Search - Mary J Blige :: What's the 411

"The 1st Breakthrough"

Musac Critic | 06/14/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mary J. Blige's major debut WHAT'S THE 411 marked a change in R&B to a more hip-hop oriented sound. That isn't to say it isn't soulful because the point of hip-hop soul is to have soulful vocals against a hip-hop backdrop. WHAT'S THE 411 masters that concept and Mary J. Blige has honed an improved upon that concept through each successive album rarely taking backsteps along the journey.



This album is packed with some hits, songs that Mary will always be known for. "Reminisce" is a great track showcasing Blige's vocals (a combination between the sensibilities of hip-hop and Aretha, Gladys, Patti, etc...). "You Remind Me" is another Blige staples as well as "Sweet Thing" and "Love No Limit". Basically, this is a classic album that you don't get tired of listening over and over again and it is the "breakthrough" of Mary J. Blige. If WHATS THE 411? is the breakthrough, then THE BREAKTHROUGH is the affirmation and the point of arrival of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul's status and function in the R&B world. In an R&B world where some of R&B new-found hip-hop sensibility has went in the adverse direction, Mary J. Blige keeps the soul of R&B alive. 5 stars for "The 1st Breakthrough"."

What's The 411?

Geminigirl | Philadelphia, PA United States | 12/18/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In anticipation of Mary's new joint, I had a Mary-athon - not to compare one album to the next but just to appreciate where she started as an artist and how she's grown & evolved to now. I actually didn't buy this album until after I'd purchased & fell in love with 'My Life'.



Back in 1992, Mary took the r&b world by storm with this release. NOBODY was doing music that so successfully mixed hip hop beats with such a soulful voice and rightfully almost every single released soared up the top 10 charts of r&b music.



Listening to it again was cool and I noticed that songs I loved then, I still love now and the good thing about these particular singles is that they sound TIMELESS - they're not specific to the 90's. The standout tracks to me are: REMINISCE, REAL LOVE, YOU REMIND ME & LOVE NO LIMIT.



Tracks that I haven't really listened to consistently but upon this listen really sounded great to me are: I DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING & SLOW DOWN. Her cover of SWEET THING gets an honorable mention but really doesn't quite come up to the level of Chaka Khan's original but it is a nice shout out.



Overall I'd give the disc an B+ rating because there's only 2 tracks that I consider filler and they are even great to listen to because of the beats the 7 songs I mentioned are truly enjoyable to listen to even now, 13 years after they were released. So if you're curious about the beginnings of the 'Queen of Hip Hop/Soul' and enjoy this genre of music, I'd highly recommend you getting this disc.

"

It all starts here!

stevey wundar | Houston | 12/23/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"No Mary J. Blige music consumer should have any of her albums before this one!



Thirteen years after her '92 debut, it's still a timeless masterpiece. I didn't know anyone back in tha day that didn't think this album was tight.



And to this day I still don't know anybody who doesn't like it upon hearing it.



This is the album that drew her comparisons to Chaka Khan and Aretha Franklin (and I'd even go as far as to say country singing great Loretta Lynn -- Mary has her "every man", err, "every woman" relatable qualities).



Sweet Thing is my all-time favorite Blige jam! I know Chaka did it first, but Mary's version is so good even my moms loved it.



You Remind Me is another classic. Can't You See What I've been going through is tight. Love No Limit was a great video but I kept hearing it on the radio until I loved it.



This is an album of a dying breed ... one you can listen to without skipping ahead (although you might end up replaying a few over and over b/c you can't get enough).



Highly recommended purchase for all music consumers!"