Something Deeper About Mary

When Mary J. Blige came on the music scene in 1992 with her debut album, the New Yorker earned such respect for the way she combined various R&B; and hip-hop strains that she was almost immediately dubbed the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul.

That album, titled “What’s the 411?,” offered thundering street beats, lilting melodies and soulful harmonies.

Blige’s next two studio collections, 1994’s “My Life” and 1997’s “Share My World,” continued to be dazzling sonically, but they also contained more compelling and personal songs, most of them dealing with pain, faith and redemption.

In the new “Mary” album, which will be released Tuesday, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter moves into even more mature subject matter, including social commentary and tales of self-esteem that are in the illuminating tradition of Stevie Wonder and Curtis Mayfield. (See review, Page 62.)

Though the album moves toward a classic R&B; approach, Blige hasn’t abandoned hip-hop. The album is the first half of a two-volume set. The second half, due next year, is more oriented to hip-hop.

And music isn’t the only thing that has changed in Blige’s life. Where the singer once seemed shy and defensive during interviews, she now displays a greater sense of openness and command.

Question: This album is more autobiographical. Why is that? “Deep Inside,” for instance, is a song [co-written by Tara Geter, Kevin Deane, Elton John and Bernie Taupin] about finding someone who cares about you for the right reasons, and it has a stronger first-person voice than any of your previous songs.

Answer: I directed that song to one specific person to let him know, “If you don’t love me for me, or you’re just here for who I am, get out of here.”

And there are a lot of people who go through the same thing with a man who only wants them for their job--a man that is so busy looking at all the glitter that he can’t even see the person’s spirit. . . . That’s what that song is about, the users.

Q: What was your goal in making the album?

A: I wrote off what people wanted me to do, and I just did what I wanted to do musically. All of the guests were my choice. I wanted to bring something to the table, other than just what everybody else is bringing right now. I think that we’ve rotated back [in R&B;] to the ‘70s or ‘80s era.

Q: What do you mean?

A: There comes a time when everything ends up going back to what it was in a way--stuff like Stevie Wonder or just that feel of real music. People and children are just yearning for something real right now. Something true [rather than just] whatever is making money right now.

The feeling that I wanted for this album was just to go back to when I was young, back to when I was listening to Stevie--when I was 7 or 8 years old, living on Locust Hill [in Yonkers, N.Y.] and when we moved to Schlobohm Gardens [housing project]. I’m back there.

Q: Where does this sense of responsibility voiced in the songs all of a sudden come from?

A: A lot of these songs I wasn’t able to [do] before because I didn’t have the power. But I always wanted to say things like this in all my records. The reason is I’ve been through hell in my life. Nobody knows what Mary has been through. I’ve made a lot of mistakes at a young age.

Q: Are you ever going to go back to doing hip-hop songs?

A: On Volume 2, we have all of that. This album is for my core audience. This ain’t like, “Let’s cross over.” This is music that is deep in me, because I remember my father teaching me these things. I remember the records that my father played that I created these songs from. But the year 2000, they’re going to get [the hip-hop flavor].

Q: Why didn’t you just put both albums out now?

A: I didn’t want to do a double album because a lot of my fans can’t afford a double album.

Q: How about your personal life? What makes you happy these days?

A: Just good people, real people who really love and really know me--not people who are into reading my interviews to dissect me. It seems like sometimes I am being opened up like a frog. What makes me happy is that I know how to handle those people now. And my family makes me feel good. *