Photo by Genius
This year marks the 26th anniversary of the classic Mary J. Blige album My Life. Released November 29th 1994, My Life revolutionized R&B and promoted female empowerment. To honor this historic album and the Queen who brought it to life, the label UMe’s Urban Legends held an innovative 3-D event for fans to rediscover the icon Mary J. Blige. The digital Walkthrough of #MJBMYLife took place Friday, Nov. 20. For fans who want to relive Blige’s timeless sound, My Life has been re-released Nov. 20 on 2CD, double vinyl, and a special edition 3LP via Geffen/UMe.
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Via desktop or mobile, this virtual reality event allowed fans to interact with one other or
simply ponder Blige’s words in solitude, taking in every detail of this 360 panoramic view of performances, visuals, interviews, and more. UMe’s Urban Legends and Soul In The Horn brought fans from all over the world together to relive one of R&B’s most influential albums from the comfort of their homes to celebrate a legend. Fans could use #MJBMYLife to share their insights and experiences from the event.
The virtual journey starts off in the studio where guests could listen to the album word for word with commentary from the queen herself, there's a closet with Blige’s most iconic looks, a merchandise corner displaying Mary J. Blige Sun Goddess wine brand and other merch at her online store, a lounge with interviews from the albums first release in the 90s, and a main stage with filmed performances. Headphones are recommended to fully immerse yourself in the audio as you migrate through the exhibit. If any technical issues arose, there was a concierge ready to step in and assist. Fans could use emojis, chats and avatars to personalize their experience.
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This amazing woman definitely doesn’t need an introduction; Mary J. Blige is a groundbreaking Grammy award-winning singer, songwriter, Oscar-nominated actress, and all-around inspiration to women and Black women everywhere. She will forever be a global phenomenon taking the music industry by storm with eight multi-platinum records.
This virtual event transports you to the birth of R&B, giving you the essence of Mary J. Blige as a person. Blige has such a genuine and soothing voice; her songs wrap you in the warmth of her passion and soul. The interviews within the simulation make you feel like Blige is sitting next to you as her personality shines through in every answer and every picture shown throughout the event. At the end of the interview, she shouts out each and every family member showing their importance and value in her life. “I just wanna say hi to my mommy, hi mommy, and my little brother and my little sister, my family, my friends, all my friends in Yonkers and Uptown, my people down south, my second mommy Miss Haley Tiffany I love y’all I love all my people...Puffy, Biggie, just everybody if I forget anybody I love y’all too,” said Blige.
She named the album my life because “when you listen to the album it's not only my life it's like a mirror. You say my life and everybody says it's my life too. It’s their life and the good and bad situations that happen. It’s just about love and life and things that go on realistically, things that happen for real, whether they be good or bad. So, the most realistic title is my life. It’s just a mirror. You look into this album and you see yourself you know going through the same things or having the same happy times,” said Blige.
This tribute to Mary J. Blige allowed fans to rediscover the timeless rhythm in an innovative way, honoring a true legend in all her glory.
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