As listeners, we actively cheer for her to get what she desires, even as her music implies that the world around her makes this no easy thing.ĭesire is one of Blige’s key concerns across these early tracks, whether that desire is erotic, financial or romantic, and she excels at communicating her feelings in a clear, versatile way. When she sings, “ All I really want is to be happy,” we can recognize immediately that the words are deeply felt.
Raised mostly in The Bronx and Yonkers, Blige faced incredible hardships as a young person: a Vietnam veteran father with PTSD, a family member that molested her at a young age, pervasive sexual harassment and problems with self-medication and addiction. Hearing these bangers, you never doubt for a second that Blige comes from the same bullet-scarred settings as her rap peers.Īnd in fact, she does. Blige is completely at home on these groundbreaking works, whether she’s rapping or singing, regardless of if she’s taking listeners to church, as on “Love No Limit (Puff Daddy Mix),” or to a more uncertain space just beyond its doors, as on “You Don’t Have to Worry (Remix Main with Rap).” Her impressive yet restrainedly candid voice communicates authenticity, a completely fraught concept but one absolutely central to that ‘90s hip-hop game. 1 represent an incredibly influential combination of R&B and hip-hop sounds and styles. Still, it’s important to emphasize that she is as much a pioneer as any of the figures listed above. The compilation is a reminder that Blige was not only great but also consistently surrounded by greatness.
“Historic” might seem an exaggeration, but peep the names of the rap collaborators on these remixes: The Notorious B.I.G., Craig Mack, Smif-N-Wessun, LL Cool J. Instead, it’s all about the hits and their historic flipsides. Blige LPs represented here, 1992’s What’s the 411? and 1994’s My Life, but the point of this anthology isn’t to spotlight those longer works. Consisting of several of Blige’s finest singles and rare remixes from the ‘90s, the collection transports listeners back to the (near) beginnings of Blige’s storied career. The new, expansive compilation HERstory, Vol. But now that these achievements are more than a decade behind us, it’s high time for a reminder of Blige’s greatness. She’s got plenty of accolades, including a Legends Award, several multi-platinum albums and that “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul” title.
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