Latest news with #Blige
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Misa Hylton sues Mary J. Blige for $5M over alleged interference in Vado's career
Grammy-winning artist Mary J. Blige is preparing a legal response to a $5 million lawsuit filed by former friend and stylist Misa Hylton, who accuses the singer of intentionally sabotaging her management contract with rapper Vado. Blige was officially served on May 30, 2025, confirming the start of what could be a heated legal dispute. The court has set July 28 as the deadline for Blige's response. While both parties have agreed on procedural matters, Blige's legal team has not waived any defenses. The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, claims that Blige used her company, Beautiful Life Productions, to pressure Vado into cutting ties with M.I.S.A. Management, the agency run by Hylton. Under their agreement, Hylton's firm was entitled to 20% of Vado's earnings. Hylton alleges that Blige took active steps to block Vado's album release, limit his touring, and privately persuaded him to break his contract. The suit further claims that Blige's head of security—reportedly her boyfriend—attempted to take over Vado's management and warned the rapper about lost opportunities if he remained with M.I.S.A. Filed for intentional interference, emotional distress, and breach of contract, the lawsuit marks a painful end to a friendship that spanned decades. 'This wasn't Plan A—it was Plan Z,' said Hylton's lawyer, Nicholas Ramcharitar, stating that multiple attempts were made to settle the issue privately before resorting to court. With Vado reportedly unable to release music or earn due to the conflict, the outcome of this lawsuit may have major implications in the hip hop business world.
Time Out Dubai
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out Dubai
Mary J Blige to play Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai: Dates, tickets and more
One of the most iconic names in hip-hop and soul is bringing her live show to Dubai. Mary J Blige is set to return to the UAE for the first time in over a decade when she takes to the stage in the emirate this summer. The 'Queen of Hip-Hop Soul' will perform at the Coca-Cola Arena in City Walk on Tuesday June 24. Tickets to see the nine-time Grammy award winner go on sale from Friday May 2 at 4pm but prices are yet to be revealed. Fans can expect to hear hits from a back catalogue spanning over three decades during her Coca-Cola Arena show, including the likes of Real Love, No More Drama and Family Affair. Blige, known for her deeply personal and emotionally charged performances, has become a cultural icon with a career that has defined generations. Since her debut in 1992 with the groundbreaking album What's the 411?, Mary J. Blige has released 14 studio albums, sold over 100 million records worldwide, and earned countless accolades including an Emmy Award, and 2 Academy Award nominations for acting and original music. She was also inducted into the Apollo Theatre Walk of Fame and honoured with the Billboard Icon Award. The Mary J Blige show is the latest big gig coming to the UAE with the likes of Katy Perry, P-pop group BINI and 90s nu-metal legend Limp Bizkit on the way later this year. If you're heading to Coca-Cola Arena then we've got all the recommendations on what to do before and after the gig. There are countless restaurants, shops and attractions around the arena to make your night extra special. We've put together an ultimate guide on where to grab a bite before, where to carry on the party afterwards and everything in between. Tickets TBC. Tue Jun 24. Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk. Looking for more music in Dubai? All the best concerts and gigs coming to Dubai next month and beyond There's a show for every taste The most nostalgic gigs coming soon to Dubai Let's throw it right back Where to watch live music in Dubai Soak up some melodies in bars and clubs across the city
Boston Globe
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Mary J. Blige brings royal show to Boston
Blige opened Monday night's show with 'Take Me As I Am,' a gently grooving cut that laid out her modus operandi: 'Put my life all up in these songs, just so you can feel me (so you get the real me),' she sings at one point. Over her three-plus-decade career, audiences have watched Blige grow fully into herself and turn the lessons she's learned into barn-burning songs that double as moments of connection. 'No More Drama,' released in 2001, flips the deliberate piano chords of the 'The Young and The Restless' theme into a rhythm for striding away from troublemakers; the simmering 'Good Morning Gorgeous,' from her 2022 album of the same name, is a reminder to treat oneself tenderly, even when self-hatred is eating away at the soul. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Mary J. Blige performed at TD Garden on Monday. Brent Goldman Advertisement Blige has a powerful voice that can hit the high notes in winning fashion, and it was the centerpiece of Monday night's show. Her lyrics often have a conversational immediacy that fuels her bond with her listeners, but there are also points where the big emotions she's describing can only be matched by showcases of her vocal prowess. When she reached the climactic moment of the piano-led ballad 'Be Without You,' pyrotechnics rained from above, putting an exclamation point on her intensity. Near the end of the 1995 kiss-off 'Not Gon' Cry,' she bellowed 'he wasn't worth me' with a fervency that could have caused explosions of its own. Monday's fast-moving set included more than 30 songs from across Blige's catalog and was capped by the confidently celebratory 'Family Affair.' Blige has named her current arena run 'The For My Fans Tour,' and appropriately enough, she thanked the assembled profusely — for coming to the show, for singing along, and for supporting her throughout the years. 'I just wrote down what I felt, what I was going through,' Blige said in a videotaped interlude near the show's outset. She was talking about her debut album, but in the years since its release, that honesty, combined with her considerable talent and undeniable charisma, has helped Blige become one of pop royalty's most down-to-earth members. Mary J. Blige performed at TD Garden on Monday. Brent Goldman MARY J. BLIGE: THE FOR MY FANS TOUR With Ne-Yo, Mario At TD Garden, Monday
Chicago Tribune
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: Mary J. Blige's voice at the United Center was in top form — so why the rush?
Maybe Mary J. Blige had a limousine parked outside waiting for her and running up a tab during her show Friday at a packed United Center. That might account for the singer-songwriter's periodic inclination to hurry through a concert that at one point saw her race through snippets of nine different songs in a 12-minute flurry before exiting for one of four outfit changes. Heavy on spectacle and light on her trademark personal connectivity, Blige's 100-minute set was hindered by questionable pacing and condensed arrangements that minimized her formidable skills as a vocalist. The For My Fans Tour date doubled as a survey of the Queen of Hip Hop Soul's career and a summation of her triumphant journey from a street-smart artist who burst on the scene to a superstar who overcame everything from serious depression to substance abuse. More than 30 years removed from her pioneering debut, Blige long ago reached a point where she can rest on her laurels. Yet she continues to create, produce and add to a legacy that spans music and television to fashion and film. Few contemporary singers can lay claim to her impact and success. Of her 37 Grammy nominations, Blige owns nine trophies and won at least one award each in the pop, R&B, hip-hop and gospel categories. Last year, she added to her crossover influence with her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Though her recording output during the past decade slowed in comparison to that of her initial yield, Blige accelerated her work on the screen. Along with her Oscar-nominated turn in 'Mudbound,' the Bronx native has appeared in movies ('Respect,' 'Rob Peace'), acted in TV series ('The Umbrella Academy'), lent her voice to animated features ('Trolls World Tour') and embraced the role of executive producer ('The Clark Sisters: The First Ladies of Gospel,' 'Mary J. Blige's Real Love'). At times, Friday's show too closely resembled a well-polished televised biography. Footage of old interviews, performances and news clips projected on screens during multiple breaks. A few of Blige's quotations served as voice-over sound bites. The scenes evoked the quick-hit tenor of a scripted series. But the 54-year-old singer has always distinguished herself and stayed relevant precisely because she realized her craft, themes and life demanded more than ephemeral treatment. Which made her decisions to trim a healthy number of tunes down to a verse or a chorus — and treat them as minor pieces of a fast-moving medley rather than fully developed stories — puzzling and frustrating. Particularly when her voice displayed no apparent sign of deterioration. Indeed, hearing a completely invested Blige belt out a clarion phrase or push herself to the limit remains one of the most satisfying experiences in live music. When she sang, she didn't lean on high-tech vocal aids or cleverly masked backing tracks. The downside? When Blige delegated extended parts to her trio of support vocalists or refrained from singing, those moments stood out for the wrong reasons. Inexplicably, after first emerging on a second small stage located toward the back of the arena and putting a spin on big-entrance expectations while singing 'Take Me As I Am,' Blige turned into the equivalent of a spectator. Holding out her microphone as her seven-piece band and auxiliary singers handled 'A Dream,' she stepped onto a contraption that whisked her above the crowd and away to the main platform. Rather than dive into a song and drop the curtain on a set anchored by a statue-like representation of two hands holding a crown, Blige disappeared and ceded attention to a video montage touting her accolades and achievements. Energy and momentum, stunted. They wilted again during the last quarter of the concert when Blige departed and a DJ who entertained before her set reappeared. The bizarre interruption left a deeper rut than Blige's handing off of lead vocals to the audience, a habit that sank a cover of Rose Royce's 'I'm Goin' Down' and weakened 'I Can Love You.' Other elements felt more cohesive, if slightly overwrought. A six-person dance crew focused on footwork and choreography that complemented the songs. Plumes of smoke, fireballs, spark showers, dry-ice fog and the occasional prop accented the moods. Never at risk of getting outshined, Blige flashed a vibrant wardrobe — elegant dresses, short bodysuits, cropped jackets — that matched pairs of tall, stiletto-heeled boots that presented mobility challenges she successfully conquered. Blige required nothing, however, other than her voice and emotion. They would've been plenty. She channeled those strengths for intermittent stretches at the concert's midpoint. Songs such as the hypnotic 'Mary's Joint' and the elegant, gospel-flavored ballad 'Here I Am' unfolded in largely unabridged form as Blige uncorked a range that moved from husky, moaning lows to bright, rippling highs and most anything in between. Raw, raspy and grainy on material that addressed resilience, determination and maturation, her dynamic voice tapped smoothness, sensuality and warmth on narratives that expressed devotion, adoration and happiness. Blige also connected jazz (scat singing, riffing on a phrase, improvising wordless lines), gospel (testifying akin to a preacher delivering a sermon) and hip hop traditions. In addition to cutting down on banter, Blige struck a mellower, less aggressive tone than at several prior local appearances — a stunning 2004 gig at Arie Crown Theater and memorable co-headlining 2016 date with Maxwell at United Center included. Yet she proved capable of baring her teeth and fighting for women who are often erased, censured, abused or forgotten by partners, society and the like. She reared back and shifted to a higher gear for the slow jam 'Not Gon' Cry,' a traumatic release that broadcast universal truths about sacrifice, loyalty and anguish. Equally intense, watching her disappear mentally, spiritually and physically into 'No More Drama' as she swore off turmoil never grows old. Neither does witnessing its explosive conclusion, which Blige still manages from a crouched position. 1 of Mary J. Blige shakes hands with fans as she performs at the United Center in Chicago on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) The vocalist brought similar ferocity and control to 'Good Morning Gorgeous,' whose empowering messages of self-affirmation and self-care came across as textbook Blige. Along with a fiery update of 'My Life' and poised reading of 'Be Without You,' it found the singer visibly manipulating her chest cavity to help convey soul-baring depth and intent. Blige would've greatly benefited by increasing those occasions, and reducing the amount of abbreviated songs that sapped the music of meaning and weight. Brisk, truncated treatments are normally the parlance of pop mavens whose freshness dates rapidly expire and who seek to hide deficiencies. Not the mark of a legend with staying power, an enormous voice and a fearless attitude. 'I ain't saying that I'm the best, but I'm the best,' Blige boasted on the swaggering 'The One.' In her field and of her generation, arguably. Though not with an approach that too frequently took away from the skills that justify her claim. Bob Gendron is a freelance critic. Setlist from United Center March 14 'Take Me As I Am' 'A Dream' 'Love No Limit' 'Mary Jane (All Night Long)' 'You Remind Me' 'Need You More' 'Love Is All We Need' 'Still Believe in Love' 'You Ain't the Only One' 'Everyday It Rains' 'I Love You' 'Be Happy' 'Be Without You' 'Mary's Joint' 'Here I Am' 'Don't [Expletive] Up' 'Sweet Thing' (Rufus and Chaka Khan cover) 'Good Morning Gorgeous' 'Everything' 'I'm Goin' Down' (Rose Royce cover) 'Not Gon' Cry' 'Share My World' 'My Life' 'No More Drama' 'Enough Cryin' 'The One' 'I Can Love You' 'You Bring Me Joy' 'Just Fine' 'MJB da MVP' 'Family Affair'
