Mary J. Blige Biography

A native of Yonkers, New York, Mary J. Blige caught the attention of record promoters in 1992 and became one of the top hip-hop and soul performers by the end of the decade.

Her career was helped along by Sean “Puffy” Combs and her first record, What’s the 411? (1992) was a commercial and critical success. Her next records were equally well-received, My Life (1994), Share My World (1997), The Tour (1998) and Mary (1999).

Known to her fans as “Queen Mary,” she became one of the biggest R&B stars of the 1990s, working with other recording artists like Busta Rhymes, Lil Kim, DMX, Lauryn Hill and Elton John. Blige released her sixth album No More Drama in 2001.