pride and Vanity” - plays a much more significant part to tell the author’s deeply personal story. Blige proved her schooling from soul classics while effortlessly trading bars on the title track alongside Grand Puba of Brand Nubian her hip-hop cool naturally attracted the Notorious B.I.G., then a fresh young signing mainly hyped by Sean “Puffy” Combs, executive producer of What’s the 411? and My Life. Blige solidified the pop hybrid into a defined form for the next generation to follow in her 1992 debut What’s the 411? Her first outing marked a point in history when New Jack Swing’s chunky drum-machine snaps simmered into the chillness of boom-bap. The influence of hip-hop began to seep into R&B by the end of the ’80s - a period that soon saw Bell Biv Devoe incorporate rap’s swagger in the era-defining “Poison” - and Mary J. Blige laid out her own musical foundations on 1994’s My Life. Who knows? I might have a part two to this saga.After writing the early blueprint for ’90s R&B, Mary J. This is me…bearing my soul in order to save someone else.Īfter all the stories are done, I plan to emerge from the scars of my past and admire the woman starring back at me in the mirror. There were times I laughed out loud, smiled really hard, or cried until my head was pulsating. All the emotions you can think of comes out when I write. When I write these stories, it comes from the heart.
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I want to put myself out there to see that I am only human. I didn’t realized these scars from past would haunt me now. The third and final reason for this blog is for my personal healing. I said two reasons, right?! It is actually three….my bad. The second reason is to help someone that has traveled or is currently traveling down the same roads I’ve came across. She is inspired to make better decisions, thus breaking the generational curses in my family. The first reason is for my daughter to see my mistakes. I am asked these questions all the time from friends, relatives, and new readers.
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My desire is to make my stories the central focus and not the people, whom are mentioned. These are true stories, but the names has been changed. I had blogs before, but this one is personal. I am a southern girl raised in the music mecca of the world, Memphis.
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You can call me Tiff, Tee-Tee, Renee, or Little Miss Sunshine. How rude of me, I didn’t introduce myself. I am just a simple person with a lot of stories. When I started this blog on October 4, 2019, I wanted to find a song that resonates with me. ‘Cause He’ll give you peace of mind (Yes, He would)Īnd you’ll see the sunshine (For real, yes, you would) Take your time, baby, don’t you rush a thingĭon’t you know I know we all are strugglingĪnd if you don’t believe in me, just believe in He, yeah