Soul Tracks

There really is something about Mary. Mary J. Blige that is. That 'something' can be defined as the flurry of emotions one feels when listening to a Mary record. Wyclef once said "Mary doesn't sing to you, she sings through you." For the past 16 years Sister J. Blige has been singing through us. While many female vocalists have come and gone, MJB is still around. Reason being, Mary, an around the way girl from Yonkers, NY, reminds of us the women in our lives; our mothers, sisters, girlfriends, aunts, and cousins. We felt her inner pain and understand her sense of 'nobodiness.' We have experienced similar trials and tribulations. Now, we bask in her happiness and sit in awe of her success. Mary's seventh studio album, The Breakthrough, marked a transformation in Mary's life. Drugs and alcohol became a thing of the past and Mary was a happily married woman. The Breakthrough sold 727,000 copies in its first week, becoming the biggest first-week sales for an R&B solo female artist. Raphael Saadiq composed, produced, and played the role of background singer on the glorious 'I Found My Everything.' Saadiq was able to channel Mary's inner soul child evoking memories of a 70's soul ballad. It is safe to assume the song is autobiographical. Mary's everything is husband Kendu Isaacs, the man she credits for her transformation and breakthrough.