No More Drama
Anyone who's purchased one of Mary J. Blige's albums understands that the "queen of hip-hop soul" would much rather push artistic envelopes than lick 'em. WithNo More Drama, her enlisting of hip-hop's finest beat-makers to create lush musical soundscapes is nothing short of genius. On theDr. Dre-produced "Family Affair," Blige implores the club set to "get crunk 'cause Mary's back" as she introduces some new slang to the hip-hop vernacular ("holleration"). "Steal Away" is a classic Neptunes-induced head-nodder in the "Love Is All We Need" vein, as Pharrell Williams chimes in aCurtis Mayfield-like falsetto. Those who like their R&B; straight might be offended by the acoustic guitar solo byLenny Kravitzon "PMS," or the album's title track, which samples the theme fromThe Young and the Restlesssoap opera. But listen to "Where I've Been" (a redemptive tale of Blige's not-so-rapid ascent from the 'hood, featuring guest raps fromEve) and theMissy Elliott-assisted "Never Been," and misgivings vanish. Whereas past Mary J. efforts were limited to tales of relationships gone awry, her outlook is more diverse and upbeat, while her scratchy, bluesy vocals have become more expansive, too. She raps on "Love," scats on "Beautiful Day," chats on the a cappella "Forever No More," and capsNo More Dramawith a string of uplifting ballads ("2 U," "In the Meantime"), neatly polishing off a release that will stand as one of the best of 2001.--Dalton Higgins