We’ve arrived at that time of the year where I review the latest offering from my beloved Mary J. Blige. It has become a bi-annual tradition, since her fourth quarter, every-other-year- release can be counted on like clockwork. With that in mind let’s review the way her last three albums have been setup by Blige via press.
“The album represents who and what I am right now. I’m a stronger human being after all the growing pains. It’s about life, love, change, strength—mostly really knowing who you are and being confident in that.”
On Growing Pains:
“It’s not reliving where I been. [The album is] just based on where I am… So many people are like, ‘I’m perfect.’ I’m so imperfect, that’s why I’m able to let everything out and let people see everything. ‘Cause I’m just a mess like every other person that’s a mess out there. And it’s going to take probably a lifetime to get to a point in my life where I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m perfect.’ I don’t think that will ever happen. So as long as I’m a human being and I’m not perfect, I’m able to say I’m having some growing pains. Because in order to sustain where you are once you made such a breakthrough that everyone is looking at you, now everyone is like, ‘Ooh, is she gonna make a mistake?’ Yes, I’m going to make a mistake. Yes, I’m still gonna do things. And that’s what Growing Pains is about, it’s about finally not whining about the pain, Mary J. Blige, and accepting the pain that comes with growing.”
On The Breakthrough:
“Well, the significance of the title is, if you can last in the music business, and just in life period, you’re having…I’m talking about me, you know, I had to grow up in front of everyone you know? And go through everything I went through. This is the hardest business to sustain and even think about sustaining after you have been through so much. And through it all, I tried to remain positive, I tried to get through the peaks and the valleys. When I’m in the valley I try to remain in a stable, positive position, which is hard to do. That’s something in itself. Anything that’s hard to do, you’ve got to break into it. You’re not going to get through a door without the key unless you break it down. Or, you’re not going to get through some glass unless you break through it, or bust through it, you know. So my life has been like, really, just one trial after the next, and heavy, heavy situations, so I managed to make it to this point, to where I’m actually feeling good about myself. I like myself. I understand that there will be more trials and tribulations and negative situations to come, but there’s also a choice I can make, and I’m going to choose to be happy, and do the right thing. And that’s what “The Breakthrough” is about.”
To all of the above I call bullshit.
![NOVAJAVABLEND #12 [12.25.09]](http://www.novaslim.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/novajava121.jpg "NOVAJAVABLEND #12 [12.25.09]")
I put this together some time ago because I wanted to illustrate just how dope a mood-setting intro to a Hip-Hop album could be when a producer chooses to steer a bit to the left. De La Soul’s “The Future” (The Grind Date), The Foreign Exchange’s “Title Theme” (Connected) and Little Brother’s “Welcome to the Minstrel Show.” They manage to be a little cinematic without the pretense and are easily within the top tracks of their respective albums.![NOVAJAVABLEND #11 [12.18.09]](http://www.novaslim.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/novajavablend11.jpg "NOVAJAVABLEND #11 [12.18.09]")