Welcome, everyone, Mary J. Blige, a name synonymous with greatness in the world of R&B, is often hailed as the queen of hip hop and R&B soul. Yet, despite her celebrated status, the true extent of her impact often remains overlooked. Mary pioneered numerous trends and paved the way for countless female R&B artists who followed in her footsteps.
What set Mary apart was her distinctive fusion of hip-hop and R&B, coupled with her edgy persona and raw musical style. Unapologetic in her subject matter, she brought a refreshing energy to the music scene, inspiring a generation of artists. However, with success comes imitation, and the industry, driven by profit, sought to replicate Mary’s formula with other artists.
This phenomenon became evident in the case of Faith Evans, whose packaging and promotion bore striking resemblance to Mary’s. Mary, originally signed to Uptown Records under the mentorship of P. Diddy, experienced a temporary falling out with him. Subsequently, Diddy launched his own label, Bad Boy Records, and introduced Faith Evans, directing her to emulate Mary’s blueprint. The tension between Mary and Faith escalated as they found themselves in direct competition, despite initially collaborating on several projects.
In the cutthroat world of the music industry, where imitation is often mistaken for innovation, Mary J. Blige’s legacy shines as a beacon of originality and influence, forever shaping the landscape of R&B.
Was Faith somewhat inspired by your own trajectory? Definitely, but I’ve always been curious about your perspective. I observed it from afar, both externally and internally. I knew, but I never asked you directly. It’s just the way things unfolded. I mean, here I am, working closely with Puff, and then he branches out to start his own company, finds his girl. Naturally, he’d want her to emulate aspects of me. That’s just how business works. And then every subsequent woman, you know, did the same thing, didn’t they? Did it bother you at the time? I was just a bit puzzled, to be honest. I mean, I’ve got my own thing going on, so why wouldn’t everyone else? I wasn’t angry or upset, just a bit like, “What’s going on here?” But then I caught on, realizing, “Ah, it’s just business.” But Puff did, and okay, I understand. Yeah. You know, I always sensed there might have been some tension between you and Mary. Maybe I picked it up from a documentary or something, or perhaps she felt a certain way when Puff brought you along. Those rumors were always circulating, but honestly, it was never confirmed. They did mention I had to remove her voice from my album due to some undisclosed issue. But I figured that was between her and Puff. And honestly, I’m kind of glad I never found out the details because I genuinely have no idea what it was about. “Oh, you collaborated on a song?” “Yeah, on my debut album, we had a track together called ‘Love Don’t Live Here Anymore.'” “Wow.” “And then, about six months after my album dropped, Bad Boy’s GM called me, saying, ‘Mary wants your voice off your album. You need to call her.'” I was like, “No, I don’t.” I mean, I hadn’t done anything to her. So why would I call her? They didn’t tell me what happened, so why tell me to call her? It’s not like I requested it. “So you don’t even know why they removed you?” “Exactly. I know I didn’t say anything about it.” “Do you think someone asked for your voice to be removed?” “Well, they lied to her.” From those snippets, you can tell there was a lot of misunderstanding between Mary and Faith, leading to unnecessary tension. Another factor was Mary’s friendship with Lil’ Kim, who was in a feud with Faith over Biggie at the time. Mary sided with Lil’ Kim against Faith, further exacerbating the strained relationship.
Kim collapsed near the coffin, and while Mary helped her up, she notably avoided speaking to Faith. Despite this, I couldn’t help but observe Mary’s deliberate exclusion of me, even as she greeted others on my path. Faith, reflecting on the past, expressed no lingering bitterness towards other women after Big’s passing, acknowledging an eventual thaw in her relationship with Mary. This narrative also touches upon Pink’s early career. Initially, Pink delved into R&B, arguably drawing inspiration from Mary’s distinctive style. However, when Pink proposed a collaboration, Mary declined outright.
This incident underscores a broader discussion about authenticity and collaboration in the music industry. Many artists promise collaborations but fail to follow through, a practice Mary apparently sought to avoid by being straightforward, even if it seemed harsh. My encounter with Mary at the Soul Train Awards highlighted this. When I asked about a potential collaboration, she unambiguously declined, an honesty I came to admire despite its initial sting.
Pink’s journey, too, is reflective of the complexities of musical influence and identity. Initially guided by LA Reid towards an R&B style, Pink eventually carved out her unique niche in pop and rock, distancing herself from comparisons. Yet, she, like Mary, would experience the frustration of seeing her style emulated by others, notably expressing grievances towards Christina Aguilera for perceived stylistic imitations. This circle of influence and inspiration among artists underlines the delicate balance between homage and originality in the creative process.
The idea that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery doesn’t hold up for everyone, as it can be more irritating than complimentary. This sentiment is shared by Mary J. Blige, who has experienced her share of unwelcome comparisons, notably with Keyshia Cole. The music industry, notorious for seeking to replace established artists with newer faces, positioned Cole as the “new Mary,” especially when Blige moved away from her signature heartbreak anthems due to personal happiness. Despite Cole’s admiration and influence from Blige, the comparisons weren’t warmly received by Blige, highlighting the complexities of mentorship and influence within the industry.
Cole herself has spoken about the discomfort these comparisons caused, not just for her but presumably for Blige as well. The relationship between the two was scrutinized, with fans and media alike speculating on potential collaborations and the dynamics between their respective camps. Despite Cole’s repeated expressions of respect and desire to collaborate, Blige’s reluctance pointed to a broader industry issue: the pressure to constantly innovate while being compared to predecessors.
This cycle of comparison doesn’t just affect the relationship between Blige and Cole; it extends to newer artists emulating Cole, illustrating the ongoing struggle for originality in a landscape that favors familiar formulas. It’s a nuanced issue, reflecting the personal and professional challenges artists face when navigating their careers in the shadow of their influences. This narrative not only highlights the complexities of artistic identity and legacy but also the personal journeys of artists striving to carve their unique paths while paying homage to those who paved the way.