Mary J Blige - Family Affair

HOLLERATION in this DANCERIE

  • Total voters
    20
10/10 or GTFO. Anything less is straight up hateration.

It's one of THE best party tracks.
 
Mostly due to chronic overplaying. If not for that, it's... fine.
 
massive tune. although it was a few years later, I kind of group it with He Wasn't Man Enough as an iconic, immortal turn of the century R&B banger. HOT production from Dr. Dre. on balance, her signature hit?
 
It's the Moves Like Jagger of R&B, sorry
 
Ask 100 people to name a Mary J Blige tune, I imagine this would be mentioned 95 times.

For someone with such fame and longevity she really only has this in the popular classics folder. I can't think of many others with a similar trajectory. I was going to say Candi Staton, but even she has a couple. Maybe Gloria Gaynor, if you aren't asking gays.

Maybe Blur in America.
 
AGinAg (39) said:
Ask 100 people to name a Mary J Blige tune, I imagine this would be mentioned 95 times.

For someone with such fame and longevity she really only has this in the popular classics folder. I can't think of many others with a similar trajectory. I was going to say Candi Staton, but even she has a couple. Maybe Gloria Gaynor, if you aren't asking gays.

Maybe Blur in America.
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I’d agree with Blur

And also Kylie unfortunately
 
For us OLD HEADS we still fuck with Not Gon’ Cry and Real Love

This is a solid 10 for her but I rarely listen to it because I heard it so damn much back in the day
 
production is mildly of its time but this is a real fave

 
ott: releasing Rainy DayZ feat. Ja Rule as a single was a choice, although a good one but then again, it always baffled me they didn't release Dance for Me here and was only a fun 4 Europe release :(
 
she's always alternated between amazing and bizarre single choices tbh
 
AGinAg (39) said:
Ask 100 people to name a Mary J Blige tune, I imagine this would be mentioned 95 times.

For someone with such fame and longevity she really only has this in the popular classics folder.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about the black community (and by black community I mean me) this is strictly not true. Her 90s output is just incredible. Her singles chart performances do not reflect the impact she made on the clubs and urban radio. There's a reason she's in the RNR HOF.

Mary Jane (All Night Long)
Be Happy
My Life
Reminisce
You Remind Me
Love No Limit remix
Real Love

and then there's her ballads - I'm Going Down, Not Gon' Cry...

And that's just the 90s, before her peak commercial era.

To answer the point though, I'd say Family Affair, No More Drama, Be Without You, Be Happy, I'm Going Down and Just Fine are all signature tunes.

For her collabs, I LOVE All I Need with Method Man. But there's been many.

She did have a bit of middling period in the late 90s with the Share My World and Mary albums which weren't as 'important', but that all changed with the No More Drama comeback.
 
also, her cover of One is one of her best known in the UK I feel. what a vocal.

her greatest hits/singles collection was so strong and the peak of my MJB stan era - I really loved this collab with Wyclef Jean

 
Most people have never heard of most of those songs. I'm not saying Moopy hasn't or fans of the genre haven't.

I'd probably say Family Affair really is her one hit that 15 and 60 years old will recognise, will slap along side ABBA and Whitney at a wedding disco, and still gets radio play. In the UK at least not a single one of the others comes close. It's not a comment on the quality of her output or her other relative successes. It's her Mr Brightside.
 
In terms of wedding disco mainstream, you're probably right. She just makes up for it within her own genre I guess. There's plenty of acts in every genre like this.
 
Jark said:
also, her cover of One is one of her best known in the UK I feel. what a vocal.

her greatest hits/singles collection was so strong and the peak of my MJB stan era - I really loved this collab with Wyclef Jean

Click to expand...

Now I get down with 911 :D
 
Why did it just ask me to confirm if I wanted to give funky a Like?
 
I'd say this and "Be Without You" are her "classics" in the States to the GP. "I'm Goin' Down", "No More Drama", "Real Love", "Just Fine" etc were more classic R&B moments than mainstream.
 
I thought this was EPIC when it came out. I was in peak r&b/hip-hop phase (was convinced I was Black for some reason) and liked Mary and Dre much. Wanted Ms Blige to have a UK breakthrough and this was just the ticket.

It hasn't aged that well for me though, sorry. All the local aunties dance to THIS SONG in public parks here to prove that they are hip and current and it kinda blows my mind. I'll give it an extra point for old time's sake, but I'm probably more Team @dUb than anything.

My interest in Mary waned not long after this (her subsequent material didn't help), but 90s Mary remains absolutely CLASSIC and

funky said:
Mary Jane (All Night Long)
Be Happy
My Life
Reminisce
You Remind Me
Love No Limit remix
Real Love
Click to expand...

this is a magnificent selection of songs! :disco: 'Not Gon' Cry' and esp 'I'm Goin' Down' need to be right up there too tho. Come into my bedroom honey, what I got will make you spend money (ALL. NIGHT. LONG.) are words that I lived life by at one stage! What's the 411? and My Life are the essentials ofc, but I recall there being some legit good stuff on the later 90s albums too ('I Can Love You', 'Love Is All We Need', 'All That I Can Say' off the top of my head). She deserves her status for that decade of quality alone!
 
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