Birth name:Mary Jane Blige.
Also known as:
Brook Lynn, The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
Born:
January-11-1971 (age 35).
Origin:
The Bronx, New York, United States.
Genre(s):
R&B, soul, hip-hop soul.
Occupation(s):
Singer, songwriter, record producer, actress.
Years active:
1992–present.
Label(s):
Geffen Records(2003–present)MCA Records(1997–2002)Uptown/MCA(1992–1996).
Website:
Mary j Blige
Born in The Bronx,New York City, New York to a jazz musician father and a nurse mother, Mary was exposed to music from an early age. At the age of four, Mary's father, Thomas, left the family, leaving her mother Cora to raise Mary and her older sister Latonya alone. (On the February 1, 2006 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Mary revealed that she was sexually assaulted as a child by a family friend.) A couple years later, Mary's family relocated to Yonkers, where they resided in one of the city's most dangerous housing projects. Music eventually became Mary's refuge, singing lead in her church's choir, and at seven she won a talent contest singing Aretha Franklin's "Respect."
While continuing to remain true to her love of music, as Mary entered her teen years, she began experimenting with recreational drugs and eventually dropped out of high school.
She has a young brother named Bruce Miller ( he contributed lyrics to Family Affair ), as well as sisters LaTonya Blige-DaCosta ( the women dancing with Mary in her Family Affair music video ) and Jonquell.
Music Career.
In 1988, at age seventeen, Mary recorded an impromptu cover of Anita Baker's 1986 "Caught Up In The Rapture" at a recording booth in a local shopping mall. Mary's mother's boyfriend at the time later played the cassette for a music industry contact, Jeff Redd, a recording artist and A&R runner for Uptown Records. Redd sent it to the president and CEO of the label, Andre Harrell. At the time, the fledgling Uptown was home to a few noted hip-hop and R&B acts of the day, including Heavy D & The Boyz and Guy. Harrell met with Mary, and in 1989, she was signed to the label – becoming the company's youngest and first female artist.
After signing with Uptown, Mary's early years at the company were dormant as the label continued to focus most of its attention on its more established acts. In no hurry to make an instant star out of Mary, her first assignment came in 1991 when she sang the hook on "I'll Do 4 U" by rapper and label mate Father MC. Mary also appeared in the concert-themed music video, in the less than dazzly role of a back-up singer.
Singles:
You Remind Me
Real Love
Family Affair
Dance For Me
No More Drama
Love @ 1st Sight(featuring Method Man)
Be Without You
Mary j blige ft wycleaf in 911
source:wikipedia
