All Hail The Queen

MJB
Originally uploaded by hattiec2.

I don't know if I've ever blogged about MJB properly but let me tell you NOW she is my No 1 R&B singer, bar none. In fact, F that, my No 1 MUSICIAN bar none. Aretha is a legend, Whitney amazing, Mariah all good...But Mary? Mary changed my life when I heard some kids playing You Remind Me on the No 50 bus in Birmingham about 13 years ago. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told my mate Rich and he was like 'Oh, you must mean Mary. I've got the single here.' That shit revolutionised me, seriously. I'd been crazy over Prince, nuts over Madonna, seriously into Salt N Pepa but nothing made me so shook as Mary. Maybe it was the joy of discovering something that was then new, that most people didn't really know or care about. Maybe it was that moment that made me want to write about music and tell people who care about it what they should check out or why a particular record is so ace. Anyway, about a year or so later me and Rich went to see Mary at the NEC when she supported Jodeci and my status as lifelong fan was cemented. I knew from the off, like so many people, that this girl was different but seeing her live blew me away. This was no one-album wonder, this was a singer who was our generations Aretha, Stevie, Nina and Ray all rolled into one. And guess what? She made it. Her status is certain. There's no question that Mary J Blige won't be doing what she's doing in 30 or 40 years and she will be better then that ever.
Anyway, the reason for this random post is a) I got the new album yesterday and it's sick! Don't get me wrong, I love Mary but I'm a real fan - real as in I don't always rate EVERYTHING MJB does. That last album wasn't too hot, but it's cool. I can accept that. Mary may slip, but she'll never fall. So anyway, that was the a) the feeling of MJB proving why she is the MVP. As for the b) finally I got to interview the great lady today. Without sounding like a diiiick-head, I don't often get too nervous or excited about interviewing people these days - in general I prefer talking to newer artists who still have fresh things to say and don't look like they'd rather be anywhere else but stuck in a room being bored by some journalist....But I was nervous. And excited. Check for the interview coming soon, but let me say for now that I wasn't disapointed. Mary was mad cool. Sometimes you mmet someone whose career you've followed for years (cough LLcough) and for wahtever reason (usually numerous) you walk away let down and maybe less of a fan than when you went in. But Miss Mary was cool, charming, interesting, interested....Wait, enough breading. I'll stop there. Just wait for the album and see for youself. 'Yo, wassup, it's Mary, I'm not home. Leave a message. Peace....'