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 Sandé 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.
We Got Hood Love
Mary J. Blige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I promise you my love I'll never fail you
Don't you get it?
Each day we're writing history
A thousand years from now they'll talk about you and me
And I know sometimes I go hard for no reason at all
Put your soul through the business and touch the weight of your heart
But when you're backs on the wall there's a shortage of friends
'Cause we got hood love, cause I be cussin' I be screaming
Like its over
Then I'm loving then I'm feeling just to hold ya
And that's how we do
You know that hood love is the good love
That's me and you
How feel love?
Well I'm with ya never quit ya and
Now that's real love
When your not here then I miss ya cuz
I still love the way we do
You know that hood love is the good love
Ya that's me and you
Sometimes I think about leaving you
But wen I think about what we've been through
I get a feeling like it could be worse
'Cause I've given u my best and I don't mind it
That's fine
'Cause wen you loving somebody hard then you'll love that way for life
You got all of my heart and I'll never leave ya side
I gave my words to love all the way to the end
So no matter what I'll be right here
I'll be right here with you
'Cause we got hood love, cause I be cussing I be screaming
Like its over
Then I'm loving then I'm feening just to hold ya
And that's how we do
You know that hood love is the good love
That's me and you
How feel love?
Well I'm with ya never quit ya and
Now that's real love
When your not here then I miss ya cause
I still love the way that we do
You know that hood love is the good love
Ya that's me and you
Now I'll play tough but not for too long
You are someone I depend on
No matter how I act sometimes I can never walk away
Thought about it plenty times but no can take ya place
Ooh and there ain't no you, then there ain't no me
And if there ain't no us then I'd rather be by myself
'Cause no one else can understand my history and treat me like I need
'Cause we got hood love, cause I be cussing I be screaming
Like its over
Then I'm loving then I'm feening just to hold ya
And that's how we do
You know that hood love is the good love
That's me and you
How feel love?
Well I'm with ya never quit ya and
Now that's real love
When your not here then I miss ya cuz
I still love the way we do
You know that hood love is the good love
Ya that's me and you
Mary J. Blige’s song “We Got Hood Love” is a powerful ode to a love that is built on trust, loyalty, and resilience. The lyrics express the deep connection between two individuals who come from humble beginnings, but persevere through life’s obstacles as a team. Mary J. Blige talks about the struggles of everyday life, and how the love between her and her partner has always kept them grounded. She promises to never fail her partner, and to always be there for them, through thick and thin. She believes that their love is not just for the present, but it will become a part of their history, and will be remembered for a thousand years to come.
The song also touches on the ups and downs of their relationship, how sometimes they fight and cuss at each other like it’s over, and other times they are loving and just want to hold each other. Despite their flaws, they understand that their love is genuine, and they cherish it deeply. The lyrics show that hood love is not just restricted to the ghetto but can be found in any type of relationship where two people learn to go through tough times together.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I don't get a chance to really to tell you
I may not always verbally express my love to you, but my actions speak louder than words.
But I promise you my love I'll never fail you
You can always count on me to love and support you through any situation.
Don't you get it?
Do you understand the depth of our love and the way we express it?
Each day we're writing history
Every day is a new chapter in our love story that will be remembered for generations to come.
A thousand years from now they'll talk about you and me
Our love will stand the test of time and be remembered forever.
And I know sometimes I go hard for no reason at all
Occasionally, I may overreact or become passionate about something that may seem insignificant to others, but it's because my love for you runs deep.
Put your soul through the business and touch the weight of your heart
I challenge you to examine yourself on a deeper level and truly feel the weight of your emotions.
But when you're backs on the wall there's a shortage of friends
When you're facing tough times, true friends are hard to come by, but I'll always be by your side.
You know that I'm with you till the end
No matter what comes our way, my love for you is unwavering and will last until the end of time.
'Cause we got hood love, cause I be cussin' I be screaming
Like its over
Then I'm loving then I'm feeling just to hold ya
And that's how we do
You know that hood love is the good love
That's me and you
How feel love?
Well I'm with ya never quit ya and
Now that's real love
When your not here then I miss ya cuz
I still love the way we do
You know that hood love is the good love
Ya that's me and you
Our love is raw and passionate, expressed through heated arguments, intense affection, and a deep desire to hold each other close. Despite our rough exterior, our love is real and unbreakable, with a unique flavor that only we share.
Sometimes I think about leaving you
At times, I may face doubts or moments of uncertainty about our relationship.
But wen I think about what we've been through
When I reflect on the memories we've created together and the obstacles we've overcome, it reminds me of the strength of our love.
I get a feeling like it could be worse
Despite any challenges we may face, there are always worse situations we could find ourselves in.
'Cause I've given u my best and I don't mind it
That's fine
I've given you my all, and I'm happy to have done so because of the depth of our love.
'Cause wen you loving somebody hard then you'll love that way for life
You got all of my heart and I'll never leave ya side
When you love someone passionately, that love will last a lifetime. There's nothing that could ever make me stray from your side, as you have all of my heart.
I gave my words to love all the way to the end
So no matter what I'll be right here
I'll be right here with you
I've made a commitment to love you forever, and I'll stand by your side no matter what happens in life.
Now I'll play tough but not for too long
You are someone I depend on
No matter how I act sometimes I can never walk away
Thought about it plenty times but no can take ya place
While I may try to put up a tough exterior, I rely on your love and support. Though there may be times where I consider walking away, no one could ever replace you in my heart.
Ooh and there ain't no you, then there ain't no me
And if there ain't no us then I'd rather be by myself
'Cause no one else can understand my history and treat me like I need
Without you, I am incomplete. Our love is unique and special, and if we were to ever part ways, I'd rather be alone than with someone who can't understand our history and treat me the way I deserve.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRYAN MICHAEL PAUL COX, JOHNTA AUSTIN, MARY J. BLIGE, KENDRICK ASHLEY JEVON DEAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Rosemary Blanc
[Trey Songz:]
Sometimes I don't get a chance to really tell you
But I promise you my love will never fail you
Don't you get it?
Right now we're writing history
A thousand years from now
They'll talk about you and me
I know sometimes I go hard
For no reason at all
Put your soul through the business
And test the weight of your heart
'cause when your back's on the wall
And there's a shortage of friends
You know that I'm with you until the end
[Chorus:]
We got hood love
I be cussin I be screamin
Like it's over then I'm longing
Then I'm feening just to hold ya
Cause that's how we do
You know that hood love is a good love
That's me and you
How you feel love?
Well I'm with u
Never quit u
Now that's real love
When you ain't here
Then I miss you
Cause I still love
The way that we do
You know that hood love is a good love
That's me and you
[Mary J. Blige:]
Sometimes I think about leaving you
But when I think about what we've been through yeah
I get a feeling like it could be the worse
Cause I've given you my best and I don't mind it... that's fine
Cause when you love somebody hard then you'll love that way for life
You got all of my heart
And I'll never leave your side
I gave my word to love ya
All the way to the end
So no matter what I'll be right here
I'll be right here cause we got hood love
[Chorus x2]
[Trey Songz:]
Now I'll play tough but not for too long
You are someone I depend on
No matter how I act at times
I could never walk away
I thought about it plenty times
But no one can take your place
[Mary J. Blige:]
Well if there ain't no you
Then there ain't no me
If there ain't no us
Then I'd rather be
By my self
Cause no one else (oh)
Could know just what i need
And really understand me
[Chorus]
Mother Nature 🌺
I feel so blessed to be living in the era when such natural pure clean talent existed. She is a perfect narrator with her voice. I hope to meet her one day. 🐝
La luna
Once a MJB fan, ALWAYS a fan.....she never disappoints plus Her music is from the heart. Saw her live twice (once at Nelson Mandela's 80th, 24 hour birthday concert in Johannesburg, South Africa and many years later at her world tour) Beautiful moments still vivid too me
Gw Hk
Mary never lets us down when it comes to her style and music, she's a living R&B legend
ORANDO Bennett
Its almost 2023 and am still getting the chills from this song. GREAT MUSIC
STANLEY MUGWAGWA
Its 2023 now and its still fire
hicdee01
So much passion in her voice. This is exactly what is lacking in the music industry today. Artists are phoney and polished. Mary is raw emotion and she takes you places with her music. Bring back real music
Sunshine Robinson
Mary J s real. She went through it. She's telling her story.
Katerra Lewis
Facts💯
sherelle willis
I AGREE
marsha bell
@Sunshine Robinson nmmppppp