In 1997, Mary J. Blige released her third album entitled “Share My World”. Mary said the album was made at a time when she was trying “to get her life together”, as she was struggling with the abuse of drugs and alcohol. “Share My World” had five hit singles: “Love Is All We Need”, “I Can Love You”, “Everything”, “Missing You”, and “Seven Days” making it Mary J.’s most commercially successful album.

Retrospect

Mary J. Blige went on to record six more music albums. She began an acting career in 1998, making her debut on “The Jamie Foxx Show”. Mary J. has worked with stars such as Tom Cruise, Julianne Hough, and Alec Baldwin. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and became the first person nominated for an Academy award for acting and songwriting in the same year. Mary J. Blige has also created her own record label, Matriarch Records, and has her own line of sunglasses and perfume. She has also had endorsement contracts with such many major Fortune 500 companies including Reebok, Air Jordan, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, American Express and Apple. Mary J. Blige is often referred to as the “Queen of hip-hop soul” and is credited with invigorating urban radio and influencing the marriage of hip hop and R&B. Mary J. Blige is also alternatively known as the “Queen of R&B” and is the only artist to have ever won Grammys in three genres including R&B, Hip Hop, and Gospel.

Mary J. Blige took her personal struggles and harsh upbringing and turned them into a message that inspires women all over the globe to empower themselves.