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"No More Drama"
Anyone who's purchased one of Mary J.
Blige's albums understands that the "queen of hip-hop soul"
would much rather push artistic envelopes than lick 'em. With
No More Drama, her enlisting of hip-hop's finest beat-makers
to create lush musical soundscapes is nothing short of genius.
On the Dr. Dre-produced "Family Affair," Blige implores
the club set to "get crunk 'cause Mary's back" as she
introduces some new slang to the hip-hop vernacular ("holleration").
"Steal Away" is a classic Neptunes-induced head-nodder
in the "Love Is All We Need" vein, as Pharrell Williams
chimes in a Curtis Mayfield-like falsetto. Those who like their
R&B straight might be offended by the acoustic guitar solo
by Lenny Kravitz on "PMS," or the album's title track,
which samples the theme from The Young and the Restless soap
opera. But listen to "Where I've Been" (a redemptive
tale of Blige's not-so-rapid ascent from the 'hood, featuring
guest raps from Eve) and the Missy Elliott-assisted "Never
Been," and misgivings vanish. Whereas past Mary J. Blige
efforts were limited to tales of relationships gone awry, her
outlook is more diverse and upbeat, while her scratchy, bluesy
vocals have become more expansive, too. Blige raps on "Love,"
scats on "Beautiful Day," chats on the a cappella "Forever
No More," and caps No More Drama with a string of uplifting
ballads ("2 U," "In the Meantime"), neatly
polishing off a release that will stand as one of the best of
2001. --Dalton Higgins |
