In 1992, Blige released her debut album What's The 411?. The album sold 3.4 million copies on the strength of singles You Remind Me, Real Love, Reminisce, Sweet Thing, and Love No Limit. The album pioneered a new genre known as Hip-Hop Soul and is credited with influencing the marriage of Hip-Hop and R&B.
In 1994, Blige released her sophomore album My Life. Blige wrote or co-wrote fourteen of the seventeen album tracks. Supported by singles Be Happy, Mary Jane (All Night Long), I'm Goin' Down, and You Bring Me Joy, the album sold over three million copies and was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA in 1996. It has since been included in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Not Gon' Cry, a 1996 single written and produced by Babyface for Waiting To Exhale soundtrack (1995), peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Blige's highest charting single of the 1990s. The same year, Blige won her first Grammy for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for her performance on I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By by Method Man.
On April 22, 1997, Blige released her third album, Share My World on MCA Records. Blige cut ties with producers Sean Combs and Chucky Thompson and worked with the likes of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Rodney Jerkins, Babyface, R. Kelly, and Poke & Tone. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 with sales of 240,000 copies, Blige's first to do so. Supported by singles Love Is All We Need, I Can Love You, Everything, Missing You, and Seven Days. Share My World was certified 3x platinum by the RIAA and sold nearly 4 million copies in U.S.
In Summer 1998, Blige embarked on the Share My World Tour, which resulted in a Gold-certified live album released later that year, simply titled The Tour. The album spawned one single, Misty Blue.
On August 17, 1999, Blige's fourth album, titled Mary was released. It marked a departure from her more familiar hip hop-oriented sound; this set featured a more earthy, whimsical, and adult contemporary-tinged collection of songs. 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 four charting singles: All That I Can Say, Deep Inside, Give Me You, and Your Child. Though not as successful as prior releases, the album still sold 2.1 million copies in the U.S. and was nominated for a Grammy for Best R&B Album.
On August 28, 2001, MCA released Blige's fifth studio album, No More Drama. The album's first single, Family Affair (produced by Dr. Dre) became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for six consecutive weeks. Two other singles, Dance For Me and No More Drama were released, with the latter becoming a Top 20 hit. On January 29, 2002, the album re-released and featured three new songs, one being Rainy Dayz, which was released as a single and became another Top 20 hit for Blige. No More Drama has since sold 3.2 million copies in the U.S. and 5 million copies worldwide.
In 2003, Blige won her second Grammy (and first as a lead artist) for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Think I Don't Know".
On August 26, 2003, Blige's sixth album Love & Life was released on Geffen Records (which had absorbed MCA Records.) Blige reunited with producer Sean Combs for the album. Despite the album debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and becoming Blige's fourth consecutive UK top ten album, Love & Life became Blige's then lowest selling album selling 1 million copies. Still, it was nominated for Grammy Best Contemporary R&B Album.
Geffen Records released Blige's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough on December 20, 2005. For the album, Blige collaborated with J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Rodney Jerkins, will.i.am, Bryan-Michael Cox, 9th Wonder, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq, Cool and Dre, and Dre & Vidal. It debuted at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Selling 727,000 copies in its first week, it became the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist in SoundScan history. The official lead single, Be Without You peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100, while peaking at number one on the R&B chart for a record-setting fifteen consecutive weeks. In March 2017, Billboard Magazine ranked "Be Without You" as the most successful R&B/Hip-Hop Song of all time. The song was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year and won the Best R&B Song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance categories at the 2007 Grammy Awards. Other singles included Top 40 Hit Enough Cryin, Top Five R&B song Take Me As I Am, and UK Top Three Hit One. The Breakthrough won the Grammy for Best R&B Album in 2007.
In December 2006, a compilation called Reflections (A Retrospective) was released. It contained many of Blige's greatest hits and four new songs, including the worldwide lead single We Ride (I See the Future). The album peaked at number nine in the U.S, selling over 170,000 copies in its first week, while reaching number forty in the UK. It has sold more than 1.6 million copies.
Blige's eighth studio album, Growing Pains, was released on December 18, 2007, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. It sold 629,000 copies in its week and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The album won Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album in 2009. It spawned the Top 40 Hit Just Fine.
Blige's ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear, was released on December 21, 2009, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 332,000 units in its first week of release. The album had sold 726,100 copies in the United States by April 2010, and was certified Gold by the RIAA on January 6, 2011.
Blige was honored at the 2009 BET Honors Ceremony and was paid tribute by Anita Baker and Monica.
Blige's tenth studio album, My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), was released in November 2011. The album debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, selling 156,000 copies in the first week; it was eventually certified Gold in 2012 and has sold 763,000 in the US.
A Mary Christmas, Blige's first holiday album, was released on October 15, 2013 through Matriarch and Verve Records. In early December, A Mary Christmas became Blige's 12th top ten album after it rose to #10 in its eighth week and was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Think Like A Man Too, which serves as Blige's 12th studio album, was released on June 17, 2014. On Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, the soundtrack album charted at number six, marking Blige's 16th top ten entry on the chart, tying her with Mariah Carey for the second-most top tens by a female artist.
Following her concert date at the Essence Festival, on July 9, 2014 it was announced Blige would move to London to experiment with a new sound for her new album. Blige spent a month in London recording her album in RAK Studios with a host of young British acts, including Disclosure, Naughty Boy, Emeli Sandรฉ and Sam Smith. Twelve new songs, co-written and recorded by the singer, were released on November 24, 2014 on an album entitled The London Sessions. The album received acclaim and was included on many Best Albums of 2014 lists. The album debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 and number one on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with 55,000 albums sold and 2,000 shifted in album-equivalent units. It became her 13th top ten entry on the Billboard 200 and her tenth number one entry on Top R&B/Hip-Hop albums.
Following a heavily publicized divorce from her husband and manager Kendu Isaacs, Blige released her thirteenth studio album Strength of a Woman on April 28, 2017. Supported by Urban AC hit singles Thick of It and U + Me (Love Lesson), Strength of a Woman debuted at number three on the US Billboard 200 on the issue dated ending May 20, 2017, with 78,000 album-equivalent units, selling 72,000 standard copies in its first week. It became Blige's highest-charting album since 2009's Stronger with Each Tear, and her tenth top five entry on the chart.
In 2017, Blige starred in the period drama film Mudbound directed by Dee Rees. Playing Florence Jackson, the matriarch of her family. For her performance in Mudbound, Blige was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received nominations for Best Original Song for Mighty River, becoming the first person nominated for an Academy Award for acting and original song in the same year.
On July 12, 2018, Blige released a new single, titled Only Love.
No Idea
Mary J. Blige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Woo
(Brrt)
Niggas wrapped around the planet (hey)
Got me feeling like I'm Janet and it's 1984 (uh-huh) (whoa)
Got 'em all in a panic (yeah)
All this body that I'm giving
Been doing shows since high school (high school)
To the mall then record in the mic booth (woo)
Tryna get on just like you
Don't chase the money, be humble and let it find you (woo)
No, I can't tell you what to do (oh)
I can't tell you how to move (no, no)
No, I can't tell you what to do (do)
I can't tell you how to move (I know)
I know your thinking that you might know what it is
Still have no idea
'Cause when you finally understand just what it is
Still have no idea
What's love (what's love)
These days? (These days?)
We don't know what to say (don't know what to say)
Heartbreak (heartbreak)
So much (so much)
We don't give a fuck, oh
Around the corner where X lived (ay)
In the School Street Projects
Cursin' out my exes (you motherfucker, kiss my ass, bitch)
Niggas was dying for less than
Thank God that we made it out the hood, what a blessing
Never know what they might do
Niggas pretending they living a double life too
I ain't never been the type to
Talk about some shit I never really been through (ooh-wee)
No, I can't tell you what to do (no)
I can't tell you how to move (I can't)
No, I can't tell you what to do (no)
I can't tell you how to move
I know your thinking that you might know what it is
Still have no idea (ooh)
'Cause when you finally understand just what it is
Still have no idea (you don't still have no)
What's love
These days?
We don't know what to say
Heartbreak
So much
We don't give a fuck
No idea
Oh, you still will have no idea
(Brrt)
The song "No Idea" by Mary J. Blige addresses several themes and issues such as self-discovery, perseverance, and the complicated nature of love. From the outset, the lyrics capture the attention of the listener with lines like "Niggas wrapped around the planet (hey)/ Got me feeling like I'm Janet and it's 1984 (uh-huh) (whoa)." Here, the artist acknowledges her fame and the love she gets from her fans, comparing it to Janet Jackson's rise to fame in the 1980s.
Blige then goes on to describe her journey in the music industry, from performing in high school to recording in the mic booth. She advises her listeners to be patient, humble, and let the money find them, instead of chasing it. The chorus of the song is the most notable section of the lyrics as Blige poses the question of what love means in the 21st century. She admits that even with the experience of heartbreak, she still has no idea what love means in this day and age.
Overall, the song "No Idea" contains a mix of societal commentary and personal reflections that showcase Mary J. Blige's continued relevance in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Niggas wrapped around the planet (hey)
There are people all over the world who are obsessed with me and my music.
Got me feeling like I'm Janet and it's 1984 (uh-huh) (whoa)
I'm feeling like I'm at the height of my fame and popularity, just like Janet Jackson was in 1984.
Got 'em all in a panic (yeah)
My fans are so excited and hyped up about my music that they're in a state of panic.
All this body that I'm giving
I'm putting my all into my performances and giving everything I've got.
Got 'em coming up with different strokes (ooh-wee)
My music is so good that it's inspiring people to come up with new dance moves.
Been doing shows since high school (high school)
I've been performing on stage since I was in high school.
To the mall then record in the mic booth (woo)
I used to go to the mall and record my music in a mic booth before I got famous.
Tryna get on just like you
I was once an aspiring artist just like my fans.
Don't chase the money, be humble and let it find you (woo)
I advise my fans to not be obsessed with making money, but rather focus on being humble and the money will come to you.
No, I can't tell you what to do (oh)
I don't have the authority to tell you how to live your life.
I can't tell you how to move (no, no)
I don't have the right to dictate your actions.
I know your thinking that you might know what it is
I understand that you might think you know what I'm talking about.
Still have no idea
But in reality, you still have no clue.
'Cause when you finally understand just what it is
Even if you think you have grasped the concept,
What's love (what's love)
What does love even mean?
These days? (These days?)
Especially in today's society?
We don't know what to say (don't know what to say)
We're at a loss for words when it comes to love.
Heartbreak (heartbreak)
There's so much heartbreak in the world.
So much (so much)
It's overwhelming.
We don't give a fuck, oh
We don't care anymore.
Around the corner where X lived (ay)
I'm reminiscing about the past, when I used to live near someone named X.
In the School Street Projects
I used to live in a housing project called School Street.
Cursin' out my exes (you motherfucker, kiss my ass, bitch)
I used to be angry and curse out my ex-boyfriends.
Niggas was dying for less than
People were getting killed over petty things in my old neighborhood.
Thank God that we made it out the hood, what a blessing
I'm grateful that I was able to leave the dangerous neighborhood I grew up in.
Never know what they might do
You can never predict what people will do.
Niggas pretending they living a double life too
People in my old neighborhood were also pretending to be someone they're not.
I ain't never been the type to
I have never been the type to
Talk about some shit I never really been through (ooh-wee)
Pretend to have experienced things I have never actually experienced.
'Cause when you finally understand just what it is
Even if you think you have grasped the concept,
Still have no idea (you don't still have no)
But in reality, you still have no clue.
Lyrics ยฉ Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adriana Flores, Brandon Paak Anderson, Bryan Ponce, Eric Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Uforo Ebong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mas Emarod
Even though I can listen to Mary's new album on my apps.. I'm still going to buy a CD.. like always.
Rita Jit
@Rochelle McArthur King ?
Rochelle McArthur King
โ@Rita Jit so dc
Cosmic Journey
@LaVonda Vonnie Epps one of my favourite albums. I should repurchase it too.
KAC
100%
royalmobTV
Same here as always much love to the ๐
Tawanna Martin-Young
1992-Present ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ. And this is why she's called Queen ladies and gentlemen, 30 years and still STANDING after all life has thrown at her โ๐พโ๐พ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฏ.
NadineShaw 876
I see ur a real Mary fan been on d journey from day 1 like me
Kameron E.
Man after all of them punches she is still a queen! Sorry even though she's a woman, this woman has literally saved my life! #GODSGIFT
Carla Linton
Carla Linton. My Black Hip Hop Soul Sista Mary J Blige is a Strong Black Beautiful Woman.