Mary

Spin - 9 out of 10 - "...Emotionally gripping and stylistically diverse, this album should allow Blige to transcend the limited and somewhat apologetic 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul' label..." Rap Pages - "...It's sweet. It's consistent. It's personable. It's mature....A field trip of energy relative to all. And of course, each track is blessed with the influence of Hip-Hop soul, jazz and blues. Hail Mary!" - Rating: B Entertainment Weekly - "...Does what Mary J. Blige does best - making a heart-to-heart connection with her female fans by channelling the everyday insults and injuries of the love wars into passionate vocal art." - Rating: B+ Q - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1999." The Source - "...when you take Mary's pure emotion...and place it over its rightful medium, something incredible is bound to happen....she dares to break the hip-hop soul template she helped create, and do something different. Something our loop-weary souls need." Q - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...Whether freestyling over skipping, Timbaland-influenced beats on 'Beautiful One' or the straightforward swing of 'Your Child', Blige can turn from sassy to agonized to vulnerable in the space of a single phrase....The Queen Of Hip Hop Soul remains classy and invincible." Entertainment Weekly - "...Does what Mary J. Blige does best - making a heart-to-heart connection with her female fans by channelling the everyday insults and injuries of the love wars into passionate vocal art." - Rating: B+s The Source - "...when you take Mary's pure emotion...and place it over its rightful medium, something incredible is bound to happen....she dares to break the hip-hop soul template she helped create, and do something different. Something our loop-weary souls need." Spin - 9 out of 10 - "...Emotionally gripping and stylistically diverse, this album should allow Blige to transcend the limited and somewhat apologetic 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul' label..." Q - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...Whether freestyling over skipping, Timbaland-influenced beats on 'Beautiful One' or the straightforward swing of 'Your Child', Blige can turn from sassy to agonized to vulnerable in the space of a single phrase....The Queen Of Hip Hop Soul remains classy and invincible." Rolling Stone - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...superstar-packed.... Mary is moving away from the...sound of her earlier albums into a sound that's...more soulful, singing over a large live band or alongside Eric Clapton's guitar or Elton's piano. But she remains the queen of hip-hop soul..." Rap Pages - "...It's sweet. It's consistent. It's personable. It's mature....A field trip of energy relative to all. And of course, each track is blessed with the influence of Hip-Hop soul, jazz and blues. Hail Mary!" - Rating: B Rolling Stone - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...superstar-packed.... Mary is moving away from the...sound of her earlier albums into a sound that's...more soulful, singing over a large live band or alongside Eric Clapton's guitar or Elton's piano. But she remains the queen of hip-hop soul..." Q (1/00, p.83) - Included in Q Magazine's "50 Best Albums of 1999." The Source (10/99, p.240) - "...when you take Mary's pure emotion...and place it over its rightful medium, something incredible is bound to happen....she dares to break the hip-hop soul template she helped create, and do something different. Something our loop-weary souls need." Rap Pages (10/99, pp.144-5) - "...It's sweet. It's consistent. It's personable. It's mature....A field trip of energy relative to all. And of course, each track is blessed with the influence of Hip-Hop soul, jazz and blues. Hail Mary!" - Rating: B Rolling Stone (9/2/99, p.110) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...superstar-packed.... Mary is moving away from the...sound of her earlier albums into a sound that's...more soulful, singing over a large live band or alongside Eric Clapton's guitar or Elton's piano. But she remains the queen of hip-hop soul..." Spin (10/99, p.164) - 9

The queen of hip-hop soul, Mary J. Blige, returned with her third album, MARY, at a time when R&B was experiencing a surge in popularity. Blige collaborates with numerous producers and songwriters like Lauryn Hill ("All That I Can Say"), Babyface ("Don't Waste Your Time", which also features vocals from Aretha Franklin and Soulshack), and Karlin ("Time") to bring a more expansive sonic recipe to her music.
MARY is a dynamic, intricately arranged album that gives the singer a softer, more melodic sound than her tougher hip-hop sound of the early '90s. "Beautiful Ones" (produced by Chucky Thompson), "Not Lookin'" (a duet with K-Ci Hailey), and "The Love I Never Had" (produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis) are standout tracks.|