Mary J | From the Queen of R&B to ROCK OF AGES

[BLACKTREE TV - Beverly Hills, CA) Mary J. Blige sits down with BlackTree TV s Jamaal Finkley to talk Rock of Ages... MARY J. BLIGE (Justice) has been an empowering presence ever since her 1992 mutli-platinum debut album, What s the 411? And, in the ensuing years, the singer/songwriter s music has attracted an intensely loyal fan base responsible for propelling worldwide sales of more than 50 million albums. With a track record of eight multi-platinum albums, nine Grammy Awards (plus a staggering 29 nominations), a 2012 Golden Globe Award nomination, and four American Music Awards, Blige most recently returned for her tenth studio album, the aptly titled My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1), a sequel to her 1994 classic, My Life. My Life II... debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, and received critical acclaim. Providing the album s cornerstone, the song "The Living Proof" is also featured on the soundtrack from the award-winning film "The Help," and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song -- Motion Picture. On Blige s current up-tempo chart-climber from the album, "Mr. Wrong," she goes toe-to-toe with Drake; My Life II... also features guest turns from such artists as Nas, Busta Rhymes and Rick Ross, and a first-time paring with Beyoncé on the diva-licious "Love a Woman." To help map out her Life journey, Blige collaborated with such intuitive producers as Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis, Danja, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, Sean Garrett, Tricky Stewart and the Underdogs. Born in the Bronx, New York, Blige began moving people with her soulful voice when, at 18, she signed with Andrew Harrell s Uptown Records in 1989, becoming the MCA-distributed label s youngest and first female artist. Influenced at an early age by the music of Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight, Blige brought her own gritty, urban-rooted style—fusing hip-hop, soul and honest, frank lyrics—to the forefront on her 1992 debut album, What s the 411? The multi-platinum set, ... Blacktree is at all the hottest events on the planet (award shows, movie premieres and press junkets, fashion shows, etc.) and now BLACKTREE ON TV brings stars to YOU on Soul of the South! Watch Full episodes below, and tune in! WEEKDAYS | 5:30 – 6:00pm, 1-1:30am WEEKENDS | 5 – 6:00pm Sat & Sun (CST)