Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Bligeis an American singer, songwriter, model, record producer and actress. Starting her career as a background singer on Uptown Records in 1989, Blige released her first album, What's the 411?, in 1992, and has released 11 studio albums since and made over 150 guest appearances on other albums and soundtracks...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionR&B Singer
Date of Birth11 January 1971
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
You demand respect and you'll get it. First of all, you give respect.
My responsibility to God is to live. That's the gift he gave me. What I do with it is up to me.
Everything is scary if you look at it. So you just got to live.
It's that first step-getting out the door-that's the toughest. If you can do that, you've already won.
I believe there should be no more drama, but it's everywhere you go. It's just about how you get out. You've gotta bob and weave because it's everywhere. How do I keep the drama low? It's about using your head.
In your life there's peaks and valleys and sometimes we regress, and we don't even know we regress. You just have to learn how to accept all of your mistakes and learn to love yourself again.
I cannot save the world; that's not what I'm trying to do. I guess I'm just trying to walk the walk and be an example to those that want it. Not everybody does, but if Mary J. Blige can come out of that same hole you were in, then you can do it, too - that's my goal: to do that without saying it, but actually live it.
I used to think I was ugly. I thought I looked like a camel. A person who doesn't love themselves, they will see anything that pops up on their face. I've seen squirrels, I've seen a bird, and I've seen all kinds of animals on my face. But that is the result of self-hate. I've learned to say: 'You know what? I am a beautiful black woman'.
It's up to us to choose whether we win or lose...and I choose to win.
My journey continues, because I've, you know, conquered a lot. And I know how to conquer the rest.
I didn't never have to go to a therapist. I just always put it in a song and you heard me.
In the inner city, there's a mentality that the government owes you something. My breakthrough came when I stopped feeling sorry for myself and took responsibility for every part of my life. No more pity parties. I've gotta love me more than anybody else loves me.
Just don't let the hype of what people are saying and how much they love you, y'know, just take the compliment and be thankful that people are complimenting you, but don't let it consume you; don't let your circumstances around you and the way people view you make you act a certain way.
You have to create different things, either through lighting or changing the format of the songs and how you're going to sing them, and even sometimes props.