Sean вЂњPuffyвЂќ Combs executive produced WhatвЂ™s the 411? and co-produced every single track on My Life. This is most readily apparent on вЂњWhatвЂ™s the 411?,вЂќ a duet with Grand Puba that finds her asserting, вЂњ I donвЂ™t have no time for no wham bam, thank you maвЂ™am/ Gas me up, get me drunk and hit the skins and scram/ The same old shit you pulled last week on Pam/ IвЂ™m not having that, no IвЂ™m not having that.вЂќ These rapped lines hint at another direction that BligeвЂ™s career might have taken and suggest that figures like Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill and Ja Rule owe no small debt to BligeвЂ™s boundary-busting combination of sauciness and sincerity.ДiddyвЂ™s work behind the boards also deserves acknowledgment. Her approach undoubtedly represents a kind of black femininity that can be just as resilient as the hyper-masculine dudes hopping on her remixes. On вЂњYou Bring Me Joy,вЂќ her longing comes across as totally hopeful yet tempered by unspoken previous experiences: вЂњ I want you to take my hand and promise youвЂ™ll be cool/ Because I know you like the way that I move.вЂќД«ut you would be mistaken to understand her aspirations to relational fulfillment as somehow betraying weakness. вЂњ Come into my bedroom, honey/ What I got will make you spend money,вЂќ she insists on вЂњMary Jane (All Night Long),вЂќ perhaps in part because she spent a lot of time around rappers ready to spend it. As listeners, we actively cheer for her to get what she desires, even as her music implies that the world around her makes this no easy thing.Дesire is one of BligeвЂ™s key concerns across these early tracks, whether that desire is erotic, financial or romantic, and she excels at communicating her feelings in a clear, versatile way. When she sings, вЂњ All I really want is to be happy,вЂќ we can recognize immediately that the words are deeply felt. Raised mostly in The Bronx and Yonkers, Blige faced incredible hardships as a young person: a Vietnam veteran father with PTSD, a family member that molested her at a young age, pervasive sexual harassment and problems with self-medication and addiction. Hearing these bangers, you never doubt for a second that Blige comes from the same bullet-scarred settings as her rap peers.ДЄnd in fact, she does.

Blige is completely at home on these groundbreaking works, whether sheвЂ™s rapping or singing, regardless of if sheвЂ™s taking listeners to church, as on вЂњLove No Limit (Puff Daddy Mix),вЂќ or to a more uncertain space just beyond its doors, as on вЂњYou DonвЂ™t Have to Worry (Remix Main with Rap).вЂќ Her impressive yet restrainedly candid voice communicates authenticity, a completely fraught concept but one absolutely central to that вЂ90s hip-hop game. 1 represent an incredibly influential combination of R&B and hip-hop sounds and styles. Still, itвЂ™s important to emphasize that she is as much a pioneer as any of the figures listed above. The compilation is a reminder that Blige was not only great but also consistently surrounded by greatness. вЂњHistoricвЂќ might seem an exaggeration, but peep the names of the rap collaborators on these remixes: The Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Smif-N-Wessun, LL Cool J. Instead, itвЂ™s all about the hits and their historic flipsides. Blige LPs represented here, 1992вЂ™s WhatвЂ™s the 411? and 1994вЂ™s My Life, but the point of this anthology isnвЂ™t to spotlight those longer works. Consisting of several of BligeвЂ™s finest singles and rare remixes from the вЂ90s, the collection transports listeners back to the (near) beginnings of BligeвЂ™s storied career. The new, expansive compilation HERstory, Vol. But now that these achievements are more than a decade behind us, itвЂ™s high time for a reminder of BligeвЂ™s greatness. SheвЂ™s got plenty of accolades, including a Legends Award, several multi-platinum albums and that вЂњQueen of Hip-Hop SoulвЂќ title.

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