ARTIST

Mary J. Blige

"Who's the most innovative female singer of our decade?" a male voice asks at the beginning of Mary J. Blige's 1997 release, Share My World. Blige has roots in hip-hop, so this question is, of course, a thinly disguised boast to which the answer could only be Blige. But the singer's bravado is uncommonly deserved, because even while her innovations are those of a follower as much as a leader (see Aretha Franklin and, more recently, Neneh Cherry and Queen Latifah), her impact has been undeniable, as she's updated the role of the black diva for the hip-hop age and injected New Jack swing with a much-needed dose of estrogen.

Barely out of her teens, Blige arrived as a prodigy of Sean "Puffy" Combs, combining b-girl sass and sexy soul power in the...
More...