Mary J Blige has gone through some things these last few years. In 2018, Mary finalized her divorce to husband and manager Kendu Isaacs under much drama and mud slinging (from his corner). However, there were a few silver linings. In 2017, Mary starred in Mudbound for which she was nominated for two Oscars (Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Song). It was during her portrayal of Florence Jackson in Mudbound that Mary said that she finally saw herself as beautiful. Now, Mary is starring in Starz’s Power Book II: Ghost, and is set to perform with Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, and Kendrick Lamar for Super Bowl LVI’s half time show. Mary’s new album, Good Morning Gorgeous will also be dropping on February 11. Mary is covering Elle’s February issue. In her profile, Mary discussed her “ghetto fabulous” persona that she took on before her career took off, finding self-love after being mentally beat down for years, and her daily morning affirmations. A few highlights from Elle:
On regaining her self worth
“If you’ve been beat down mentally by someone, you’re never pretty enough. You’re never smart enough. Nothing’s ever good enough,”“When I shot Mudbound, I was at my point of no real confidence,” she admits. Compliments from everyone on set helped build her self-image and forced her to readdress herself correctly. Every morning she would tell herself, “ ‘This chick is beautiful,’ ” she says. “So I started to believe it and started to pay myself high compliments to get past that feeling and that fear.” It was Florence who made Blige realize wigs, weaves, and makeup were just secondaries, and gave her the confidence to embrace the natural side of the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.
“During Mudbound and when I was married, I was feeling so low. I had to pay myself the highest compliments, even if I didn’t believe it, just so I could build myself up,” Blige says. “I would do it in the morning, because that’s the time when your hair is not done and you don’t have on makeup. You’re just kind of dealing with yourself for real.” She still wakes up and recites the same words: “Good morning, Gorgeous. I love you. I got you. I need you.”
On her early style
“Ghetto fabulous is just, when you come from the hood, you at your flyest. What can you afford? What can you do with it? You want stones on your nails. You want mad colors on your nails. You want colorful furs. You want Timberland boots to rock with your furs. You want a hockey jersey? It’s whatever you feel you can do with whatever you can afford,” Blige explains. “Growing up around drug dealers and the women that I hung out with, they wore furs—long sables and silver foxes and red lipstick. They were just fly. Men wore them, but when you saw a woman show up in one, you knew who she was.”
It would be remiss of me to not comment on how beautiful Mary looks in these images for Elle. I know that Mary turned 51 earlier this month and the woman is still serving lewks honey. I have always loved Mary’s ability to make ghetto fabulous well fabulous. And I have often wanted to dress like her despite my style being more Hamptons meets rocker chick than fabulous. I have been listening to Mary since her 411 album and I have seen her go through her ups and downs between her crazy AF relationship with K-Ci from Jodeci in the 90s to her chaotic marriage to Kendu Isaacs. I remember when Mary’s relationship with Kendu begin to unravel publicly. All I wanted to do was hug Mary and hope that she would find the love that she truly deserved. I was tired of seeing her settle for these dusty men.
I am happy to read that Mary has finally learned to love herself. I really love how she has addressed her self-esteem along with the mental abuse she endured. It would seem that Mary is in the “no more drama” phase of her life. As Beyonce would say, “the best revenge is your paper,” and Mary is proving this point. I truly enjoyed Mary in Mudbound. It was honestly the first time that I saw how beautiful a stripped down Mary J. was. Perhaps I was discovering the beauty of Mary at the same time that she was discovering it for herself. I am looking forward to Mary’s Super Bowl performance next month and I cannot wait to catch up on Power Book II: Ghost. In the meantime, I am going to take a trip down memory lane and go listen to my favorite Mary J. song, You’re All I Need with Method Man.
Love Mary J. Blige but who wears fur anymore?!
Calm down, it’s most likely fake fur.
Exactly!
And derailing off on that completely misses the point of what she was talking about, stuff that gets to the core of valuing ourselves, realizing why we sometimes carry the perspectives we do and how they can get in our own way, particularly if we’ve got people in our lives who don’t value us.
There is nothing wrong with fur when it is sourced ethically.
I was speaking with an Inuk artist I know who shared the impact of PETA on her communities – for decades they hunted for meat and used the fur locally and sold some overseas like in England. They sold the smaller furs for 75$ which were sold for 300$ in the airports. After PETA started to vilify all furs and not just farm harvested for capitalism fur the northern communities fell into poverty. She said they had never encountered food scarcity and poverty like they do now – part of that is because they had started to build infrastructure through their trade economy and it couldn’t be supported without that income stream.
Love her and love that you’re covering her!
A lot of women can relate to what she says about self esteem and being emotionally beaten down. It took me a few years after my divorce to find the self worth and self appreciation I had before I met him. He was never physio abusive, but emotionally, he took a huge toll on me.
Hope to see more of Mary in film and looking forward to her new album!
Nothing but love for Mary – she’s the true queen of hip-hop. She’s always seemed to me like a star that tried to dim her light. I hate that she hid herself for so long because the men in her life weren’t treating her right. She’s a beauty and I hope she can let her light shine bright.
I’ve seen Mary J up close and in person. She’s GORGEOUS. The camera doesn’t do her Justice at all.
I’m jealous of her. I don’t know how someone gains self love and acceptance but I think it takes more than daily affirmations. It probably helps when you’re gorgeous and talented and have enough people around you willing to tell you that.
Mary J provided the soundtrack for ny life and I will always worship at the feet of this queen.
Side Note: her collab with Method Man on You’re All that I Need is my husband’s and I song…first wedding dance. My poor mother was positively scandalized.
I LURVE me some Auntie Mary. The undisputed Queen of Hip-hop Soul. I have loved her since “You Remind Me” dropped on the airwaves. She has such a soulful voice, where she can sing anything and has the ability to convey her feelings through song and convince the listeners about what she is singing about.
Her “My Life” album helped me get through my own life, and is probably one of the greatest albums of all time. Everyone I know has a memory attached to at least one of the songs off of that album.
I’m so happy and proud of my Capricorn sister. I hope she kills it at the SB. Make NYC & Yonkers proud baby!
She is gorgeous and looking better than ever. I love her.
I love Mary. Her music, her style, her bad assery, her vulnerability…..She gives everything and I hope she receives it back.
She has had so many downs, but to me Mary has always been the most talented, gorgeous and kind person. I am so happy to see that she is successful in her own eyes now as well. That has always been missing. To her fans she is the undisputed queen like you said, but you could tell she always put others above herself. I can’t wait for this next chapter. She has always showed up for her fans, but Mary showing up for Mary? That’s unstoppable.
Mary is and has always been beautiful. I can’t wait to see her at the super bowl. I’m basically watching it for her.
Mary is a national treasure!