Mary J Blige:
Love and Life

Release Date: 26 August 2003

Reviewed By: Fiona McKinson

1. Love & Life (feat. Jay Z)

2. Don't Go

3. When We

4. Not Today (feat. Eve)

5. Finally Made It (intetlude)

6. Ooh!

7. Let Me Be Tha 1 (feat. 50Cent)

8. Love @ First Sight (feat. Method Man)

9. Willing & Waiting

10. Free (interlude)

11. Friends

12. Press On

13. Feel Like Making Love

14. It's A Wrap

15. Message In Our Music

16. All My Love

17. Special Part Of Me

18. Ultimate Relationship

Mya - Moodring
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Mary's back and taking us back to the 1990s, according to scores of pundits including featured artists, Jay -Z (who picks up where Biggie left off on love & life intro...), and co-Executive producer P Diddy. On this her 7th album the much lauded Queen of hip hop soul is harking back to the good old days of R&B where the music did all the talking. 10 years in the business and off the back of landmark albums such as her debut What's the 411 and the classic My Life, this album was expected to be something special and it does not disappoint.

The infectious first single, 'Love At first sight', samples, 'A Tribe Called Quest' Hot Sex', and sees Mary teaming up with old spas Method Man (who appeared on the Grammy award winning 'All I need' ), and P Diddy. As the video depicts, it's history in the making. Many argue that Mary does her best work with Diddy and this track alone justifies their reunification. Having parted due to past grievances, it is a mature Mary that rekindles her relationship with the music mister. But if it was Mary who needed Puff back in the day to fulfill her potential, it is easily a more equal relationship now as Mary shines on every cut including Press on produced by Kay Gee, and Not today ft. Eve, produced by Dr. Dre - the man behind her biggest hit 'Family affair.' The Shady/Aftermath connection is extended to the duet 'Let me be the one featuring 50 Cent. This set fits right in with such heat. (For an insight into the past relations of Mary, including her rocky history with Puffy, check out the included DVD.

Like an old friend Mary settles back into our lives and touches us in a way that no other artist can. Mary has always embodied the grit of daily life whilst carrying the gloss and glamour of a diva. She offers further insight into her life on interludes such as, 'Finally made it', where she admits that she could easily have ended up as working in a hairdressers or supermarket. Mary has grown spiritually and proclaims her freedom in, ''Free from bondage and captivity'. Inspirational words continue to be found throughout the album, but the most prominent theme explored is love. Mary is happily engaged to musician Kendu Isaacs. Several songs are dedicated to their love and declare their visible chemistry such as, 'Ooh!, Feel like making love', 'All my love' and 'Ultimate relationship (A.M.)'.

Smoochy love songs aside, a more confident Mary continues to empathise with the single ladies on the attitude driven, 'Its a wrap' which advises sisters on handling cheaters and epitomises female solidarity. Another change in direction is, 'Special part of me', which reveals Mary's insecurities about her looks, "You make me feel like I'm alive / Nobody ever paid attention to me / Turned a little girl into the woman I should be / I'm in love / nobody ever made me feel like I was pretty before." It is nice to see her so happy after all her trials and tribulations, and striking to see how open she has chosen to be.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Three favourite tracks:
8. Love@first sight
13. Feel like making love
14. It's a wrap

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