R&B Legend Mary J. Blige has recently collaborated on a single with Hip Hop mogul Kanye West.
A surprise was announced via Blige’s twitter account on Mar 30. The single aired for the first time ever on Funk Flex’s evening show on Hot 97 that same night, since Mary J. was the guest star. The track is an effortless blend of Blige’s soulful lyrics and singing over a banging hip hop beat – the very same style of music that brought her to fame a few decades ago.
The singer is going through some personal conflicts at this stage in her life, including a divorce that has gone public. The lyrics in the song come from the heart and focus on self-love and empowerment. She sings:
“You gotta stay open, and don’t be foolish
‘Cause everybody don’t mean you well
You gotta love yourself
Before you love somebody else”
Mr. West brings back some Old Kanye flows on the track. This was something Mary covers in her interview with Funk Flex (you can watch that interview here). He talks about his own personal self-love as a black man from the inner city who has no limits. In one verse, he unpacks many issues, flowing as he would back in the 2000’s.
Blige’s album track list has been released via twitter and the project will drop in 2017.