When her debut album, What's the 411?, hit the street in 1992, critics and fans alike were floored by its powerful combination of modern RB with an edgy rap sound that glanced off of the pain and grit of Mary J. Blige's Yonkers, NY childhood. Called alternately the new Chaka Khan or new Aretha Franklin, Blige had little in common stylistically with either of those artists, but like them helped adorn soul music with new textures and flavors that inspired a whole generation of musicians. With her blonde hair, self-preserving slouch and combat boots, Blige was street-tough and beautiful all at once, and the record company execs who profited off ...More
