Wednesday, November 09, 2005

My Favorite "Homemade Tape"...

(*special dedication to that music buff, DJ Diva... I know you know where I'm coming from)

Last month, while packing to move, I came across a box of homemade cassette tapes. It reminded me of my "Wanna-be Bootleg DJ" days in high school, where I was the girl who had the double cassette boombox, and I sold tapes for two bucks a piece....

I laughed at the memories as I went through that box of old homemade tapes. I tossed most of the tapes out, being that I hadn't looked in that box in at least five years.

But there was one tape in particular that I kept, one of my favorites... I must have made this tape at least eight to ten years ago...

A tape full of Mary J. Blige songs.

I love Mary J. Blige. Most likely because we're the same age, and she was always wailing and crying about something I could relate to. She was so full of angst. But I must admit, I'm not her biggest fan right now. Her last album was a bunch of B.S. (That's just my opinion now.) I didn't even buy it.

Her new song is in heavy rotation on the radio. It's a nice song, but...

I like the old Mary J. Blige!

You know, the Mary J. Blige of the early 1990's... The Mary J. Blige that was a hard alcoholic, smoking weed, and doing coke... That Mary J. Blige....

Now don't get me wrong... I'm glad the sister got herself together... She stopped abusing drugs, stopped drinking, started dealing with a better class of people, settled down and married that light-eyed dude...

But I just remember her first two albums (you can tell I'm getting old with the "albums" lingo, right?): What's the 411? and My Life.


What's the 411? was one of the best things since dirt and water. A damn masterpiece, it was. That was at a time when, if I broke the cassette tape, I would immediately go out and get another copy. I must've bought 3 copies of the What's the 411 tape...

Mary J. Blige also got down with the remix album of What's the 411. And let's not even talk about My Life. That's the album where she was strung all out and depressed over K-Ci of the group Jodeci...

(Now, I thought K-Ci could sing his ass off... but come on Mary J., you gotta be embarrassed. Oldboy had you all messed up in the head... You've got to be kidding me...)



The first time I heard My Life, I cried like a baby... I don't know what the heck I was going through at the time, but it affected me just that much...

I liked Share My World. And once I listened to the CD entitled Mary umpteen times, I began to appreciate it... I didn't even buy her last two albums...

But What's the 411? and My Life are classics! (Look at the doggone CD covers... she looked like she was either hardcore or going through some craziness). Will she ever top those albums?... Who knows...

Now back to that homemade tape. I listen to this tape everyday: when I'm getting ready for work, when I'm writing, when I'm unpacking, when I'm cleaning up, when I'm yakking on the phone...

It brings back so many memories... Remember these?...

Side 1:

1. Reminisce
2. My Love
3. Love No Limit
4. Changes I've Been Going Through
5. Real Love
6. You Don't Have to Worry
7. Reminesce (Remix)
8. I'm the Only Woman
9. No One Else
10. A Dream

Side 2:

1. I Don't Wanna Do Anything Else
2. Happy
3. My Life
4. Never Wanna Live Without You
5. Share My World
6. Seven Days
7. Keep you Head to the Sky
8. Get to Know You Better
9. Searching
10. You Use to Love Me (What the... That's not Mary, that's Faith... where that come from!)

Doggonit, I wish that Mary could come back hard with her next album....

Make me cry again, Mary!!

Hey, does anyone know where K-Ci is? Maybe Mary needs a little inspiration!!

17 comments:

  1. Hey Lady,

    Mary J. is my favorite R&B singer but since she got married I am not feeling her new music as much. She let go of the drama for this last album but us MJB fans know that the drama was what made her music so compelling and powerful! I loved hearing her sing about her struggles in life and love and being a black woman. That last album, I liked probably three songs and I was shocked because usually I love all of Mary's songs. I have all of her albums of course. I even waited in line to buy Share My World back in 97' because I had to have it the same day it came out. And I have NEVER done that for any other singer. I will always hold Mary and her music close to my heart but I hope she gets back to that level she was at when she did Share My World or No More Drama. That last album was, man it didn't even sound like her. Now she does all that screeching and hollering like Aretha. Half the time you can't understand what she says now. She hooked up with Diddy again and I think that was a big mistake. She didn't need him. They made a good team in the early nineties but she didn't need to have him producing her albums again. Like I said, I hope she gets back to how she used to be or I will just have to stick with old school Mary. Great post, girl! Also, Reminsce is probably my favorite Mary song but there are a lot other Mary songs I love too of course. I am a big Faith Evans fan too. I also like Kelly Price. Got to love these modern-day soul sisters! Also K-CI and Jo-Jo stopped singing back in 97'. I never listened to them but I was a big Jodeci fan! Man you talk about some freaks! LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stacy-D... I can always count on you to break it down proper-like... I thought when she got back with Puffy, we'd get a CD that was similar to her first two albums. I was sorely disappointed...

    Reminisce is one of my all time favorites, too!!!
    The name of her new album (I'm not sure of the release date) is coincidentally "Reminisce". Hope it's worth buying. I'm gonna let you go get it first, Stacy-D... I'll be eargerly awaiting your verdict!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lady I tagged you for my latest post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What's the 411 hun? lol

    I still have that tape at my mother's house...I ran across it about a month ago. Those were the days! I miss THAT Mary.

    I saw her at Essence a year ago, and like Stacy said, she just screamed during her performance. Mary has definitely seen better days....hopefully she'll return to the old Mary for her next album.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Girl have you seen a recent picture of K-Ci???? He looks like 45 year old weed smokin' crack head! UGH!!!! He needs to go back into hiding! as a matter of fact, Isaw a pic of him recently with Tevin Campbell (who looks FREAKISHLY old...seeing as he's so young) and Al B Sure (who just looks a lil chubbier bout the face). If I can find it I'll send it to ya! But as for the Old MJ, I am sooooooooo with you!! This CD reminds me of my FIRST year in college!! 1988 baby!!!! I was young and spry and GRUUUVING off of Reminisce and Real Love!!! WHEW you just gave me a flashback like a MUG!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. @living single...

    Yeah, THOSE were the days... I hope we get a taste of the Old Mary with this new CD

    @Robyn (Disco Diva)

    1988? Yo, Robyn, I don't think Mary was out then... LOL... Pull that forward a couple years... That CD does remind me of my college days, my days of struggle and angst, though.

    Yeah, I saw the photo you're talking about... Your boy K-Ci looks like he's been dranking cheap liquor for years, don't he? Looks like he's been smoking a little something too!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey ma!...hey I know where Kci is...I have pics...I'll send them to you.

    Now on that Mary...yeah the 411 is when she was sangin!

    Great tape!

    ReplyDelete
  8. It's sad that Mary did her best work on drugs. I wondered does she look back and say what the hell was I in love with that ugly axx Jodeci for...come back Mary...I loved her work.....don't want her to do drugs but want to hear her music like she was...

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm sorry Lady!!!! You shouted me out and errthang...but a sister has been busy...that's right... with the Club Buddy (who now wants to be my husband...well that's what he told my mom, my dad and his mom)

    So as a rsult I will be throwing up your mixtape on my site by Monday at the latest...Thanks girl for the memories...

    PS..I liked crackhead mary too LOL

    ReplyDelete
  10. @dee-dee...

    I've seen those pics of K-Ci... ROTFLMAO!!Dude been smokin' that dank or something!! That's what too much Mad Dog 20/20 and Golden Grain do to ya'. Thanks for stopping through!!

    @rose...

    Maybe Mary was all caught up in the whole "K-Ci sho' can sang" moment back in the day like a lot of us... You know, when Jodeci was hot... (I know I was like "that skinny frog looking dude sho' nuff can sang!). And I agree with you... Come back Mary!!

    Thanks for coming by...

    @DJ DIVA...

    Go DJ! That's my DJ!

    I was wondering where you had ran off too... Doing the DIVA thing in somebody's club, perhaps... (LOL!!)... Glad to know you liked crackhead Mary, too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I love that My Life cd. I'm so mad that mine is scratched and a couple songs are messed up. You are going to make me go find all of my Mary cds. I share your sentiments that her music isn't what it used to be. But I'm happy that she's happy. I guess we'll just have to reminisce on her old music. And I wouldn't even have a place to play a cassette tape if I found one.:)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous9:14:00 AM

    It sounds to me like you want to wallow in sadness and be depressed all of the time. Think positive. Be glad the sisters is alive and have struggled out of hell.

    ReplyDelete
  13. @Serenity23...

    Hey, S23, thanks for stopping by...

    Do what I do when my favortie CDs mess up... go ahead on and buy a new one!!

    @anonymous...

    Me wanting to wallow in sadness and be depressed all the time... hmmm, hope that's a typo because I'm a bit far from that, thank you very much...I'm assuming that you're saying that I want MARY J. to wallow in sadness and be depressed all the time... Not true...Like I said in the post, I'm glad the sister got herself together... (We don't need another Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix O.D. thing going on... I hope Whitney H. gets herself together, too...) But something's jacked up with Mary's music right now... That last CD tanked...I actually like the new song playing from the Reminisce CD that'll be out soon.

    I don't know of too many people who are not disappointed in Mary's recent music. This is how she makes her living...If she wants some record sales right now, then she needs to make better music, get some better production, DO SOMETHING!... Until then, I'll be listening to her old classics!

    ReplyDelete
  14. ohhh u too much! lol@ the k ci reference.

    i used to make mixtapes with the cassettes when i was in high school...but that was from 97 to 01...i had dialup and no CD burner, it worked out for me though. marys' got this new song out...its not slow...or really fast, but its hot.

    i hate when the older singers try to make their music sound like the shit that is out now...like mariah....when i got evicted that was first cd i grabbed...her last good album...i love that shit to death.

    ReplyDelete
  15. @Doc Holliday...

    Dang, Doc- sorry you were evicted... Hope it works out for you...

    Mary's new song is starting to grow on me... maybe it's because she's sad and depressed (LOL). I'm looking forward to the new CD. If it has 3 good songs that I like, then I'll run out and buy it!

    And speaking of Mariah... I wonder if Janet Jackson is mad that her boyfriend J. Dupri hooked Mariah up with some hit songs... And when the heck IS he gonna help Janet out??????...

    @DJ DIVA...

    You took the words right out of mouth... You should have seen me running around at work doing my Color Purple Celie "two finger" crooked point at some folks I suspected of leaving those anonymous comments... Now I know why the Humanity Critic calls anonymous comments "vaginal". LOL!!!

    All in all, Mary betta step her game up so that folks will support her records... She could do it on a positive tip if she gets the right songs!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Ooh I had forgotten about My Life. That is probably my favorite MJB album of all. The WHOLE album rocked. It's not one song on there I would skip!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Yeah Stacy-D, I loved that CD too... Nothing like playing that tape and sipping on a bottle of Gold Champale... That CD made me cry...

    ReplyDelete

Slap the *crickets* out the way, kindly step up to the mike, and SAY something!!