Mary J. Blige - Share My World (CD)

Mary polishes her sound

By Nubian ∑agle ©™  Oct 16, 2006

Pros: Somewhat polished, but still gritty, radio r&b

Cons: Pales a bit in comparison to "My Life"

On her third album, Mary J. Blige steers away from much of the gritty hip hop soul of her first two CDs in favor of slightly polished r&b. In the case of "Share My World," that's not necessarily a bad thing. Here, she hooks up with a ha...ndful of the most popular producers in the business (R.Kelly, Jam and Lewis, Rodney Jerkins, and Babyface) and the results make up a pretty strong release. The Queen of Hip Hop Soul teams up with Queen Bee Lil' Kim on the infectious "I Can Love You," with production from Rodney Jerkins. Jam and Lewis, who are known for their work with Janet, give the sample-heavy but effective numbers "Love Is All We Need," and the excellent "Everything," which samples "You Are Everything" by the Stylistics. R. Kelly's one-groove-fits-all approach to production compliments Blige nicely in the duet "It's On," and we're also treated to the ballad "Missing You," which is unmistakably Babyface. And speaking of Babyface, he's also represented on the disc's closer, "Not Gon' Cry," which already appeared on the soundtrack to "Waiting to Exhale." "Share My World" proves that you can polish your sound without sounding like you're desperate for crossover appeal. Whether she does gritty hip hop or radio-friendly r&b, she's still the Queen of Hip Hop Soul. Read more Less