No Longer Singing The Blues

04/30/1998 12:41 PM, Yahoo! Music
Asondra Hunter

Mary J. Blige is in good spirits, not at all like the proverbial paramour pining over a man who wants nothing to do with her. Grinning as though a heavy emotional burden has just been lifted from her shoulders, Blige admits, "There was a point in my life where I was depressed. Every relationship seemed like it was failing, because I had hooked up with dishonest men...I didn't really think that I could get this far in life, but God certainly has blessed me."

Blige's blessings include a Grammy for the hit single "All I Need," featuring Method Man; What's The 411, a triple-platinum debut album; and a follow-up album, My Life, which surpassed its predecessor in sales. "I always wanted to sing so that I could make a little money to get clothes and stuff, but I never imagined all this--and believe me, this is a tough business," Blige snarls, readjusting the jacket of her tangerine-and-cream cowhide ensemble. "People don't realize it, but being in this business can take its toll on you, because so many people are pulling on you to do this or that. Sometimes you just wanna go to the mall. That's where I'd rather be than where I'm at most of the time...no disrespect, but all interviews aren't this cool."

Back in 1991, Blige was within a contract signing's length away from becoming a star, but she didn't know it; by the time she found out, she had already sold her soul to superstardom. With no formal training in how to conquer this unique type of evil, she became what she feared most: an irritable recording artist with a long list of pet peeves. Sure, she had the designer sunglasses and suede Versace suits, but she could no longer be herself in public. "If you don't see success for yourself to begin with, how are you supposed to deal with it?" she asks.

Angelo Ellerbee, her former media trainer, thinks she's dealing with success quite well. "I'm very proud of Mary, because she has turned out to be quite a businesswoman...and hey, she's doin' her thang. She took many of my etiquette and speech classes, and when I see her today, I hear a woman who's filled with confidence--a woman who has learned how to be very professional."

The double-platinum Share My World purges the singer's emotionally crippling past via thick hip-hop nuances. On the album, listeners get to know an unmasked Blige for a change, not some singer molded in Puff's one-dimensional image. Blige sings soul from the soul, and if a singer's vocals are as important as the words being conveyed, then it's obvious that Blige did the right thing when she decided to crawl out of the R&B labyrinth of over-familiar samples and two-for-one beats. Instead, girlfriend left Puffy and enlisted Grammy darling Babyface, an artist who has consistently written and produced culturally significant songs for legends like Eric Clapton, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. "I did what I wanted to do this time. If you think about it, most people in the music industry don't work with the same people their whole lives," says Blige, explaining the reason why she searched for new production help. "How are you gonna grow if you stay with the same people? I needed to branch out and work with other producers so some of my visions could come to life."

At cyberpress time, the switchboard at Hot 97--the most popular hip-hop station in New York City--is being flooded with calls from listeners are voting for their favorite R&B album of the year, and considering the high volume of Share My World votes, Blige is the shoe-in winner. "Experience in life in general gave me the strength to be able to do Share My World, so I hope people enjoy it," the recording star humbly remarks.