Mary Jane Blige (born January 11, 1971) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter and producer. She was born in The Bronx, New York but grew up in the housing projects of Yonkers, eventually dropping out of school before graduating.
Blige’s musical career began after she recorded “Caught Up in the Rapture” (Anita Baker) with a mall karaoke machine in 1989. The tape found its way to Uptown Records, who signed her as a back-up singer. Up-and-coming producer Sean “Puffy” Combs took an interest, however, and helped her with her critically acclaimed debut, What’s the 411?, released in 1992. The album’s mix of hip hop and soul music is sometimes called the beginning of nu soul.
