Q & A With Mary J Blige
You look great. Do you diet and work out?
I try to work out three days in a row and then rest. I have a diet, but it’s not strict. I stay away from greasy, heavy stuff. I try not to eat late at night. It’s nothing hardcore because I have lost the weight already.
I recently caught your tour with Jay-Z. I noticed that your set was without the dancers. Was that a conscious decision?
My fans appreciate me alone than with a whole bunch of dancers, because they know that’s not really me. I am not that person who can go out with a bunch of dancers and be believable. At some points in my show, I have actors that are acting out a part. I do a little thing with them, but I am not going to do a whole routine. Trust me, I tried, and my fans were like, “Oh, no.”
Is it hard for you to move on when a lot of your fans want you to remain the Mary they fell in love with?
I have lived it and for my fans, I will live it again on stage. But, overall, even my fans want to know, “Gosh, is she really happy with herself?” But, I have to understand that a lot of people in my fan base may not have grown along with me so I have to make sure that I understand that. But, as far as me, I have a life that is great, and it would be a total smack in God’s face to keep talking about the past when people really want to hear the victory.
You have become a performance artist along with being a recording artist. Meaning you don’t need a new album to tour.
Yes, it’s a huge blessing. I feel like I have done what I was supposed to do. If you’ve earned the hearts and love of your fans, they will always want you.
Are your real friends inside or outside the industry?
I have three real friends, but they are outside the industry. They have a connection to it but are not directly in it. I don’t get involved with flaky people.
Who do you listen to?
I always listen to old school. But, I like Ne-Yo, Chris Brown. I love all the girls. Whoever has something nice.
How do you and your husband, Kendu, make your marriage work in this crazy business?
You can’t act like things are not wrong. You have to talk and get things out. You have to be willing to have confrontation. Not like a knock, drag out fight, but whatever it takes for you two to say, “This is why I love you.” We don’t fluff it out. You cannot be afraid to say you don’t know. You have to be honest with yourself.
Interview by Isoul H. Harris, an entertainment journalist based in Atlanta, GA. (WriteBoy08@gmail.com)