Go Mary; Act, Mary!

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul is going to act some more.

Fresh off a turn on TV’s The Wiz Live!, Mary J. Blige has been cast in Mudbound, a post-World War II drama that deals with coping with coming home and racism and coping with racism. Jason Clarke, Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton), Carey Mulligan, and Garrett Hedlund are already on board the Dee (HBO’s Bessie, Pariah) Rees-helmed project.

The story will be set in rural Mississippi and center on two vets returning to work on a farm.

From a live musical to a heavy big-screen drama.... Don’t nobody say that MJB ain’t a versatile performer.

Photo: StyleBistro.com.

Wiz Women

You didn’t think that just because Fox is mounting Grease: Live for a winter premiere, that NBC would skip putting on a live musical of its own this year, right?

Good, ’cause the Peacock re-invented that game and the Peacock’s still very much in it to win it.

Which is why the powers that be have called on Mary J. Blige and Queen Latifah to star on The Wiz Live!, their follow-up to last December’s Peter Pan Live! starring Allison Williams and Christopher Walken.

MJB will portray the Wicked Witch of the West, while the erstwhile Oscar-nominated Chicagoan will take on the production’s titular role.

Photo: TVLine.com.

MJB Does Christmas

It has been a hot sec and a half since I last posted anything about the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Ms. Mary J. Blige, but here I is with a little early-holiday pep in my step.

MJB is dropping a Christmas record on us!

Yes, Blige hasn’t just been working on her fitness – damn, woman! – she has been in the studio, working on A Mary Christmas, which is slated to arrive in stores on Oct. 15.

Santa’s sleigh’s gonna bop beautifully with some soul this season, huh.

Photo: Amazon.com.

MJB the Advisor

NBC is about to see things on The Voice get real regal.

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige is joining Team Adam Levine as an advisor this upcoming third season.

MJB is not the only A-Lister boarding the show: Michael Bublé will be her counterpart on Team Blake Shelton.

Christina Aguilera, there’s a new diva in the house, so you bettah check yaself.

Photo: RollingStone.com.

Party Rock Movie

It’s here, it’s here...the Rock of Ages trailer is here, getting us all interested and s--- in taking a trip down memory lane to 1987 Hollywood:

Sure, the thing looks a tad on the cheesy side, but with a cast that includes Julianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Russell Brand, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige, Alec Baldwin, and Tom Cruise, well...you best believe I am coming along for the ride.

Sing It, Mary!

Mary J. Blige has a new single out, and you better be ready to love it.

All hail the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, and all love her “Break Up to Make Up.”

I cannot wait to hear this one live. I can’t get it out my mind, alright.

Photo: People.com.

She Is

The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige is ready for her close-up.

MJB will play legendary soul and jazz singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone in Nina, a movie that will focus on Simone’s relationship with her assistant Clifton Henderson (David Oyelowo).

That’s what I call a role fit for a queen, indeed, and a tremendously ambitious one at that.

Photo: ThisIsRnB.com.

Save Haiti, Save Your Soul

Ever the philanthropist, two-time Sexiest Man Alive George Clooney spent the week organizing tonight’s “Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief,” a star-studded telethon, in the wake of the devastating 7.0 quake that hit the island nation on Jan. 12.

Slated to appear on the TV special, which will air beginning at 8 p.m. on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH-1, CMT, PBS, TNT, Showtime, Comedy Central, Bravo, and E! Entertainment, are President Bill Clinton, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, Anderson Cooper (live from Haiti), Wyclef, and Muhammad Ali, among others.

Madonna will perform from New York. Btw, I hear the Queen of Pop is set to perform...an oldie but a goody. (I promised I wouldn’ t say which one. Yet.)

Other performers appearing from either the Big Apple or Los Angeles include Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, Alicia Keys, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Stevie Wonder.

Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow will put on a group performance, while Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Bono and the Edge, and Coldplay will perform via satellite from London.

To donate to the relief effort, check out the American Red Cross link to your left, or visit the Partners in Health Web site.

Photo: Time.com.

Update 1: A hint regarding Madonna’s choice of song: She performed it on her “Re-Invention” and “Sticky & Sweet” tours.

Update 2: Alright, M’s supposed to sing “Like a Prayer.” Hopefully she won’t change her mind since I already told.

Update 3: “Hope for Haiti Now” reportedly raised $58 million with more donations coming in still.

There’s still time to donate by purchasing all the performances (or individual ones) from the telethon. I just bought three (guess which one I got first).

Proceeds will benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, the U.N. World Food Programme, Yele Haiti Foundation, and the Clinton Bush Haiti Foundation.

A Better MJB

Mary J. Blige, whose latest, Stronger with Each Tear, was release this week, says “a lot of blood, sweat and tears” went into the making of the album.

If her new single, “I Am,” is any indication, the effort was well worth it.

Case in point: The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’s simple performance of the song at this year’s American Music Awards.

Photo: DirtyBuzz.com.

She Is

One of the most simple, most winning performances at this year’s messtastic American Music Awards was delivered, of course, by the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige.

MJB, whom I heart, sang her latest single, “I Am,” a mid-tempo ballad that I can only describe as a you-appreciate-me little ditty:



She’s just the best, ain’t she.

My Idol MJB

Mary J. Blige has signed on to be a guest judge on American Idol next season.

Go, Mary! If anyone should school those wannabes it’s gotta be the undisputed Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, right?

Good timing, too. I think MJB’s releasing a new album in November, so the timing is perfect since the ninth season of the hit Fox reality competition show premieres next January.

Photo: TVGuide.com.

Am I Going to Have to Write You a Letter, MJB?

Last night, I caught the Fort Lauderdale stop of Mary J. Blige and Robin Thicke’s “Love-Soul Tour.”

I had last-minute tickets that were just sick – seventh row, on the floor (jealous?) – and was so looking forward to enjoying the concert, which I so did, considering the week I’d had.

Having a car accident on hump day sucks. But I digress.

Thicke went on first. He never fails to disappoint, although I wished A) that his record company had splurged a little on his stage (because he deserves it), and B) that he’d performed more songs from his latest, Something Else, and not just the lead single, “Magic,” mostly because I’ve seen him perform “Lost Without U,” “Shooter,” and “Wanna Love U Girl” before – I wanted to hear “Dreamworld.”

Oh well, the price of admission paid for itself with him alone. But then there was Mary.

MJB came out clad in black leather, rocking shades and thigh-high fringe Christian Louboutin boots. The look was pure divalicious with an edge.

I enjoy Blige’s music quite a bit, but this was her tour – last spring, I saw her in Miami when she hit the road with Jay-Z) – so, natch, this time around I wanted and expected to hear the lovely “Come to Me (Peace).”

The fact that she didn’t sing it, well…it made me want to write a letter to her, telling her she owes me now.

At the same time, though, I figured, after all this time sans beam, that hearing it performed live wasn’t meant to be, either.

Photo: GettyImages.com.

The Sound of the End of Cancer

I was listening to Top 40 this morning (I heart it, deal with it) when they played “Just Stand Up” the latest from 15 of the hottest female singers in the world – including Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, Rihanna, Fergie, and Carrie Underwood.

The singers came together for the single, a collaboration that also features Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, and Leona Lewis, that was conceived by “L.A.” Reid, who produced it with Babyface.

“Just Stand Up” will benefit next month’s Stand Up to Cancer television event’s fund-raising drive.

So stand up and donate. The star-studded special will air on Sept. 5 on ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, at 8 p.m.

Photo: HardCandyMusic.com.

Update: This special is going to be strictly A-List. Check out who will be attending: Halle Berry, Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Garner, Mandy Moore, Jack Black, Jimmy Fallon, Fran Drescher, Elizabeth Edwards, Neil Patrick Harris, Masi Oka, Christina Ricci, Rob Lowe, Meryl Streep, Abigail Breslin, Josh Brolin, Salma Hayek, and Homer and Marge Simpson, among many others.

Oh, and Fox is not involved. My bad.

When Robin Met Mary J.

Be still my heart.

Mary J. Blige is coming back to South Florida – and she’s bringing Robin Thicke with her when she goes.

Blige and the Thickster are teaming up for a fall tour in support of her still-selling Growing Pains and his latest, Something Else.

They will be at the BankAtlantic Center in Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 10. MJB (da MVP) had better belt “Come to Me (Peace)” this time around. She’s got to make up for Miami back in March.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow. Put on To Do List: Get MJB and RT tickets.

Photo: E! Online.

You Tell Them, Mary

I haven’t written about Mary J. Blige in a bit and a half, so here I are.

In case you didn’t get her Growing Pains yet and want to know “What Love Is” to Blige, “it feels like joy, and it feels like pain / And it feels like sunshine, feels like rain.”

Just thought you’d like to know. Now go back to the Olympics.

Photo: AshMagazine.WordPress.com.

All the Pretty People

People magazine will reveal its annual list of the 100 Most Beautiful in its issue hitting news stands on May 2.

Featuring Kate Hudson on its cover, the magazine also names, among others, Halle Berry, Patrick Dempsey, Salma Hayek, Julianne Moore, Mary J. Blige, Sarah Silverman, and the cast of Gossip Girl as this year’s genetically blessed.

Daniel Craig had better made the list, that’s all I have to say.

Congratulations to all – you couldn’t have done it without your publicist.

Surely you remember the magazine used to pick only 50 Most Beautiful. But then something changed, and for my money, the list lost its appeal.

How else could you explain the great travesty that is Sarah Michelle Gellar, Lauren Graham, Mandy Moore, and Madonna not being included year after year?

Photo: People.com.

MJB Da MVP

Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z kicked off their anticipated “Heart of the City Tour” at the American Airlines Arena in Miami on Saturday, and I just had to be there.

I needed to be there – I needed it like a heart needs a beat.

And boy if MJB wasn’t the beat, the hope, the passion I needed.

She’s the undisputed Queen of Hip-Hop Soul for a mighty good reason, people: She has a voice that just won’t quit.

Her performance on Saturday was nothing short of amazing. She had on her sparkly opening number, her big sunglasses and oversize hoop earrings, her high-heeled boots – she felt like a woman and she was letting everyone know it.

Complemented by a 22-member band that included a 12-piece string-and-horn ensemble, MJB belted out hit after hit after hit. She didn’t need to change into dazzling costume after dazzling costume or even have a drink of water. Her batteries were charged.

If only she’d done “Smoke” and “Come to Me (Peace),” especially, I’d call her 90-minute set quite perfect.

Yeah, tears formed behind my eyes (but I did not cry) when I realized the night wouldn’t include what has been my favorite song since Christmas – or anything that that entails – but I wasn’t disappointed. Thanks to her, I was at peace.

Jay-Z did great, too, but I’m just not that into him. He’s Jay-Z, and he’s good and fun, with or without special guests Kanye West and Timbaland, but this was MJB’s night.

I made a memory on Saturday – and I never say silly things like “I made a memory.”

Photo: DotSpotter.com.

Update: MJB performed “Come to Me (Peace)” in her episode of VH-1’s Storytellers.

Obviously, the song is an emotional one for her – she had to take a moment during her introduction.

I can only imagine how she would’ve shaken the AAA had she performed it there.

Nostalgia, Pt. 19

“I was yours /
You were mine /
It seemed we’d last forever, oh yea /
I’d be the one you need /
You would be the one I marry /
And I’m just trying to invite my way back in your heart /
And I'm telling you to... /

Come to me /
I’ll restore freedom /
I’ll carve away the worries in your heart.”

I cannot wait for March 22. And yeah – I am totally this song’s bee-yotch.

Photo: RMPMagazine.com.

No More Drama

One door closes and another one opens.

Well, don’t call me Sad Spice anymore. Mary J. Blige is coming to the rescue.

Jay-Z and MJB will kick off their “Heart of the City Tour” in Miami – no pesky scheduling conflicts anticipated – on March 22. H-O-T.

Yeah.... Come to me.

Photo: ViewImages.com.

Why VH-1 Rocks

VH-1, the home of I Love New York and Flavor and Rock of Love, has redeemed its lowest-common-denominator-programming bad, bad self by asking Mary J. Blige to tape an episode of Storytellers.

Can it get any better than that?

MJB is said to open the show with current single “Just Fine” and deliver an “out-of-body” “No More Drama.” That’s great, but does she perform “Come to Me (Peace)”? She better do….

I cannot wait to watch this show.

Photo: EW.com.