While music scenes and styles are in constant states of evolution, Mary J. Blige has reigned as Queen of Hip-Hop Soul for more than three decades. Blige’s 1992 debut album, What’s the 411?, was both pioneering and a game changer, introducing an artist whose singing blended effortlessly with hip-hop beats. A role model to several generations of women who relate to her songs of emotional pain and empowerment, Blige is back on the road reuniting with fans in one of the most anticipated tours of the year.
The Bronx-born, Yonkers-raised street survivor didn’t plan on becoming a relatable superstar while growing up in New York’s Schlobohm Housing Projects. Her musician father provided early foundational instruction before abandoning the family, while her mother’s appreciation of singers such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Chaka Khan informed the household soundtrack.
“Singing was the escape for me,” she says in 2021 documentary Mary J. Blige’s My Life. “Singing made me forget we were struggling so much.”
Blige had to fight to avoid becoming a target of violence. She dropped out of school at 16 and began heading in a dead-end direction before a recording booth at a mall opened the doors to opportunity. Her mom passed her tape onto her boyfriend, who had connections that led to discovery by Uptown Records’ Andre Harrell, who saw her potential and signed her as a recording artist. It would be several years before What’s the 411? would be released, but Blige’s destiny was set in stone.
By the time she had her first Top 10 hit in July 1992 with “Real Love,” Blige had cultivated a “ghetto fabulous” style characterized by combat boots, backward baseball caps and stylist-curated clothes. What’s the 411? cracked Billboard’s Top 10 albums chart, as did 1994 sophomore studio album My Way. Her singles regularly topped the R&B chart and, by 2001, she had a No. 1 pop hit with “Family Affair.”
She had also moved her own family out of the projects, experienced romantic highs and lows that were channeled into lyrics and earned a Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group Grammy for her duet with Method Man, “I’ll Be There for You/You’re All I Need to Get By.”
In all, Blige would earn nine Grammys and release 15 studio albums, with her latest, Gratitude, hitting streaming platforms in November. The For My Fans Tour followed, with Ne-Yo and Mario joining her for shows that have earned popular and critical acclaim. Prestigious stylists Wayman and Micah advised on her wardrobe for the tour, which has been garnering nearly as much praise as her performances.
Now Blige’s music is part of household soundtracks. She branched into acting as well as filmmaking for the Lifetime network, has her own beauty and fashion lines, and has firmly adopted a self-love philosophy that replaced abusive relationships. Mary J. Blige, who once had to physically fight to survive, is happy at last and sharing the love with the fans who made that possible.
T-Mobile Arena. 7 p.m. Feb. 28, starting at $69 plus tax and fee. axs.com
Click here for your free subscription to the weekly digital edition of Las Vegas Magazine, your guide to everything to do, hear, see and experience in Southern Nevada. In addition to the latest edition emailed to every week, you’ll find plenty of great, money-saving offers from some of the most exciting attractions, restaurants, properties and more! And Las Vegas Magazine is full of informative content such as restaurants to visit, cocktails to sip and attractions to enjoy.
