Mary J. Blige

Released: August 26, 2003

Featuring: Diddy JAY-Z

Songwriter: Mary J. Blige JAY-Z Diddy Dimitri Christo Les McCann

Producer: Diddy The Natural (Producer) Stevie J

[Phone dialing]

[Intro: Mary J. Blige & Diddy]
What's up, this is Mary, leave a message, and I'll holla back, peace
Yo, yo Mary, pick up the phone girl
Ay yo Mary, pick up the phone girl
Hello?
Ay yo, what's up?
What's up Puff?
Yo, you ready?
I'm always ready

[Diddy]
It's about that time again
This the moment they all been waiting for
Time to take it back to the gutter
The queen of hip-hop soul

[Break: Mary J. Blige (Jay-Z)]
Oohh, live your life 'cause life is love
Always thank the man above (thank you, uh)
The more you give the more you get (that's real talk)
Yeah, yeah (let me warm it up for ya)

[Verse: Jay-Z]
Who better to usher you back through the gutter
Than America's number one hustler (it's Young, fucka!)
Don't call it a come back
Unless there's some money attached to that
And you can call it whatever you like, in fact
It's something like a phenomenon
Like I'm a young LeBron, gettin' my high school games on
TV just for dunkin' on
Whoever want it with Shawn
We can get it jumpin' like Donkey Kong
We could get it thumpin' like bum-ba-bum
Travel the way of the gun, come on, c-come on
No, I'm not only beggin' I'm eggin' you on
Until you dead or gone that's the vendetta I'm on
This ain't no video game with wrestlers on it
The competitor on this is on some shit
Honest, come through all black like a Amish (woo!)
Holsters under the armpit, the arm spit, ha
It's just that Brooklyn don shit
Along with the queen from Yonkers
Come on kiss the ring, 'fore I let miss Mary sing
Exposed to you her soul into everything, yeah
It's classic material
I see you bastards at the burial
Jay go first and then Mary go, round
I just ride, hold her down with the fifth by my side
Me and miss Blige
Look up in the sky, it's a bird of that 'caine
And the hydro flow that I brought to the game
I could go mo' but I'ma let ma do her thang
Brooklyn, we did it again

[Outro: Diddy]
I can't really explain what it is about her
I don't know it's just, it's something special
Ain't nobody like her, there's only one Mary
Only one queen of hip-hop soul
Love and life, let's do it

Mary Jane Blige (b. Jan 11 1971) grew up in the projects of Yonkers, New York. A random decision to record a cover of “Caught Up in the Rapture” by Anita Baker in a pop-up recording booth at a mall led MJB to getting signed by Uptown Entertainment. After providing background vocals on Father MC’s hit single “I’ll Do 4 U” in 1990, a young intern at Uptown named Sean “Puffy” Combs ended up executive producing Mary’s 1992 debut album What’s The 411?. Fusing hip-hop beats with Mary’s soulful voice earned her the nickname “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul”.

She followed up her debut with a string of critically acclaimed albums, including 1994’s My Life and 1997’s Share My World, as well as hit singles such as “Not Gon' Cry,” “Family Affair,” “Be Without You,” and “Just Fine.”

She also collaborated with rappers on a number of tracks, including Jay-Z’s “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” Ghostface Killah’s “All That I Got is You,” Wyclef’s “911,” Common’s “Come Close,” and Method Man’s “I’ll Be There for You/All I Need to Get By,” which was a platinum hit and won the two of them a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group.

more tracks from the album

Love & Life

From the album

Love & Life (2003)

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