The Queen of Hip Hop Soul Mary J. Blige is ready for the world to hear the story about the making of her classic 1994 album My Life. Amazon Prime Video users can stream Oscar-winning director Vanessa Roth’s My Life documentary beginning June 25.
Mary J. Blige made an appearance on The Daily Show this week. The 9-time Grammy winner and 2-time Acadamy Award nominee spoke to Trevor Noah about why she decided now was an appropriate time to present a film covering that prosperous, yet tumultuous, period in her career.
“About two years ago, the whole world was celebrating the 25th anniversary of the My Life album. People were giving testimonies online. I was running into people. The whole thing about ‘this album saved my life’ was coming back up again. So it was time,” said Blige.
She continued, “Nas and I were both on [2019’s] ‘The Royalty Tour,’ and he was celebrating his 25th anniversary of the Illmatic [album]. It was just so special. It was just time to tell the story because I’m coming from a place of strength now, so now I can go back and revisit – okay, it’s gonna hurt to revisit all those painful times but I’m strong enough now because I’ve been through so much hell that I can talk now.”
My Life is Mary. J Blige’s sophomore studio LP. The album was a commerical and critical success. It earned 3x-Platinum certification from the RIAA and is included on Rolling Stone magazine’s 100 Greatest Albums Of The 90s list and The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time list.
The LP peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and spent 85 weeks on the tally. Songs such as “Mary Jane (All Night Long),” “I’m Goin’ Down,” and “Be Happy” became mainstream hits. All three tracks made it into the Hot 100 chart’s Top 40.
Mary. J Blige has been open about the hardships, such as physical and emotional abuse, she has had to deal with throughout her life. According to the legendary entertainer from New York, she experienced serious personal trauma for over twenty years after My Life was released.
“2016 came, I got a divorce, and that’s when I was like, ‘Enough. I’ve done something great. I’m beautiful. I’m strong. I’m gonna take my flowers now. I’m gonna speak to myself in the morning about positivity and loving myself and finally finding myself,'” Blige told Trevor Noah.
