No More Drama
Encyclopedia
No More Drama is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige
. The album was released on August 28, 2001 (see 2001 in music
) by MCA Records
in North America. The album was certified 3x Platinum. According to Billboard magazine, No More Drama has sold over 3,200,000 in the United States alone to date. Critically acclaimed, the album has received positive to favorable reviews from most music critics, debuting at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200
, and opening at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart, selling 324,000 copies in its first week. It has spawned four singles that has attained Billboard
chart success.
Estimated worldwide sales for the album are at 6,500,000. "No More Drama" has sold 2,225,000 copies in Europe alone and sold over 3 million copies in U.S. alone.
Stylistically, the album diverged from Blige's typically blues-soaked R&B into the hip-hop beats and influences that had made her debut, What's the 411?
, a hit. This is especially evident in the first single, "Family Affair". Rapper Eve
appears on the track "Where I've Been" as well, and urban influences can be heard throughout the album.
Early in its development, the album carried the full title Mary Jane - No More Drama and was to be a sequel to 1999's Mary. Blige's then-manager hinted that the album would be the second in a trilogy and be followed by an album titled Mary Jane Blige. During this time, the first single was supposed to be a song called "Rock Steady" featuring a rap from Jay-Z
and Lenny Kravitz
on guitar. The song was leaked to mixtapes months before the album was scheduled to be released and subsequently did not make the final cut on the album.
gave the album four and a half stars out of five, and called it "less volatile and less emotionally jagged than Blige's earlier work". He highlighted "Family Affair", "Steal Away" and the title track as the best songs on the album. At Allmusic, Liana Jonas gave it four stars out of five, saying Blige had "come a long way" since her breakthrough album What's the 411?
from 1992, and that she had "blossomed into an all-out R&B diva". She praised Blige's versatile voice, and her ability to write lyrics that people could relate to.
The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard album chart, and stayed in the top hundred of that chart for several months. "Family Affair" peaked at #1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in the early autumn
of 2001.
While the third single "No More Drama
" climbed the charts, Blige earned two Grammy nominations.Family Affair was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and the album No More Drama was nominated for Best R&B Album, but Blige failed to win either award. In 2002, Mary was nominated once again for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Think I Don't Know" and won.
Rhapsody (online music service)
ranked the album #4 on its "Best R&B Albums of the Decade" list.
In Germany
, the album was her most successful one in her career in this country, reaching #13 and staying in the German Albums Chart for 35 weeks
Int'l bonus track
Japanese bonus tracks
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
. The album was released on August 28, 2001 (see 2001 in music
2001 in music
See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....
) by MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
in North America. The album was certified 3x Platinum. According to Billboard magazine, No More Drama has sold over 3,200,000 in the United States alone to date. Critically acclaimed, the album has received positive to favorable reviews from most music critics, debuting at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, and opening at number one on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart, selling 324,000 copies in its first week. It has spawned four singles that has attained Billboard
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
chart success.
Estimated worldwide sales for the album are at 6,500,000. "No More Drama" has sold 2,225,000 copies in Europe alone and sold over 3 million copies in U.S. alone.
Conception
The inspiration for No More Drama came largely from Blige's own confused and hectic life. In a later interview she confessed to living a life of alcohol- and drug abuse at the time, and as a result getting involved in a series of abusive relationships. The album was an attempt to break free from this vicious circle, which was a result of a deprived childhood.Stylistically, the album diverged from Blige's typically blues-soaked R&B into the hip-hop beats and influences that had made her debut, What's the 411?
What's the 411?
What's the 411? is the debut album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, released July 28, 1992. Upon being signed to Uptown Records, she began working with record producer Puff Daddy. The album spawned six singles, including "You Remind Me" and "Real Love".What's the 411? peaked at number...
, a hit. This is especially evident in the first single, "Family Affair". Rapper Eve
Eve (rapper)
Eve Jihan Jeffers , is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer and actress. Her first three albums have reached a total of over 8 million albums sold worldwide. She has also achieved success in fashion as she started a clothing line titled "Fetish." She won a Grammy Award in 2002 for the...
appears on the track "Where I've Been" as well, and urban influences can be heard throughout the album.
Early in its development, the album carried the full title Mary Jane - No More Drama and was to be a sequel to 1999's Mary. Blige's then-manager hinted that the album would be the second in a trilogy and be followed by an album titled Mary Jane Blige. During this time, the first single was supposed to be a song called "Rock Steady" featuring a rap from Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
and Lenny Kravitz
Lenny Kravitz
Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and arranger, whose "retro" style incorporates elements of rock, soul, R&B, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk and ballads...
on guitar. The song was leaked to mixtapes months before the album was scheduled to be released and subsequently did not make the final cut on the album.
Reception
Robert Marriott of Rolling StoneRolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
gave the album four and a half stars out of five, and called it "less volatile and less emotionally jagged than Blige's earlier work". He highlighted "Family Affair", "Steal Away" and the title track as the best songs on the album. At Allmusic, Liana Jonas gave it four stars out of five, saying Blige had "come a long way" since her breakthrough album What's the 411?
What's the 411?
What's the 411? is the debut album by American recording artist Mary J. Blige, released July 28, 1992. Upon being signed to Uptown Records, she began working with record producer Puff Daddy. The album spawned six singles, including "You Remind Me" and "Real Love".What's the 411? peaked at number...
from 1992, and that she had "blossomed into an all-out R&B diva". She praised Blige's versatile voice, and her ability to write lyrics that people could relate to.
The album debuted at #2 on the Billboard album chart, and stayed in the top hundred of that chart for several months. "Family Affair" peaked at #1 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in the early autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
of 2001.
While the third single "No More Drama
No More Drama (song)
"No More Drama" is a song by Mary J. Blige, taken from her fifth studio album No More Drama. It was released as the album's second single worldwide...
" climbed the charts, Blige earned two Grammy nominations.Family Affair was nominated for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and the album No More Drama was nominated for Best R&B Album, but Blige failed to win either award. In 2002, Mary was nominated once again for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for "He Think I Don't Know" and won.
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody (online music service)
Rhapsody is an online music store subscription service, launched in December 2001, and available in the United States only. On April 6, 2010, Rhapsody officially declared its independence from RealNetworks. Downloaded files come with restrictions on their use, enforced by Helix, Rhapsody's version...
ranked the album #4 on its "Best R&B Albums of the Decade" list.
In Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the album was her most successful one in her career in this country, reaching #13 and staying in the German Albums Chart for 35 weeks
Track listing
| # | Song | Composer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Love" | Mary J. Blige, Kwame Holland, Ron "Amen-Ra" Lawrence, Bruce Miller | 2:46 |
| 2 | "Family Affair Family Affair (Mary J. Blige song) "Family Affair" is a 2001 hit song for Mary J. Blige, produced by Dr. Dre. It was taken from her fifth album, No More Drama, and was responsible for popularizing the terms "hateration" and "dancery" in the US, as well as contributing to the popularity of the word "crunk". The single topped the... " |
Mary J. Blige, Mike Elizondo, Camara Kambon, Bruce Miller, Andre Young | 4:03 |
| 3 | "Steal Away" | Mary J. Blige, Pharrell Williams | 4:27 |
| 4 | "Crazy Games" | Mary J. Blige, Kenny Dickerson | 3:23 |
| 5 | "PMS" | Mary J. Blige, Al Green, Terri Robinson, Chucky Thompson, Tara Tillman | 5:33 |
| 6 | "No More Drama No More Drama (song) "No More Drama" is a song by Mary J. Blige, taken from her fifth studio album No More Drama. It was released as the album's second single worldwide... " |
Perry Botkin, Jr., Barry de Vorzon, James Harris, Terry Lewis | 5:26 |
| 7 | "Keep It Moving" | Mary J. Blige, Bruce Miller | 4:15 |
| 8 | "Destiny" | Benny Benjamin, Mary J. Blige, Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus, Brian Reeves | 4:14 |
| 9 | "Where I've Been" (featuring Eve) | Mary J. Blige, Eve | 5:11 |
| 10 | "Beautiful Day" | Bruce Miller | 3:33 |
| 11 | "Dance For Me" | Mary J. Blige, Bruce Miller, Ahkim Miller, Sting | 4:47 |
| 12 | "Flying Away" | Mary J. Blige, Brenda Russell | 5:00 |
| 13 | "Never Been" | Henri Charlemagne, Jerry Cohen, Missy Elliott, Gene McFadden, John Whitehead | 4:03 |
| 14 | "2U" | Mary J. Blige | 4:45 |
| 15 | "In The Meantime" | Mary J. Blige, Terri Robinson | 4:14 |
| 16 | "Forever No More" (Poem) | Mary J. Blige | 1:41 |
| 17 | "Testimony" | Michelle Bell Michelle Bell Michelle Bell is an American female Singer/Songwriter/Producer from Ohio. Michelle's songs has sold over 40 million albums worldwide.She has written songs for Britney Spears, Mary J. Blige, Paulina Rubio, Nas, Kelis, and Jennifer Lopez... , Mary J. Blige, Kenny Dickerson |
5:00 |
| 18 | "Girl From Yesterday" (Japan bonus track) | Mary J. Blige | 4:37 |
2002 re-release
- "Love"
- "Family Affair"
- "Steal Away" (featuring Pharrell)
- "He Think I Don't Know"
- "PMS"
- "No More Drama"
- "Rainy DayzRainy Dayz"Rainy Dayz" is a song by Mary J. Blige & Ja Rule, taken from Blige's re-release of her fifth studio album No More Drama. The Song was the final single lifted from No More Drama and was released to coincide with the release of the reissue...
" (featuring Ja RuleJa RuleJeffrey Atkins , better known by his stage name Ja Rule, is an American rapper, singer, and actor.Born in Hollis, Queens, he began his career in the group Cash Money Click and debuted in 1999 with Venni Vetti Vecci and its single "Holla Holla"...
) - "Where I've Been" (featuring Eve)
- "Beautiful Day"
- "Dance For Me" (featuring CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
) - "No More Drama (Bad Boy RemixBad Boy RecordsBad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
)" (featuring DiddySean CombsSean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
) - "Flying Away"
- "Never Been"
- "2U"
- "In The Meantime"
- "Forever No More"
- "Testimony"
Int'l bonus track
- 18. "Dance For Me (featuring CommonCommon (rapper)Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American hip-hop artist and actor....
)" (Plutonium Mix)
Japanese bonus tracks
- 18. "Girl From Yesterday"
- 19. "Checkin' For Me"
Charts
- Albums
Chart (2001) Peak
positionAustralian Albums Chart ARIA ChartsThe ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...2 Austrian Albums Chart 42 Belgian Albums Chart UltratopUltratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
(Flanders)32 Belgian Albums Chart UltratopUltratop is an organization which generates and publishes the official record charts in Belgium, and it is also the name of most of those charts...
(Wallonia)24 Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums ChartThe Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...5 Danish Albums Chart 10 Dutch Albums Chart MegaChartsMegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...12 French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition PhonographiqueThe Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...8 German Albums Chart 13 New Zealand Albums Chart Recording Industry Association of New ZealandThe Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...31 Swedish Albums Chart SverigetopplistanSverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....2 Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music ChartsThe Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...7 UK Albums Chart UK Albums ChartThe UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...4 U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...2 U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop AlbumsTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...1
- Singles
Single R&B US UK DE US dance "Family Affair" (2001) 1 1 8 10 – "No More Drama" (2001) 16 15 9 – – "Dance for Me" (2001) – – 13 – – "Rainy Dayz" (2002) 8 12 17 – – "He Think I Don't Know" (2002) – – – – 15