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Mary J. Blige

R&B

1990s - 2010s

Dubbed "the queen of hip-hop soul," she has been hugely successful since her early-'90s debut.

Biography

Initially called the new Chaka Khan or new Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige had little in common stylistically with either of those artists, but like them, she helped adorn soul music with new textures and flavors that inspired a generation of musicians. Blige was street-tough and beautiful at once, and as she exorcized her demons and softened her style, she remained a hero to thousands of girls growing up in the same kinds of rough places she came from. Blige reinvented her career again and again and matured into an expressive singer able to put the full power of her voice behind her music, while still reflecting a strong urban style. ~ Stacia Proefrock

Influences

Artists Influenced by Mary J. Blige

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